Heat-efficient solutions for swimming pools, spas & saunas, and greenhouses

The use of plate heat exchangers for heating pools, spas & saunas, and greenhouses has become common practice, mainly due to the thermodynamic advantages and low cost compared to shell-and-tube technology. A plate heat exchanger can utilize heat from various sources, including district heating, solar-heated water circuit, or geothermal groundwater. It can also use chilled water to remove heat when the application in question must be cooled.

• Alfa Laval offers compact solutions for reheating and maintaining the temperature of swimming pools of any dimension.
• Recover heat from low-temperature, geothermal sources for your greenhouse and reduce the risk of fouling with Alfa Laval’s plate technology.
• Alfa Laval’s AHRI-certified heat exchangers ensure that you recover the maximum amount of heat, increasing the sustainability of your facility.
• The high flow rate through Alfa Laval’s plate heat exchangers enables self-cleaning, and therefore less maintenance.
• Our service team has a high capacity and a global outreach to minimize downtime of your application.

Trends in the industry

Swimming pool facilities with spas and saunas are used for both fitness and recreation. In recent years there has been an influx in demand for these types of spaces with growing tourism and health consciousness. Greenhouse technology for food production has also become increasingly popular as climate change adversely affects crops. Both industries are looking to become more sustainable by making the most out of available heat, regardless of the source. Low-carbon heating and cooling is also a crucial priority as the global energy system moves away from fossil fuels as a source of energy. The challenge is making these changes happen, without compromising on performance.

By choosing Alfa Laval, you won’t have to compromise. Our heat exchangers allow a close temperature approach for maximum heat recovery while maintaining a steady temperature in your pool, spa, sauna, or greenhouse. As a company, we are dedicated to enabling the clean energy transition, reducing the carbon footprint of our value chain, and enabling your process to be as energy efficient as possible.

Pools require heating to the optimum set temperature, comfortable for recreation and fitness. The heat source has traditionally been a hot water boiler but can also be a solar-heated water-circuit, district heating or geothermal groundwater. A heat exchanger should separate the primary heating loop from the secondary, which will contain the pool water. This is both for safety and hygiene purposes. The heat exchanger should be placed before chlorination to reduce corrosion and equipment damage. Alfa Laval caters to pools of various sizes and heat demands with customizable gasketed plate heat exchangers.

In tropical climates, it may be necessary to cool the water temperature of a swimming pool. This can be achieved using chilled water as the other medium.

See how Alfa Laval technology is being used to maintain the temperature in the world’s highest pool.

Spas and saunas are popular recreational activities that require heating and maintenance of a comfortable set temperature. Regardless of the dimension of your facility, Alfa Laval’s heat exchangers can be tailored to suit your application. The heat source can be geothermal groundwater, or a solar-heated water circuit, among others. A heat exchanger that separates the primary and secondary loops will transfer the thermal energy to the spa/sauna water. The high flow rate of fluid through the heat exchanger enables self-cleaning, reducing the chance of fouling and sediment build-up, allowing your application to run for longer, with minimum downtime.

Find out how a spa in New Zeeland uses Alfa Laval heat exchangers to increase sustainability and maximize heat recovery.

Whether growing vegetables or flowers, a greenhouse requires the right temperature and humidity for optimum yield. The energy source in the case of heating will often be geothermal groundwater. Heat is transferred from the energy source to the water that is circulated in mild steel piping installed along the soil bed using an Alfa Laval heat exchanger. Depending on the composition of the geothermal water, plate heat exchangers with Titanium plates could be required to minimize the risk of corrosion and reduce sediment build-up and fouling. Low-temperature heat is sufficient, which is efficiently recovered with a gasketed plate heat exchanger from Alfa Laval.

In some climates, the air in the greenhouse may need to be cooled. This is achieved using chilled water as the other medium.

Find out how greenhouses in the Netherlands are using geothermal ground-water for sustainable food production.

Échangeurs thermiques à plaques et joints

• Solutions flexibles et adaptables assurant une efficacité thermique maximale
• Les conceptions compactes font gagner de la place et sont faciles à entretenir et à maintenir
• Solutions pour réduire l'encrassement, l'effort et la corrosion pour une disponibilité maximale

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Echangeurs thermiques à plaques semi-soudées

• Technologie hautement efficace et fiable pour les applications qui peuvent provoquer une fatigue due à la pression ou à la température
• Étanchéité longue durée garantie grâce au système d'étanchéité unique Alfa Laval RefTight™
• Une solution fiable pour éviter la contamination croisée entre les milieux

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Échangeurs thermiques à plaques brasées

• Construction légère brasée au cuivre avec un encombrement réduit
• Efficacité thermique supérieure à celle des solutions tubulaires comparables
• Options flexibles pour de nombreuses applications avec tout type de milieux/fluides
• Idéal pour les réfrigérants naturels et à faible PRG

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Échangeurs thermiques à plaques fusionnées

• Authentique construction 100 % en acier inoxydable
• Forte résistance à la corrosion avec des milieux agressifs
• Empêche la contamination métallique dans l'eau potable et d'autres applications hygiéniques
• Efficacité thermique élevée et encombrement réduit

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