On weekends, many residents of our homeland strive to quickly go to their dacha from their cities to breathe fresh air, enjoy nature and take a break from the bustle of the city. And if you have a swimming pool, then the question arises: How to heat a pool in the country?
Swimming in cold water is not fun. And if children also swim with you, they can easily get sick.
Let us remind you that the comfortable water temperature in the pool for an adult is from 25 degrees Celsius, and for children - from +29 degrees.
Today we’ll look at what methods we can use to heat a pool at the dacha. Moreover, we will consider both the devices offered by manufacturers and traditional methods.
Basic methods of heating pool water
In order not to harm your health, and especially not to harm your children, every owner of a country pool should know that the water temperature should be:
- When bathing adults : +24 – 28°С.
- For health procedures : +26 – 29°С.
- Children under 7 years old : +30 – 32°C.
- For children over 7 years old : +29 – 30°C.
- Hydromassage baths are taken at a temperature of +35 – 39°C.
Based on these requirements, owners of summer cottages need to decide which heater is best suited for the size of their pool. Often the choice is influenced by the financial side. But an important aspect is the availability of the necessary communications, as well as the preferences of the owner of the dacha.
Flow-through electric heater
This is the most common option. From relatively inexpensive to models capable of heating fairly large areas. Adjusting the water temperature is achieved by increasing or decreasing the pressure. The greater the pressure, the less heating. The most popular heater with a power of 3 kW raises the temperature by one degree in a ten cubic meter pool in one hour.
Flow-through electric heater Source allegro.pl
But the most powerful flow-through heater, with a power of 18 kW, can maintain the desired temperature in a pool with a volume of no more than 36 m3. Therefore, the owners of the “Olympic tracks” need to look for another option. For example, the next one.
Heat pump
A heated swimming pool for a summer house can be supplied with a heat pump. It pumps out heat instead of water. He can take it from the bowels of the earth, a reservoir, and even from the air. The operating principle of the device resembles a conventional refrigerator. When the pumped-out heat enters the refrigerant, the inert gas boiling in it is compressed by the compressor to 25 atmospheres. The heat released in this process very quickly heats the water, which circulates through the pipeline.
Such a system is capable of heating large volumes of water in a very short time. The disadvantage of the device is that it only works in warm weather. Ordinary summer residents cannot afford such a new product. The price of a heat pump starts from 120 thousand rubles.
Heat pump Source grephys.com
Heat exchanger
If the house has steam heating, then a heat exchanger can be connected to it. Cold water from the pool enters the coil, which will be heated by hot water circulating through the heating system of the house. Heating is adjusted using a thermostat. It increases or decreases the speed of water flow in the coil.
This method is suitable for indoor pools and in winter. In summer, turning on the heating in the house in order to swim in the pool is extremely irrational.
Heat exchanger Source proekt-sam.ru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in swimming pools and equipment for them.
Solar panels
A garden pool with water heating using a solar collector is becoming more and more popular. Solar systems are very efficient. Especially modern models that have touch sensors and automation. But they are very expensive and therefore not available to everyone. The second disadvantage is that they only work in sunny weather.
You can choose a design that will perform simple heating functions and therefore its price will be quite reasonable.
Solar battery Source orcmaster.com
And a couple more “folk” ways
"Snail from a Hose"
It is known that you can heat water by increasing its surface. To do this, one end of a long hose (preferably black) is connected to the hole in the pool, and the other to the filter pump. It is advisable to secure the hose with clamps to avoid leaks. Then place it in the sun (it’s most convenient to lay it in circles, the shape resembles a snail). Water passing through the hose will heat up faster.
You will find all the information about water purification in a swimming pool at your dacha here.
Electric boiler
A powerful boiler is also used to heat water. It is very dangerous!
Electric shock can be fatal!
In addition, there is a danger of damaging plastic or film tanks. Among the disadvantages are high energy costs. If you still decide to take a risk, follow the safety rules:
- Place the boiler in the water with it turned off!
- He must not touch the walls of the pool!
- When the boiler is on, do not touch the water!
Fabric preparation
The canvas is made from slats or beams. A frame is constructed and covered with plywood. The sheet is visually divided into four parts and wooden beams are attached. In the future, they will hold the glass. Insulation and galvanized sheets are laid on top of the plywood. The front of the table is covered with black paint. This will attract light more strongly and heat the surface. The canvas itself is attached to the frame.
IMPORTANT! The weight of the entire device can reach up to 35 kg, so the entire frame should be made durable and able to easily withstand such a weight. It is necessary to take into account the weight of glass, snow, water, the impact of wind on the structure, etc.
How to make a pool warm in both autumn and winter?
You'll have to put the bowl indoors. It could even be a greenhouse covered with a thick film. The main thing is that the pool and all its equipment fit.
The optimal heating option is a wood firebox. It is installed separately, covered from precipitation so that it does not rust. It is recommended to heat the stove with birch wood, the efficiency of which is quite high.
In the greenhouse itself, it is worth installing IR heaters to heat the air. As a result, the author of this option managed to achieve 20°C in the greenhouse and 33°C in the water. By the way, a swimming pool installed in a heated room does not need to be dismantled for the winter.
By insulating the bowl, you will significantly reduce heat loss. After which the temperature of the heated water will be maintained for 2-3 days.
Source of idea: drive2.ru
Even at the stage of installing the pool, consider insulating the bottom or even sinking the bowl into the ground. In this case, you will also need a pool stepladder.
Materials for installing a solar collector
It is advisable to initially draw a diagram of the future collector. It makes it easier to calculate consumable materials.
- Wooden beams and slats.
- Sheets of thick plywood.
- Sheet of metal (tin, galvanized).
- Metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes.
- Fasteners, clamps, corner fittings, tees, fittings. Everything you need to assemble a plastic structure.
- Aluminum profile.
- Steel furniture corners to assemble the body.
- Double-glazed window or glass 4 mm thick.
- Expanded polystyrene in roll.
- Edged board.
- Submersible pump with a capacity of at least 3 cubic meters. m. per hour.
- Check valve.
- Nails, screws.
- A product for treating wood against rotting.
- Black paint.
- Fum tape.
Criteria for choosing a water heating device
The choice of a pool heating device must be approached with the utmost seriousness and be sure to pay attention to the following factors:
- Pool view. There are two types of pools: in the house (closed) and on the site (open). The second option will require equipment with increased power, since the process of cooling water in the open air occurs several times faster.
- Warm-up speed. The speed of water heating depends on the power of the device, however, more powerful devices are located in a high price category.
- Pool volume. For a small pool, a system with average power and heating rate is quite sufficient, and for large tanks, the opposite is true.
- Operational life. A device with high power and an increased degree of heat transfer will help you use the pool all year round. And for the summer period, especially on warm days, a device with average performance and heating speed will be sufficient.
The choice of water heater depends only on you!
From the above, we can draw a reasonable conclusion - the purchase of a specific water heating device directly depends on its technical characteristics and the selected type of pool.
What is the difference between heating outdoors and indoors?
There are different ways to heat a pool indoors or outdoors. The main differences are shown in the table.
| Factor | In the country | In a private house |
| Network connection | If the cottage is not electrified, or the pool is located at a distance from the nearest power point, it is better to refuse electric heaters. An alternative is a collector based on solar cells, devices using natural fuel (wood, coal, fuel oil). | In permanent homes, problems with power supply occur less frequently. If appropriate protection is installed, any type of electric heater can be used to heat an artificial reservoir. |
| Reservoir dimensions | An outdoor pool is more energy-intensive; due to the influence of external factors and water evaporation, the volume is multiplied by 0.4 (the number of kilowatts used to heat the liquid by 1 degree for 3-4 hours). | A heater with identical parameters in a room is more efficient. In the building, the correction factor will be 0.3. |
| Natural resources | It is appropriate to use coal or firewood to heat the pool, if it is possible to build an appropriate unit. Fuel must be affordable for self-sufficiency. | In modern houses with central heating, such designs are inappropriate. |
| Financial opportunities | The budget method (boiler) in an open area requires 2-3 times more time to obtain results. | Boilers or electric kettles are quite suitable for heating small pools. |
How to extend the life of a heater
To prolong the life of expensive and useful equipment, you should take care of its health by providing proper care.
- At temperatures from 0℃ and below, the heater stops operating. The equipment is disconnected from electricity. The water is carefully drained. Open mechanisms and cavities are protected with plastic film. It is advisable to remove removable parts indoors.
- During operation, scale and sediment accumulate inside the heater openings. They are periodically cleaned with a soft brush, otherwise the performance of the heater will drop.
- The solar collector is cleaned from time to time of debris, dust, and snow. Otherwise, the collector will not receive additional heat, and the heating of the water will decrease by several degrees.
- To preserve the temperature and warm up the water faster the next day, the pool is hermetically covered with a dark blanket. Such a blanket will protect the water from heat loss and help avoid clogging with insects, leaves, branches and dust.
Does it matter?
Heating water is a physical process that occurs under certain conditions. They can promote or hinder the heating of water, since the transfer of thermal energy is always interconnected with all surrounding objects or factors.
Bowl type
The type and design of the bowl can affect the heating mode in a very direct way. For example, the depth of the pool determines the effectiveness of heating using solar rays.
In addition, if the pool is deep, then the volume of water that needs to be heated increases. For this, more thermal energy is consumed, i.e. a higher power heater is required.
There are conventional and frost-resistant pool designs.
The former must be drained and stored indoors at the end of the swimming season (most often such models are bought for a summer residence), the latter can be left filled with water for the winter.
The walls of the bowl in frost-resistant species are more durable, assembled from several layers. They are able to resist the effects of low temperatures and frosty expansion of water.
Manufacturer
The heating method does not depend on the manufacturer (be it Intex, Bestway or any other company), since in any case there is a certain volume of water. Only the enclosure of the bowl changes, which practically does not affect the temperature inside.
Effective thermal insulation to retain heat
Thermal insulation of a pool is a layer of backing that cuts off the contact of the film with cold concrete or soil. Different materials are used, from ordinary polystyrene foam or more reliable penoplex to liquid polyurethane foam.
It is a liquid that is applied by spraying. In air, the composition foams and hardens, forming a continuous hard layer of insulation. The procedure is quite complicated and requires the use of special equipment. However, the result gives maximum effect.
