Are you thinking of buying a heat pump and installing it yourself?
Depending on your abilities, it's a possible solution: as long as you have the right tools handy... and above all, the right knowledge!
Once you've chosen your heat pump, follow the guide below to assess whether you should carry out the installation yourself. However, it's a process that may end up being more complicated than expected: in case of doubt and to avoid any damage, don't hesitate to contact a professional who will be able to take care of it for you.
Choosing the right location for your heat pump
A heat pump needs air to function correctly. The hotter this air is, the more efficient the process: it's for this reason that you should never install the heat pump in a closed location. The cold air that it emits will fill the space little by little, rapidly reducing its performance.
Pumps are therefore usually placed in the open air, next to the machine room for example: leave at least 80 cm space between the wall and the heat pump so that there is enough air available.
It is also important to keep at least 3 m of the area in front of the pump free. This is where the cold air is emitted: it must be able to emerge without being sucked back in by the heat pump. Finally, consider aiming it so that the cold breeze does not move towards your terrace or pool (not very pleasant...) or into your neighbours' garden.
Connect your heat pump to the mains and the hydraulic network
Make sure that the electrical connection of your filtration system can support the heat pump you are installing, as well as existing equipment. A heat pump always functions at the same time as the filtration pump: moreover, it is for this reason that when the temperature rises, at the beginning of the season for example, they can be made to function 24/7 by covering the pool beforehand.
Please note: you must be an accredited electrician to establish this connection. If this isn't the case, you must call an appropriately trained electrician.
Within the hydraulic circuit, the heat pump is placed between the filter and the treatment equipment (pH, chlorine, etc.). The water entering the heater is therefore filtered but not yet treated, to prevent these various products from altering the heat pump (exchanger, seals, etc.).
The hydraulic system of a heat pump is simply composed of an inlet and an outlet that have to be connected to the swimming pool circuit. However, you will need to install a bypass where the valve enables you to have the right quantity of water transferred into the heat pump to heat the swimming pool appropriately. These settings are also different at the beginning and middle of the season – when the temperature rises or is maintained. You should therefore plan to carry out a second bypass setting to reduce the volume of water transferred into the heat pump as soon as the pool has reached the desired temperature.
When to have your heat pump serviced, and other useful advice
Once your heat pump is installed and ready for use, you'll need to remember the following information.
It is recommended to have your heat pump serviced by a professional every two years, especially to check for gas leaks and the general watertightness of the equipment.
You will always notice water around heat pumps. In fact, it is through a very cold grid that the heat pump sucks in air, with the moisture condensing and running off like it does on a cold window. This is therefore not a leak, but a completely normal phenomenon: ideally, you should plan for a drain coupling system for this condensation water towards the lawn, for example, to prevent it from stagnating and turning green, or becoming a mosquitoes' nest.
Heat pumps are always connected and controlling them remotely can turn out to be very useful. You should therefore make sure that the Wi-Fi in your house can reach your machine room. If necessary, feed a network cable to the machine room and connect it to a Wi-Fi router: you will then be able to connect your equipment and use the internet as far as the poolside!
The best time to operate your heat pump
The question is sometimes under debate: when should you operate your heat pump? If you think about the operation of a heat pump again, the answer is simple: when the air is at its hottest, so during the daytime.
What's more, the heat pump works with the filtration pump. The latter should operate when bathers are in the swimming pool, to ensure the best water quality: most frequently during the day, of course. You may as well operate your heat pump at that point! You can then take advantage of a silent pump, i.e. a full inverter.
We hope that this advice has helped you to assess your capacity to install your heat pump yourself.
And in case of doubt, before anything else, don't hesitate to call a professional.
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