Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pumps

The Air to Water Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pumps are available in both vertical and horizontal air discharge options.   Depending upon the installation location there are also options for the outer casings of the Swimming Pool Heat Pumps namely; powder coated steel, UV stabilized ABS or stainless steel.   The main feature or “heart” of the Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pump is the patented titanium heat exchanger.  Without an effective and durable heat exchanger a swimming pool heat pump will become ineffective in a very short period of time due to the rapid deterioration of incompatible components.  For example; the advantage of the titanium heat exchanger over a cuprous nickel alloy heat exchanger is that it is not susceptible to the highly corrosive chemicals (particularly high levels of chlorine) that are generally present in all swimming pools and spas.  The external casing component of the titanium heat exchanger is a fully molded non-corrosive, high impact strength material that can withstand high water pressures as well to ensure durability and maximum performance of the complete Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pump at all times.

Scroll compressors are used because they have 50% fewer moving parts than standard piston type compressors. This equates to greatly improved reliability and improved efficiency as well as reducing noise levels to a minimum.   The Digitally-based microprocessor can control water temperature to within 1ºC of the set point.  The controller also permits the user to pre-set different pool and spa water temperatures and it can also prevent unauthorized tampering by the use of locking controls via a Celsius control key.  The versatility of the Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pump is again demonstrated by its capability to heat and cool a swimming pool or spa in different climatic conditions.  This allows the operator to have full control all year round.   The Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pump can warm your pool or spa with the reliability and efficiency of our other heat pumps, but with the flip of a switch, it can also cool your pool or spa to refreshing temperatures during hot summer months. For cooler climates, heating & cooling heat pumps offer unique advantages over the passive defrost models.

The Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pumps are also hot gas defrost heat pumps that are uniquely equipped for an active defrost cycle.   Active defrost involves directing hot refrigerant vapor to the heat collector thereby melting accumulated ice away in a matter of a few minutes and then allowing the heat pump to return back to normal heating cycle.  Standard defrost heat pumps may remain off for extended periods when defrosting during very cold weather.  However, because of the hot gas defrost function on the Metran Swimming Pool Heat Pump it has the ability to continue to operate-even during freezing weather.  Hot gas defrost models will extend the swimming season longer than any standard-defrost heat pump.  A large variety of Models are available ranging from 4 kW heating output right through to 149 kW heating output which will ensure a suitably sized product can be selected from the calculation chart for any project.

By Mel Peatey

Water to Water Heat Pumps

Another option for Commercial/Industrial Heat Pump water heaters is the Water to Water - or hydro sourced Heat Pump.   Water source heat pumps (WSHP) are specialized types of heat pumps that can also be used as reverse cycle or multi function units that use water as a heat source when in the heating mode and as a heat sink in the cooling mode. In the Water to Water HeatPump, heat is absorbed or rejected in a fluid medium rather than from the ambient air. Water loop heat pumps (WLHP) use a circulating water loop which could be from a chiller/cooling tower system as the primary heat source for the liquid refrigerant causing it to vaporize before moving it to where it is upgraded by an electrically-driven compressor and is then subsequently delivered at a useful super heated temperature for heating potable water via a suitable heat exchanger.

A typical schematic of a multi function Water sourced Heat Pump shown above indicates how in some cases a single Water to Water Heat Pump Unit can be used to provide hot water, air conditioning, as well as under floor heating if required.   In the schematic layout above the primary heat source can be provided by any medium (ground, lake, sea water or hotel cooling tower circuits) where heat energy can be captured (transferred) in the primary evaporator in the Heat Pump Unit.   These types of Heat Pumps can also be used very effectively for just the hot water output function depending upon the project requirements and still have the capability of delivering a very high Coefficient of Performance (COP) outcome of over 370% more than the actual energy consumed.   However, when used as a multi function unit for example, delivering hot water and air conditioning in an ambient temperature environment of around 24ºC the combined COP’s for both functions can be as high as 700% more than the energy consumed for the operation of the system.

By Mel Peatey.