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View Full Version : How does a swimming pool heat pump work?



Rudolf Eucken
09-02-2025, 01:11 AM
A swimming pool heat pump (https://www.fantasticheatpump.com/air-to-water-heat-pump/swimming-pool-heat-pump/) works like a reverse air conditioner, transferring heat from the outside air to your pool water using a refrigerant cycle. A fan draws in outside air, which cools the refrigerant in an evaporator coil, turning it into a gas. A compressor then heats this gas, which then flows to a heat exchanger to transfer its heat to the cooler pool water that is circulated through it. The now-liquid refrigerant cycles back to the evaporator to begin the process again.

Step-by-step breakdown:

1. Air Intake:
A fan pulls ambient outside air across an evaporator coil.
2. Refrigerant Absorption:
A liquid refrigerant inside the evaporator coil absorbs heat from the air, transforming into a warm gas.
3. Compression:
The warm gas travels to a compressor, which pressurizes and significantly increases its temperature, creating a very hot gas.
4. Heat Transfer:
This hot gas then passes through a heat exchanger (or condenser), where it transfers its heat to the cooler pool water that is being circulated by the pool pump.
5. Condensation:
As the gas releases its heat to the water, it cools and condenses back into a liquid.
6. Cycle Completion:
The liquid refrigerant then passes through an expansion valve, which reduces its pressure and temperature before it flows back to the evaporator coil to start the cycle over again.

Why it's efficient:

Heat pumps do not generate heat directly; instead, they move existing heat from the air into the pool water.
They only use electricity to power the fan and compressor, making them highly efficient and a cost-effective way to heat a pool compared to other methods that rely on generating heat.