The Midea 16kW is where the range moves from family pool to large pool. Rated output is 16kW in summer conditions and 18.7kW with boost, covering roughly 45,000 to 60,000 litres – a 10 x 5 metre pool, or a smaller pool that the owner wants heated fast for weekend use rather than held warm all week.
Two things change at this size. First, maximum current is 18A, so this unit wants a dedicated circuit and breaker rather than sharing with the pool pump. Have your electrician confirm your distribution board can carry it before you order. Second, this is one of only two models in the series with boost cooling as well as boost heating, which matters if you are in a part of the country where the pool gets uncomfortably warm in January.
The full inverter compressor reaches a coefficient of performance of 12.4 at low load, the highest in the range. Because it modulates rather than cycles, the larger unit is not the energy penalty people assume – an oversized inverter running gently often costs less to run than an undersized fixed-speed unit running flat out.
Boost mode maintains full capacity down to 15°C ambient, matching what a normal-mode heat pump only manages at 27°C. On a pool this size, that is the difference between swimming in April and closing up in March.
Running noise is 50dB(A), dropping to 41dB(A) in silent mode. Give some thought to placement on a unit this size – noise carries further from a larger fan.
Installation: plumbed inline on the return from your existing pool pump, 50mm water connections. Electrical connection at the isolator by your own registered electrician.
