Heat pump takes forever to warm pool in the morning.

Isabella

Member
Just installed a heat pump this season and it feels like it takes all day to bring the pool up a few degrees. Is that normal or is mine underperforming?
 
Just installed a heat pump this season and it feels like it takes all day to bring the pool up a few degrees. Is that normal or is mine underperforming?
Also depends on air temp. If mornings are cool the unit won’t be as efficient. Covering the pool overnight helps hold the heat you gained the day before.
 
Just installed a heat pump this season and it feels like it takes all day to bring the pool up a few degrees. Is that normal or is mine underperforming?
Yeah heat pumps are slower than gas heaters. They work best if you keep the temp steady instead of trying to raise it a bunch all at once.
 
Also depends on air temp. If mornings are cool the unit won’t be as efficient. Covering the pool overnight helps hold the heat you gained the day before.
Yeah heat pumps are slower than gas heaters. They work best if you keep the temp steady instead of trying to raise it a bunch all at once.
Got it, I’ve been turning it off at night so that’s probably why it feels like it’s always starting from scratch. I’ll try leaving it steady and use the cover more.
 
That’s pretty normal for a heat pump. They’re designed to maintain temperature rather than heat water super fast like a gas heater. Using a pool cover overnight and keeping the pump running at a steady speed helps it retain heat and reduces how long it takes to reach your target temperature in the morning.
 
I’m new to this industry. I’m not always at the house with the swim spa, it arrived before me. So when the temp drops in the spa this guage will notify me. However, I’m terrified to keep it in the spa bc I think it will melt. Anyone know anything about these? How safe they are? Last summer my heater went out after Xmas.
 

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Isabella, totally normal. Mine was the same way when I first got it, and I thought something was wrong too. Heat pumps just work differently, they pull warmth from the air, so on cool mornings, they’re basically running uphill until the air temp rises a bit.

I leave mine running overnight now and use a solar blanket, and it makes a big difference. Instead of taking all morning to climb a few degrees, it’s already close to my set temp when I wake up. Once you get into that rhythm, it’s a lot less frustrating.
 
Yeah, that’s pretty much how heat pumps behave, especially early in the day when the air’s still cool. Mine used to drive me nuts at first, I’d check the temp every hour thinking something was wrong. Once I started running it overnight and threw on a solar cover, it made a huge difference.

Now, it might only drop a degree or two overnight, and by mid-morning it’s already back to temp. Heat pumps just work best when you let them maintain instead of “catch up.” If you shut it off completely, it’s like asking it to climb a hill from the bottom every morning.

So yeah, what you’re seeing is normal, just part of getting used to how they heat.
 
Hey Isabella, what you’re noticing is pretty common with heat pumps. Unlike gas heaters that blast heat quickly, heat pumps rely on the air temperature to warm the water, so mornings, when the air is cooler, are always slower. One thing that helps a lot is running the pump consistently and keeping a pool cover on overnight.

That way, the heat you gained the day before doesn’t escape, and the pump isn’t trying to start from cold every morning. Also, if you can, avoid shutting it off completely; maintaining a steady temperature is far more efficient than letting it drop and trying to “catch up” each day.
 
Totally normal, Isabella. Heat pumps work kind of like the “slow and steady” option, they don’t blast heat, they build it gradually. Mine used to feel the same way in the mornings until I stopped shutting it off overnight. Once I let it maintain temperature instead of starting from cold each day, it stopped taking forever to warm up.

If you can, throw on a solar or thermal cover too, it traps a surprising amount of heat overnight. That way, when you wake up, the water’s already close to your set temp, and the pump doesn’t have to work as hard. Heat pumps really shine when they’re allowed to maintain heat rather than chase it.
 
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