Basics of an Air Source Heat Pump

An air source heat pump is an efficient and clean way of creating heat for your pool water. 

In simple terms, the heat pump consists of four main items. 

1. Radiator
2. Fan
3. Compressor
4. Water to water heat exchanger

The radiator is designed to collect the heat from the ambient outside air. This is achieved by the fan sucking the air through the grilles of the radiator.

The ambient heat that is collected in the refrigerant gas through the radiator grille, is then squeezed by a compressor. This is the same principal as using a bicycle pump. As you squash the air in a bicycle pump to force it into the tyre, the squeezed air heats up at the nozzle end. A heat pump compressor does this in a similar way, squeezing the refrigerant gas line to create heat upwards of 40ºC.

This hot gas is then circulated through a heat exchanger where the hot gas line is coiled through a chamber allowing the pool water to flow over it, warming the pool water. 

Air source heat pumps are rated on their COP (Coefficient of Performance) which corresponds to the ratio: power output/power consumed.

The higher the COP, the higher the performance level of the appliance… and thus the more efficient the appliance is.