Pool Heaters and temps over 80
 

We just bought an older home with pool heated by both solar and heat pump. However, we aren't sure the heat pump is working. From what I've been able to find on the web, a heat pump should work as long as the temperature remains above 45. I understand there are lots of factors to consider, but does anyone have a pool heated by both solar and heat pump that is above 80? Ours hasn't gotten above 72.

Since the temps have been in the 50's and low 60's for a couple of days it doesn't seem unreasonable to have a pool in the low 70's...especially since it's been pretty cloudy too...it may be overly simplistic, but why not call an expert?

Ah, yes. Experts. 2 of them disagree. Our heat pump is doing something, but what? Apparently only the shadow knows (but that gives away my age!)

We stayed in a condo in Key West and the heat pump used the rejected heat to warm the pool. I'd this the same system you are refering too just out of curiosity?

I would think you could tell whether the heat pump was working by touching the output pipe from the pump. It should consistently be warmer than the input pipe. Also make sure that your solar system is not running at night. Our neighbor had a solar system malfunction; it ran all the time and the roof heat-collector grid acted as a giant cooling radiator during the much cooler nights.
At least you are not trying to heat to 80 degrees using a "standard" electric pool heater. Last January 2014 a newbie family to our neighborhood heated their pool to above 80 all month and ended up with an electric bill in excess of $900!!. This year they, along with the rest of us, are using the community pools during the Winter.

I have a heated pool just solar.For us the heat pump was to expensive to run.It takes 1 hour to increase the heat by 1 degree.So if your pool is at 65 and you want it to be 80 it would take 15 straight hours of running the pump to get to that temperature.Major electric bill at the end of the month.We just don`t use the pool from december to the end of march.As of today our pool temperature was 70 degrees,to cold for me.I like it around 84 degrees.

The current weather is certainly not ideal for the solar to be contributing much. Add to that the major heat loss for almost 12 of the 24 hours due to low temperature.
It is unclear whether you know if the heat pump is running.
It will depend upon what temp the heat pump is set for.
If it is 80 and the pool is at 70 something, the heat pump should be running. You can certainly tell if it is running by just listening to it.
If it is running and set at 80 and pool below 80 the heat pump will run continuously.
If the heat pump is not raising the pool temp at least a very few degrees and it is still running, then it is not working.

Make sure in these cold temp nights forecasted to be near freezing that your solar control is in freeze protection mode.

Hopefully some of the above is helpful.

I'm surprised there are no geothermal systems here. Free heat, no compressor running, low cost circulation pump, fairly short payback.

I use solar and gas heat and the pool maintains 85 degrees without huge gas bills.

Geothermal is not used usually because of the initial cost of installation. It still uses a heat exchanger as the main heating/cooling system. Cost to install can run from 30K to 100K depending on the size of the system. And the payback time is measured in decades.

The heat pump runs continually during the day but is on a timer and turns off at night. On sunny days it has gotten up to 72 or 73, but my guess is that is from the solar panels. The realtor told us to leave the heat pump on so we could tell if it was working as the former owner is responsible if it is not. My fear is that we will have a gigantic electric bill.

Sigh. the whole reason I wanted my own pool was so I could use it January-March when we are here.

Do you use a solar cover at night?

Something else to worry about! Yes, very helpful.

Solar
 

We keep the solar cover on when not using the pool. Our pool yesterday was 74.

And how do you heat your pool? Did your heater bring it to 74 or just the solar cover?

Pool
 

We only have solar heat.