Heating swimming pool water
Why heating pool water?
You bought your swimming pool for a number of reasons like family fun, exercise, entertaining, those quiet relaxing moments or perhaps even for therapeutic reasons. However, you've probably found that without heating your swimming pool water it's often too cold to enjoy. Your swimming pool won’t contribute to your health or pleasure unless it’s warm enough to swim in comfortably. Swimming from early morning to late evening, even with air temperatures of 18°C / 65°F or lower - if your swimming pool water is warm.
Swimming pool water heating will allow you to enjoy it all season, perhaps all year round, thereby increasing the return on your sizable investment!
What are the health benefits of swimming pool heating?
Proper swimming pool heating and a properly used swimming pool can contribute to and help safeguard health. Doctors and physical therapists regard swimming as one of the most beneficial of cardiovascular exercises. It is an exercise that nearly everyone can do safely, while running and jogging are impossible for many elderly people and those who suffer from arthritis and muscular diseases. By heating swimming pool water, you make it possible to engage more often in swimming exercise because you extend the hours and the season your swimming pool may be used. By heating pool water you prevent chilling and the problems caused by the loss of too much body heat. Pediatricians say very young children are especially susceptible to various respiratory infections which may result from repeated chilling - and this is also true of elderly swimmers. Swimming pool water heating is a must for therapeutic benefits and when swimming for relaxation.
How can you heat your swimming pool water?
The sun alone usually can’t keep your swimming pool water at a comfortable temperature.There are several additional ways to heat swimming pool water. From the electric swimming pool water heating to gas-fired pool water heating and even elaborate solar water heating systems. Direct electric pool heaters, heat exchanger, swimming pool heat pumps, solar pool heaters and gas/oil pool heaters are the main types of swimming pool heating systems. The best swimming pool heater system for your pool is determined by numerous factors including your needs, desires, budget and physical layout of the swimming pool and house.
How much swimming pool heating energy will I need to heat the pool water?
Here is an easy formula to know how much swimming pool heating energy you will need to get your desired swimming water temperature. This calculation formula could also be a quite useful instrument in finding the appropriate swimming pool heater you search for.
How much heating energy is used to heat one liter of water?
(Desired water temperature) – (Actual water temperature) = needed Temperature-Rise
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Celsius: |
Fahrenheit: |
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To raise the temperature of 1 liter of swimming pool water by 1° Celsius, you will need 4190 Joules or 0,001164 kWh of swimming pool heating energy. |
The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit is 1055 Joules or 0,000293 kWh or 1 B.T.U. (British Thermal Unit) of heating energy. |
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The formula is: Volume (Liters) x Temperature-Rise x Kilowatt-hour (unit of energy) | |
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Celsius: |
Fahrenheit: |
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For example: Let´s take a swimming pool with about 32000 liters of water. Now we want to heat the water from 17°C to 27°C. |
For example: Let´s take a swimming pool with about 70550 pounds of water. Now we want to heat the water from 63°F to 81°F. |
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Then calculate:32000 liters x 10°C x 0,001164 kWh = 372,5 kWh |
Then calculate:70550 pounds x 18°F x 0,000293 kWh = 372,1 kWh |
How often do I need to heat the pool water?
As you can see below you will have to spend a relatively high amount of swimming pool heating energy to get your preferred pool water temperature when heating up the swimming pool water. But with swimming pool heaters you only have to heat your water once in a period of time. Then you only have to keep your preferred swimming pool water temperature at the same level, which means less swimming pool heating energy consumption.
Cost of electricity in different European countries
Operating cost of swimming pools vary due to various aspects. Temperature variations in different countries for example can influence the heating costs. But also the electricity tariffs are influencing the operating costs of a swimming pool. To save money on heating the swimming pool you should heat your pool water at night. Special night tariffs can help you reduce heating cost. Inform yourself about your night tariffs by contacting your electricity provider. The electricity prices vary in different European countries as you can see in the table below.
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European electricity prices 2002 | |||
| Prices /kWh in EUROcents |
Residential prices (electricity + consumers taxes + VAT) | ||
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Band 1 |
Band 2 |
Band 3 | |
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Austria |
16,97 |
15,10 |
13,26 |
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Belgium |
17,78 |
13,79 |
11,07 |
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Czech Republik |
12,93 |
10,10 |
7,27 |
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Denmark |
31,59 |
22,44 |
20,46 |
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France |
15,32 |
11,63 |
10,33 |
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Germany |
19,27 |
15,80 |
13,29 |
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Greece |
7,93 |
6,54 |
6,42 |
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Hungary |
10,14 |
8,12 |
7,20 |
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Ireland |
16,62 |
11,33 |
8,29 |
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Italy |
10,40 |
15,61 |
18,40 |
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Luxembourg |
18,24 |
11,85 |
9,58 |
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Netherlands |
25,12 |
18,45 |
16,04 |
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Portugal |
14,21 |
12,86 |
8,84 |
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Spain |
14,39 |
10,94 |
8,39 |
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Sweden |
14,18 |
10,50 |
7,67 |
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Switzerland |
25,20 |
14,90 |
11,82 |
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UK |
|
10,38 |
8,53 |
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Definitions : Consumption levels and market segmentation | ||
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Group |
Band number |
Annual Consumption Range |
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Residential |
1 |
X <= 2.000 kWh |
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2 |
2.000 kWh < X <= 7.000 kWh | |
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3 |
X > 7.000 kWh | |
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Table of conversion: | ||