Freezing temperatures can be a pool owner's worst nightmare.
With the extended freezing conditions sticking around in North Texas, it can cause damage to pool equipment and plumbing. Freezing water expands and can burst the pipes, causing thousands of dollars in damage to the plumbing and decking.
We've got some tips to help keep your pool, and pool equipment, safe during the cold winter weather from MyPoolGuy.com owner Tim Mott.
MAINTAIN PROPER WATER LEVEL IN YOUR POOL
Your water should be maintained at the center of the tile (vertically) or
halfway up the skimmer opening. This is the number one cause of freeze
damage on pools. If the pump loses prime, then the water stops moving in the
equipment and everything can freeze. Many times, people do not pay attention
to their pool in the winter or they assume that water does not evaporate in
cold weather.
The crazy thing is that the evaporation rate increases as the temperature
decreases. The evaporation rate is directly correlated to the temp
differential between the pool water and the air.
Bottom line, keep a close eye on your pool water level. If your pool
level goes too low and your faucets are frozen, you might try to fill it from
the faucet in your laundry room. You could also shut off the skimmers if the
water level gets too low, but this is not optimal.
MAKE SURE YOUR POOL IS RUNNING IN FREEZING WEATHER
Freeze protection can fail. Make sure all your pumps come on (except your
poolsweep pump) when the weather drops below freezing. Note: on variable
speed pumps, they will cycle on and off if you are depending on the freeze
protection on the pump. If the temp gets really low (below 15) then turn the
pump on manually and let it run 24/7 at a speed of at least 2000 RPM.
If you see your flow diminished, your filter might need to be backwashed. If
you backwash, make sure your backwash line is not blocked by ice or it could
blow up the filter.
MAKE SURE YOUR SKIMMER BASKETS AND PUMP TRAP BASKET ARE CLEAN
You do not want anything to slow down the flow of water through your
equipment. This is what keeps it from freezing.
IT DOES NOT HURT TO PLACE A TARP OVER YOUR EQUIPMENT
Normally, keeping the pump running should keep you out of danger, but this is
an extreme freeze that we have not seen in DFW in many years. A tarp will
keep the wind from supercooling your equipment and will preserve a little
ground heat. This is especially helpful out in the country. That little
detail could make all the difference especially as the temps drop below ten
degrees. Obviously if you put a tarp over the equipment, make sure nobody
turns the heater on.
IF YOU EXPERIENCE A POWER OUTAGE, CUT THE BREAKER OFF AND DRAIN YOUR EQUIPMENT
It really stinks when this happens, but it has happened. If the power goes
out, or if your pool just stops circulating for some reason, you need to get
the water out of the equipment to try to avoid freeze damage. Each piece of
equipment normally has drain plugs. The pump has two, the filter has a big
one at the bottom. The heater has one near the inlet piping. The poolsweep
pump has one in front. You should also take the lid off of the chlorinator.
DO I NEED TO RUN MY HEATER OR PUT A HEAT LAMP BY MY EQUIPMENT?Running the heater during a freeze will waste gas and it is hard on the
heater because it drips corrosive condensation from the heat exchanger when
the water is that cold. It is doubtful that a heat lamp will make a
difference more than a few degrees.
MY SPA IS DRAINING
On many electronic control systems, the spa function is set to freeze
protection. This means that during freezing weather, the valves move from
pool to spa and back every fifteen minutes or so. This is not needed in a
typical pool spa combination where the spa always overflows into the pool.
If this is causing your spa to drain, you may need to take your freeze
protection off of the spa function. Speak to your pool tech about this.