Use of Air Conditioner Heat Rejection for Swimming Pool Heating

Abstract

Residential swimming pools are common in Wisconsin. However, pool heaters are needed in this climate to allow the pool to be used during the summer and to extend the period of use from late spring to early fall. Swimming pool heaters commonly use natural gas or propane as fuel. Although pool covers are often used to reduce the evaporation loss, the heating needs of an outdoor pool can result in significant operating expense and unnecessary use of natural resources. Even though the available solar energy is at a maximum at the time that pool heating is needed, solar heating systems are not commonly employed. Central air conditioning systems are common in Wisconsin. Central systems are routinely installed in most new homes, especially in those that have residential swimming pools. Air conditioners are electrically driven, and the energy removed from the cooled space plus the electrical energy are rejected to the ambient through air-cooled condensers. Even though the air conditioning season is relatively short in Wisconsin, air conditioning is estimated to contribute 10 to 15 % to the electric demand in the state. The objective of this study is to explore and evaluate different methods of combining air conditioning and pool heating to reduce the energy requirements and electrical demand.