Keeping pool open for winter in Central Georgia

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drobins9

0
Aug 9, 2015
7
Macon, GA
Hi- I purchased a home about six months ago, which is the first home I have ever had with a pool. After doing some research and talking to people, I have decided to keep the pool open during the Winter. I have a Goldline Prologic system, and have confirmed the "freeze protection" turns everything (except the heater) on when the air drops below 34 degree (I put the sensor in a cup of ice water to test...) Here in Georgia, it definitely gets below freezing, but I think severe freezes are unusual. I do have a few questions, however:


  • I have a Jandy 2 pool heater. I am guessing that water flows through the pool heater even when it is off, so the pool heater should avoid damage from the same flow when the pool pump is running, even though the heater is off. Is that accurate?
  • I have read some things about draining the water from the skimmers. But other things I have read make it seem fine to leave the pool operating normally, and that the pump kicking on when the air falls below freezing will generate enough flow to prevent freezing damage in the system, including the skimmers. True?
  • My main pump has an automated Jandy Valve that choose whether to send water to the pool (through the Paramount in-floor cleaning system) or to the spa. Obviously, when the pump is on "pool," water goes to the Paramount system, and when the pump is in "spa" or "spillover", water goes to the spa. I am wondering, however, what happens to the valve not selected during a freeze situation. Does the Goldline Prologic system automatically toggle between those two valve settings to make sure water is flowing in both? Or, does it only activate one of the two, and the other has a high risk of freezing?
  • Is there anything special I need to worry about with the Paramount in-floor cleaning system? Or should it be fine, like everything else, as well as the filter runs during the times it is freezing?

Thank you in advance for your help!
 
All awesome questions. I will pick what I can answer.

You are not that far from me (Tallahassee, FL) so our weather is quite a bit alike. No long hard freezes. Maybe one or two days at most. No real need to close the pool. I like how you checked your freeze sensor. I just turn my pump on when it might be a hard freeze BUT I do not have a heater.

SOME heaters have a bypass. Does yours by chance? You can take a pic of your equipment and we will be able to tell if you are not sure. Use photobucket for the pics.

Can you turn your valves so both the spa and pool circulate? Play with it and see.

Do you have a good test kit? THAT is your number one thing for caring for your own pool. Look in my siggy for the test kit we use and love!

The water below the skimmer is only for if you close the pool for the winter. No need for you to do it since you are keeping your pool open.

Did you enjoy your pool this summer? I love mine!

Kim
 
Hi- Thank you for the reply! My answers are below...

kimkats said:
All awesome questions. I will pick what I can answer.

You are not that far from me (Tallahassee, FL) so our weather is quite a bit alike. No long hard freezes. Maybe one or two days at most. No real need to close the pool. I like how you checked your freeze sensor. I just turn my pump on when it might be a hard freeze BUT I do not have a heater.

SOME heaters have a bypass. Does yours by chance? You can take a pic of your equipment and we will be able to tell if you are not sure. Use photobucket for the pics.
If you mean valves in the CPVC that will stop the flow of water, yes. In case that's not what you mean, here are the pictures. I think I could bypass the heater, but my thought is I'd like to keep it "on line" in case we want to heat up the spa and go in some time when it isn't too bad. My thought is if I "bypass" the heater, I have to empty it out, blow the air out, etc. So, I'm wondering if the pump will keep water flowing in all the necessary ways/parts of the heater to keep it from freezing without needing to activate the heater. (It looks like the manual for my heater says it should not be operated when the temperature is below 20 degrees- nor do I intend to..)
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm9/don368/2015-12-06 15.40.07_zps5fj55lit.jpg
<a href="http://s292.photobucket.com/user/don368/media/2015-12-06%2015.40.07_zps5fj55lit.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm9/don368/2015-12-06%2015.40.07_zps5fj55lit.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2015-12-06 15.40.07_zps5fj55lit.jpg"/></a>

Can you turn your valves so both the spa and pool circulate? Play with it and see.
The valve that differentiates the pool and spa is an automatic Jandy valve. I could put it in manual and leave both on, but then the floor cleaner doesn't get enough water pressure to work. As it stands now, when the pool/floor cleaner is on, the valve isn't perfectly lined up and a little trickles out of the spa. Maybe that is the reason, and maybe that is enough flow to keep it from freezing? I thought maybe that was a mistake before, and it just wasn't perfectly lined up. It seems like I'm not the only one who would have two different outputs, and I wasn't sure if the "freeze protection" would cause the module to cycle through the different modes.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm9/don368/2015-12-06 15.40.32_zpssh5klhnh.jpg
<a href="http://s292.photobucket.com/user/don368/media/2015-12-06%2015.40.32_zpssh5klhnh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm9/don368/2015-12-06%2015.40.32_zpssh5klhnh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2015-12-06 15.40.32_zpssh5klhnh.jpg"/></a>

Do you have a good test kit? THAT is your number one thing for caring for your own pool. Look in my siggy for the test kit we use and love!
Actually, I take my water to a local guy and let him tell me what to do right now. I'm just learning about the pool, but perhaps getting a kit and saving myself some trips will be my next venture!

The water below the skimmer is only for if you close the pool for the winter. No need for you to do it since you are keeping your pool open.
Got it.

Did you enjoy your pool this summer? I love mine!
Yes, we sure did. I'm not sure we used it enough as new as we are to the house, but I'm expecting we will get a lot more use out of it next year!

Kim
Click to expand...

I hope I got the pictures right!
Update: Pasting HTML code didn't work, so I am linking the pictures- is that how you normally do it with Photo Bucket?
 
Well I signed up as a member so just use the insert pics on the top of the quick reply as members get a much bigger allotment for pics.. I will post a link to how to do it using the tag.

How to add pictures to a post (full guide with screenshots))

Best to just let the water flow through the heater if you might want it for the spa. I did not even think of that.

Can you feel the flow in the spa when it is in that position? I would THINK if you can feel it it should be enough BUT I am not sure! I will leave it up to you to make that call.

Testing your own water----------it can save you SO much money and time it is not even funny! On the whole we do NOT trust the pool store testing from so many wrong results resulting in green pools :( I will tell you I took my water to 3 different pool stores here in town just to see what would happen. All three stores told me my levels were off and I needed to add xyz. Each store had me buying different stuff to fix what was wrong according to their tests. It would have cost from $50 to up to $150 depending on the store!

Of course my water was FINE! I had tested it right before I headed it out. It was like a jewel and all levels right where they should be according to the posted levels here on TFP.

So all of that to say..........yeah they will test for free BUT is it really free if you have to buy ?? to fix it at $$$ cost? Most of the stuff we use in our pools here at TFP can be bought a Target or Walmart! Neat huh??

I am going to give you some links to read to give you an intro. to how we do things.

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

You can find the test kit we use and love here on TFP in my siggy below.

I hope this helps just a little bit.

I am sure someone will come along to help with the areas I was not able to.

I am glad y'all were able to enjoy it some this past summer. Just think of all of the fun you will enjoy this coming up summer!

Kim
 
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