Preparing Your Pool for Winter Freezes
02/12/2021 | Categories: Pool Maintenance Tips
In order to properly prepare your pool for frigid temperatures, we recommend doing the following in order to protect your pool:
- Balance your water chemistry.
- Check and clean out the skimmer and pump basket.
- Remove any unnecessary equipment from the pool.
- Is snow or sleet expected? If so, you should cover your equipment with a tarp or tarp-like material in an effort to insulate the equipment and keep it warm.
Moving water can’t freeze, so the most important step is to make sure your filtration and auxiliary pool pumps are running continuously. Many pumps have a built-in freeze guard that will automatically kick into action once the outside air reaches a certain temperature.
All pools with single-speed pumps, meaning the pump is either on or off, need to be set to run during the entire time that temperatures are below 34 degrees. Variable-speed and two-speed pumps are protected from freezing as long as the pump is running.
It’s important to remember that you don’t need to run your pool or spa heater to prevent your pool water from freezing.
If you experience a loss of power, start off by turning off all circuit breakers leading to your pool equipment. Then open the air bleed valve on the top of your filter housing so that the water level can drain back into the pool.
Remove the drain plugs from the bottom of your pool pump. Newer pumps may have two plugs. The drain plugs will have a “butterfly” shape to unscrew by hand. You will also need to drain your pool filter by removing the drain plug and opening the air bleed valve on the top of the filter housing. The drain plugs in your water feature pump, booster pump, and spa heater should also be removed if you have these features on your pool. If equipped with a Cyclone pre-filter you will need to open the backwash valve and drain it as well. The idea is to drain as much water from the filtration system as possible. Lastly, if your equipment is higher than your pool elevation, adjust your valves to their middle positions as this will allow water to flow back into the pool or underground.
The objective here is to drain the pipes, pump, and filter as much as possible. Again, this is only if you lose power and are not able to run your pumps.
If your pool is equipped with an ozone generator, it will also be equipped with a fluid flow switch that activates the flow of ozone. This can be identified by following the electric line from your ozone generator to the grey fitting that is connected via a 2” PVC “T” shaped fitting (see below). In some instances, water can become trapped in the bottom of the flow switch fitting and freeze. This can result in a cracked or broken flow switch which can be a costly repair. Since this part cannot be drained, it is imperative to wrap the flow switch and “T” shaped fitting with insulation and/or black foam pipe insulation to reduce the chance of damage caused by freezing. This is a critical part of your ozone system and should be wrapped thoroughly.
If your pool is equipped with a manual or automatic fill line, the exposed pipe and backflow prevention device should also be well insulated and wrapped. If equipped, the fill line and PBD are likely plumbed into an exterior hose bib nearest to the pool.
Freeze damage to pipes and pool equipment can be costly and is not covered by warranty. Taking the steps to properly prepare your pool for cold conditions is important to help prevent this from occurring.
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As the leading pool builder in Brazos Valley, Sunshine Fun Pools builds more than 100 pools each year while maintaining a 98 percent customer satisfaction rating. Founded in 2005, Sunshine Fun Pools specializes in custom pool design and quality construction, pool remodeling and pool maintenance services.
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