Glen Symes balks at the idea of Cape Town builders using anything in lieu of a heat pump to warm up a swimming pool. "Why wouldn’t they use a heat pump?" he asks incredulously.

Colin, the owner of Pooltopia Pools and Spas in the Western Cape is not alone. He’s one of many Cape Town pool builders who touts the benefits of using the product as an efficient means to heat a pool.

Its popularity is continuing to grow beyond the borders of South Africa to other hot-weather areas, where it functions best. The larger manufacturers now jump at the opportunity to marker these units, acquiring heat pump companies and targeting growing areas of interest around the country.

Though heat pumps are not ideally suited for installations where the weather drops below 8 degrees, they are popular in many extended swim season areas. Manufacturers agree that the market along the Sun Belt is far from saturated, and some even say the heat pump could become a hot commodity nationally. But pool builders and retailers in some potential areas still prefer traditional methods of heating, a choice manufacturers are hoping to change.

In dry, hot climates such as Gauteng, the heat pump is a welcome way to warm the pool in cooler months, as well as cool it during summer months. "My pool can reach 38 degrees," Glen notes.

While effective in trapping heat, humidity is not a must-have for a heat pump to work well. "They don’t need as much humidity as one would first think," Glen says. "That’s a common misconception."

One manufacturer notes a common combination of solar and heat pumps in the Cape Town. This would allow solar to take over during warmer months. Solar’s shortcoming is its inability to heat through the night after the sun has set.

for more info call Glen 0846165005 or 0866807764