Over the past four years Shipshape has been installing and researching the benefits of heat pumps in Cyprus. We have found that due to their low running costs, the efficiency of the unit itself, and the compact installation; heat pumps are a perfect method of heating your pool. You will see the word ‘efficient’ being used repeatedly in this pamphlet as the main factor when deciding what heating system is best suited to your needs. Due to the minimal running costs of a heat pump they are definitely a viable option.

How do heat pumps work?

A heat pump works by converting the outside temperature into heat for your pool. It achieves this by moving air via a large fan through a heater. The warm air passes over an evaporator containing liquid which boils at a very low temperature. When this liquid turns to vapour, it becomes compressed which increases the temperature by 5 or 6 times. For every unit of electricity used to run the compressor, you gain up to 6 free units of heat for your pool.For example: A 9Kw heat pump will only draw between 1.4Kw to 1.8Kw of electricity to heat your pool. If the average cost of electricity is € 0.20 per hour and the heat pump is running for 5 hours per day it will only cost € 1.40 per day.

A few factors have to be noted to obtain the full benefit from your heat pump. The warmer the outside temperature the more effective the system will be. Most heat pumps begin to become efficient once the outside temperature exceeds 15°c, and they work to their full potential at outside temperature of 20°c plus. We are blessed in Cyprus to have nearly 10 months of the year with average temperatures exceeding 20°c, therefore heat pumps are one of the best options to consider when evaluating the what heating system is necessary for your pool.

Where are heat pumps installed?

As heat pumps work by utilising the ambient outdoor temperature, they have to be installed outside. They can be installed away from the pump house with minimum heat loss, but most installations are placed either on to a wall bracket on the pump house, or on to a concrete base or patio. Installing a heat pump is a relatively quick and simple operation and normally just takes a morning to complete.

What size heat pump shall I install on my pool?

This all depends on the size of your pool and how long you want to extend your swimming season for. Factors such as temperatures, weather conditions and location have to be taken into consideration.  For example, a 9kW to a 12kW heat pump is suitable for a 8m x 4m pool.  We do advise a site survey to ensure the correct choice of heat pump is installed for your pool.

How long will a heat pump take to heat my pool up?

This is one of the most common questions we get asked and it is one of the most difficult to answer. Factors such as outdoor temperature, water temperature, the size of the heat pump in relation to the size of the pool all play a part. When a heat pump is installed the heat pump is left to run continuously until the desired temperature is achieved. This can take a couple of days or up to a week to reach. When the heat pump has reached its desired temperature the pool filtration can then be turned back on to the automatic setting. The internal thermostat will then govern the heat pumps operation. A recent example was mid December we installed a 16Kw heat pump on to an 8m x 4m pool. The pool temperature was 14°c. The system ran continuously for 6 days until it reached the desired temperature of 26°c. The heat pump maintained this temperature until early January when the owner returned to the UK.