The Cromwell Pool’s new heating system has been experiencing teething problems, leaving pool users feeling a bit frosty.
Last year the Central Otago District Council (CODC) spent almost $1 million converting the pool’s heating system from lpg to a water-sourced heat pump, which uses the town water supply as a heat source, in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.
However, as outdoor temperatures plummet, so has the water temperature in the pool and spa at the aquatic complex.
On social media users complained about fluctuating temperatures and those using the pool for rehab were struggling as they needed consistently warm water.
One user said after discussions with pool staff the spa had been closed and the temperature in the pool had improved 90%.
CODC group manager community experience David Scoones said it was the first winter the new system had been operating and in its current setup there had been times when it had not been able to maintain the pools, and particularly the spa, to optimum temperatures.
Council staff and contractors were continuing to refine the new system to get it working at its best, he said.
‘‘This new system operates using energy gained from Cromwell’s main water supply lines and our monitoring systems show that at times there isn’t the amount of consistent water flow to meet the design need of the new heat pump, as one example.’’
Contractors would add an extra heat-reclaim coil in the exhaust airstream of the pool to compensate for when the street-main water flow dropped too low, he said.
CODC aquatics manager Carly Getson said people might have noticed the pool had been colder than usual on some days.
‘‘I would like to thank the public for their patience while we work through these issues, which are fairly unique to the operating system of a watersourced heat pump.’’
The council received a $100,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority towards the $900,000 cost of the new heating system.
