Florida State Regulations for Heating Pools

Swimming is very refreshing, especially if the water in the pool is warm.

On a pleasant day, a swimming pool is an excellent choice for either getting some exercise or taking a relaxing break from a stressful workday situation. A good swim is always refreshing, especially if the water in the pool is warm. There are usually three ways to heat pools--using an electrical heating appliance, heat pumps or organic gas. But using these can be hazardous and energy consuming. To ensure safety and energy conservation, the Florida's Pool Efficiency Subcommittee (which is a subcommittee under the Florida Energy Code Work Group) has come up with various recommendations and regulations.

The Act

The 2008 Energy Act suggested implementation of heat pump effectiveness in its 2010 Code. The members of the Florida's Pool Efficiency Subcommittee held negotiations with the Florida Spa and Pool Association concerning energy saving methods for appliances used to heat pools. They came up with recommendations and suggestions for enhanced efficiency through improved hydronic systems for heating pools.

Recommendations

The Pool Efficiency Subcommittee offered recommendations to the Florida Energy Code Work Group regarding the performance of three areas of pool equipment--efficiency of pool pumps, heater efficiency and hydronic system standards.

Setting Standards

Florida's Energy Efficiency Code for Building Construction has set standards for business or in-house swimming pool pumps, water heaters for pools, heat traps and thermostat preset for water heaters used in heated pools. The code also establishes the least suitable stand-in loss for pool heaters that use electricity and gas. Business or in-house pumps for pool heating and water heaters sold after July 1, 2011, are supposed to fulfill the set of standards.

Regulations

Organic gas heaters for pools shouldn't feature pilots that continuously burn. Pool heaters that use heat pumps should have the low temperature performance coefficient at 4 or above. In case of gas-fired and oil-fired heaters, the thermal efficiency should always be 78 percent or above. Every type of heater is required to have an easily reachable on-off switch placed at the exterior of the heater and this switch should permit switching off the appliance without regulating the thermostat. Pump motors for the pool shouldn't be of shaded pole, capacitor start-induction run or split-phase models.

The in-house pumps for pools and pump motors with 1 horsepower or more should have the ability to operate in two or more speeds with a lesser speed of a rotation rate not more than 50 percent of the motor's highest rate of rotation. The in-house pump for pools with motor controls should have the ability to operate the pump at least in two speeds. The default speed of circulation should be similar to the speed of filtration of the house and it should have an elevated speed override facility for a transient time not crossing one normal cycle or two hours, whichever is smaller.

Exceptions

Pools using solar energy as the sole fuel source are allowed some exceptions by the Florida state pool heating regulations. The exception permits heating systems for solar pools to run at elevated circulation rate during the times of greater solar heat harvest (i.e., during daytime and during summer months, when there is maximum potential to harvest sunshine).

References

• Florida Department of Community Affairs: Pool Efficiency Subcommittee Report
• All Florida Pool & Spa Center: Pool/Spa Automation--Make Your Pool & Spa More Enjoyable
• Law Server: Florida Statutes 1013.44
• All Florida Pool & Spa Center: Pool Heating
• The Florida State University: Pool Efficiency Subcommittee To The Florida Energy Code Workgroup

Resources

• ECS Solar Energy Systems: Solar Pool Heating Frequently Asked Questions