Pool heat, lighitng and covers - views from others who have been down this path gratefully received.

Hi there, we are having our existing pool at our house in Murcia reformed and retiled and are interested in finding out some more about:

1. Using LED lighting. We'd like to know how many lights we'd need in a pool size 10 x 5. Is it best to buy the whole LED unit, or to have standard units put back in and just use LED bulbs? we'd like to have the colour changing ones (ones we can choose the colour from a selection - not just flashing ones that constantly change colour.

2. Pool heating. we have read much about solar, air heating, fossil fuel etc, and from what we can make out, the best option is an air source heat exchanger. If so, how much would this cost for the above size pool? Our pool rebuild includes the option of pre installation for heating (though this option costs an extra EUR 600 so we want to be sure heating the pool is a viable option before we go ahead with including this extra).. Any idea of the cost of the unit and what the running costs would be for a pool our size? Would we need to run the heating 24 hours a day for the period we want to use it, and realistically how many more months use would we get from the pool?

3. Pool solar covers. We assume we can use these all year around not just to keep the pool warmer but also to keep it cleaner in the off season If we just used the pool solar cover and no heating, would we get more months use from the pool?

Lots of questions, but we want to make the right decisions, based on cost and benefit so would appreciate any feedback and experiences.

Best regards, Carl

Are you really going to use your pool when it's cold outside, even if it is heated. Will you run out in your overcoat, swim then freeze to death when you got out? I don't think it's worth the expense. Same with the cover. gets dirty and covered with leaves etc. It's easier to clean the pool without one.It's a nuisance.So you can use the pool supposedly for another 2 months-that's optimistic!

thanks guys, but the last post was about solar. I'd very much like to hear form someone that actually has an air heated exchanger.

Regards, Carl

Agree with the others about solar pool covers, not very good for heating the water and they trap all sorts of crap in the pool. But, if you go for any heat source, a cover is needed to retain the heat at night.

For a 10x 5 pool you are looking around 2-4 k euro for a heat pump and a possible running cost between 100-150 euro per week in the winter. The heater needs to be on most of the time to get comfortable heat, you may get away with turning off at night you will need to experiment a bit.

Most most domestic power supplies would struggle in Spain to feed large electric heat exchangers and large heat pumps.

Again, swimming would be nice in a warm pool from April to the end of September most years and very occasionaly during winter months. Pool heating is only really usefull during the fringe months when natural heat in not enough.

Solar heating need heating surface at least 2/3 of that of you pool and does not heat that good, where do you site all this heating surface.

Really a bit negative about pool heating, sorry.

But I do know two people who have 10 x 5 pools and are able to swim in the winter because the whole pool is covered by a cover structure like a glass house ( polycarb.) one has heating and the other is brave.

 I'm sorry Carl if this goes off topic a little but I would be interested to know if people who have bought houses with pools regret the decision. Are they too expensive to run verses the benefits? Can they only be used comfortably for a small part of the year without extra heating and are they a lot of work to maintain if you do all of it yourself? 

If you do want to use it for longer what have you found is the best and most economical way  to heat the pool? I have been surprised by the negative comments re.pool covers. I have never had a house with a pool and assumed, stupidly, that they were a must.

Thanks Mr Kevin, very interesting reply.

As for if they are worth it, I think they are visually attractive al year round and really make the garden complete. yes it's an expensve feature, but one I love.

Carl

Hi a proper pool cover is a must it will stop the water within the pool evaporating and it will keep the pool clean and free of debris it will not keep the heat in and as far as trying to heat the pool with a electric heat pump or any other type of pool heater is concerned you would have to be very rich or very stupid to go down this road I have a 9mtr x 3.5mtr unheated pool that we use 7 months of the year  it costs approximately 30euros per month including the water and electric bill . incidentally if you want to go down the road of solar heating this will cost you about 10,000 eu to install and then you will have the problem of trying to keep the heat in the pool in the winter I not sure what part of Spain you live in I live on Camposl and it is to cold to use any outside pool in the winter .  

Hi Carl9.

This might help you but it is only what i know from my friends pool which i was in on from the beginning of building it, they have a normal pool heating system that you would get from pool people, they say it's not cheap to run but they do run the heating as and when for some hours of the day.

They then invested in a special cover, about half an inch thick, which was cut to the shape of the pool and it floats on the waters surface,  it helps keep the heat in overnight,  cuts down on evaporation, and helps keep it clean.

My friend was told that solar pool heating wasn't worth it and it wont work very well, that's hard to believe in a place like Spain, most probably the person that said this cant fit, dont know how to, or supply pool solar heating, if it works in the UK....need i say more. 

I have been looking into solar heating for pools, and if you google it a wealth of information comes up about DIY solar heating and other systems, the Americans have some very good home made kits that they say work very well. Certainly worth a look.

Thanks Baz, as mentioned, Solar heating for the pool was never an option as we don't think it still works effectively enough.

We are talking about Air source heating systems, and havinga "solar pool cover" - which is very different form having solar heating. The solar pool covers are simply pool covers that have solar properties in the fabric.

Many thanks, Carl

 Hi

We have a 7 x 4 pool and use a air pump heater.  It is great for extending the season so we can swim, in comfort,  from March to November - depending on the weather!

We use it in the autumn to 'top up' the water temperature to maintain it at 25 degrees so it only runs for 2-3 hours a day. Putting the cover on each night helps to keep the heat in. 

The time it is expensive to run is in March when it needs to run longer to drag the temperature up from 17/19 degrees. 

I can understand folks who think they are too expensive - but when we bought it 8 years ago (the good ol' pre crunch days! )we could afford the initial expense.  Ours cost 6,000  to buy and install - they are a lot cheaper now!

We do not regret it but I wouldn't scrimp and save to buy one.

 Hi Randolph,

Apart from iinitial set up costs how much does it cost to run the heater from march to november? Sound like a good option if running costs are reasonable.

 Hi

In autumn we tend it run the heater 2/3 hours a day when the pool water drops below 23 degrees. Depending on the weather the start date can change. We do not have our papers here in the UK but my husband has worked it out to be approx £1 per hour. It does not sound a lot - but it can add up - so once we need to use it more than 2/3 hours we give u and accept winter has arrived!. On average we can keep on using the pool until the first week in November.  If the forecast for March is good we use the heater for 5/6 hours a day ( about 3 or 4 days)  until the water gets upto 25 degrees and then 2/3 hours to maintain it until the Spanish sun takes over the job!

So going by your cheapest usage you are talking perhaps about £168.00 a month approx? not for all the 12 months obviously.

 No,  3 hours a day  = £21 a week X 4 = £84 per month. But please note - we do not use it every day - just when the pool temp drops below  23 degrees.  Putting the cover on every night is a must

We rarely use it before the end of September , so  6 weeks in the autumn on average.

We usually start again In March until perhaps Mid May.

A lot depends on the weather - but 2/3 hours a day = £56 - £84 per month.

Seems a fair price, do you have figures for whatever you used to heat your pool before as a comparison.

I ask because i am toying with everything to heat the pool in the next house we buy, even down to making my own solar heating.

I have used Solar Sun Rings for the last few years. Great if you go out in the morning and want a swim PM on your return.