By Nadine Eagles-Harvie
THE HANTS JOURNAL
NovaNewsNow.com
Users of the Hants aquatic pool will find it easier to dive right in this summer. A heating system has been installed to ensure that even on cooler days the pool will offer a warm welcome to swimmers.
“It was always on the radar,” said recreation manager, Jim Lambert. “With the month of July we had last year people didn’t want to get in the pool at all; there was no question we had to look at getting heat in the pool.”
After weighing the pros and cons of various systems, Lambert said they settled on one, which was green, user friendly and cost effective. “We did a lot of shopping around and we wanted something that would be a sustainable investment.”
Water in the pool will be heated with three convention pumps similar to what is used in residential pools but industrial in size, Lambert said. “They basically take cold air and convert it to heat.”
Water in the pool will remain a tepid 82 degrees fahrenheit, slightly above the temperature of the average indoor pool.
Lambert said once the water is up to temperature it will be easier to maintain. “Once we put the pool blankets on, the water will stay warm and the pumps won’t need to run very often.”
In previous years once the outside air cooled down it would take more than one hot day to bring the water temperature up to more comfortable levels.
“One bad night and that was it, the water stayed cold.” Now heated, Lambert said the pool would be more user friendly. “We’ve added extra lane swims and we hope to see more seniors out to the pool now that it’s warmer.”
Lambert said the decision to heat the pool is already paying off. “Before the pool even opened we’ve seen an increase in numbers. I think it’s the heat.”
There is a possibility that the pool season may extend next year. “This is definitely something we will be looking at, opening earlier and closing later in the season.”
The value of the similar system would cost upwards of $30,000, however Lambert said they were able to install this one for $18,000. The Hants Aquatic Society funded cost of the heat pumps.
