The simplest way to understand how long to run a pool heat pump is to consider the factors that affect the heating process. One of the biggest being the temperature of your pool. Since a pool heat pump’s job is to heat up your pool’s water, how hard it works is directly correlated to how hard it needs to work.
Maintaining temperature
Think of a pool heat pump as an air conditioner during the summer time. Most of us leave our air-conditioners on throughout the hottest months, often utilizing that handy auto on/off feature. It wouldn’t make sense to leave the unit running one day, turn it off for two, and start over. The temperature increase over those two days would be huge, meaning that the air conditioner would have to work extra hard to bring the temperature back down to a comfortable and cool level. Now apply this concept to a heat pumps.
The best way to run a heat pump
As a heat pump owner, it makes the most economical sense to focus on maintaining the temperature of your pool as effectively as possible. Only turning on the pool heat pump when you plan to swim gives the water a huge window of opportunity to drop in temperature before your next swim. This means that when you turn your heat pump back on, it’s going to take a considerable amount of time to get back to the temperature you previously enjoyed.
Instead, opt to regularly run the pool heat pump so it only needs to compensate for natural heat loss (rainfall, evaporation). Moreover, since 75% of heat loss is due to evaporation, it’s also a great idea to use a solar pool cover. These helpful little add-ons help to significantly reduce your pool’s rate of water evaporation, simultaneously contributing to a consistent water temperature.
On a closing note
Certain heat pumps utilize an automatic on/off feature in accordance to a pre-specified temperature. However, be sure to remember that heat pumps can only run when your pool system is running and not exclusively. Therefore consider how often you intend on swimming as well as how important consistent temperature is to you. Bottom line, the ultimate goal is to have your heat pump doing as little work as possible.
