Planning to get a new Heat pump to extend your pool season or to get a head start on the summer? Not sure if you can install the heat pump on your own? Well. depending on your level of DIY-comfort, installing a pool heat pump can be quite a painless experience as we will explain below.

Before even taking the heat pump from its box, (or even before ordering!) here are some things that you have to make sure to have in place. Once everything has checked out, installing the heat pump is as simple as taking it out of the box and hooking it up to the electrical and water inlets/outlets.

At the very least, you should have a dedicated 20A power circuit. This is more than enough for most residential-sized heat pumps that you can purchase on Mr Pool Man’s online pool supply store. For the Water TechniX Inverter Heat Pump Paradise, a dedicated 20A power circuit is more than adequate so there’s nothing to worry about.

To determine if you have enough space, simply plot out the actual dimensions of the heat pump and add the required ventilation spaces to them.

• The Water TechniX Paradise actual dimensions (L x W x H) 1000 x 405 x 660 (this is for the largest Paradise model, better to have extra space than to be short of space). Required ventilation space:
• Rear - 300mm
• Sides - 700mm per side
• Front - 500mm

• Water TechniX Utopia actual dimensions (L x W x H) 1300 x 510 x 800 (this is for the largest Elite model, better to have extra space than to be short of space). Required ventilation space:
• Rear - 500mm
• Sides - 500mm per side
• Front - 500mm

• Eclipse Heat pump actual dimensions (L x W x H) 689 x 780 x 756 (this is for the largest Eclipse model, better to have extra space than to be short of space). Required ventilation space:
• Rear - 500mm
• Sides - 500mm per side
• Front - 500mm
• TOP - 1000 mm

* Due to cuboid design and top exhaust, the Madimack Eclipse heat pump requires less space all around but it’s the only one requiring a lot of space to be available on the top of the unit.

The space required for installation are actual hard requirements and not negotiable. Having less space will cause poor performance when airflow from the pump’s inlet is less than optimal.

Make sure that the surface where your pool heat pump is exactly level. It is recommended to have a cement surface for installation to ensure that the heat pump remains perfectly level while installed. Heat pumps produce a significant amount of vibration so having a stable surface is required.

Once the surface area is prepped and everything is marked down for installation then it’s time to attach your heat pump to your pool’s filtration system. While installation may vary from pool system to pool system, the general idea is the same. Check out the diagram below for a quick look.

By-pass valve - this is important for those times where you don’t need to use the heat pump, especially during summer where the sun is more than enough to heat up your pool! The bypass valve also is used during heavy chemical treatments or when you’re dealing with an algae situation.

Salt Cell / Other Chlorinators - This should always be the LAST piece of equipment in your system.

Mounting the heat pump to the surface - The frame must be fixed by bolts to the concrete foundation (or brackets if wall mounted). The heat pump is a very heavy piece of equipment so it should be secured properly to avoid any accident.

Inlet and Outlet connections - These water connections MUST be installed with rigid pipes! While soft flexible pipes sound easy and convenient to use, they are not recommended and it can cause permanent damage to your unit which will void your warranty.

Drainage nozzles - Much like any other condenser-based appliance, Pool heat pumps create condensation and are discharged from the discharge ports. Ensure that the drainage nozzle is connected to a pipe for proper drainage to prevent water from pooling at the bottom of your unit.

Once everything is all hooked up, allow your pump to run for a few minutes to allow water to fully enter all of the pipes and checking for any leaks before powering on the unit. Enjoy your new pool heat pump!

Interested in learning more about how heat pumps work? Check out our in-depth article here.

Why go for a heat pump versus other traditional pool heaters? We have a detailed comparison of the best pool heaters that you can check out here.

Ready to get a pool heat pump? Be sure to get the right sized heat pump for your pool with this pool heat pump size guide here.

Hands down our recommendation goes to the Water TechniX Line of Pool Heat Pumps. Not only do they have all of the features found in popular heat pumps, but they cost significantly less as well! They also come with WiFi as a standard so you can control all aspects of pool heating wherever you are as long as you have internet on your phone or tablet!