Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power loss

[Guest]

Thanks in advance for your feedback....

I decided to try keeping the pool active through the winter months. So far everything's been working well.

Here in Fuquay Varina NC - we lost power last night for around 8 - 9 hours on the coldest night of the year.... (figures).

I've got a mylar "survival" blanket draped around the the filter and return pipes, with a larger tarp covering that, and the rest of the pad.

I've been running the pump when it gets near or below freezing, and have been keeping a light going under the tarp. I haven't had any trouble until last night - single digit temps and a power failure for approximately 8 hours. We got the power back and I uncovered to check everything. The pool has no icing at all, but there was a tiny bit of slush starting to form in the top of the pump filter, and the salt cell. This all cleared when I restarted the pump.

My pressure gauge on the filter showed 0 for awhile, and last time I checked was at 45!. Everything seems to be functioning well. No odd noises, no leaks in any piping, all jets are working with no problem.

Should I be concerned about the pressure? I'm thinking the gauge is suffering from the cold. Tonight is another cold one, and I've replaced the incandescent light with a worklight that throws serious heat.

After tonight we're back to normal - 40 -60 during the day and 30's and above at night.

Other than a few leaves - the pool looks swimmable....

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

We have seen a few reports in the last few days of gauges reading very higher after a cold spell ... it might have been damaged by the cold and need to be replaced.

 

[Guest]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

We have seen a few reports in the last few days of gauges reading very higher after a cold spell ... it might have been damaged by the cold and need to be replaced.

Thanks!

I expect it may drop back to normal after awhile. Either way, it's an inexpensive DIY fix.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

I just read one thought that maybe the water started to freeze up in the gauge port exerting extra pressure and making it read high ... who knows. Just keep an eye on it and if it stays high, you are right, it is an easy fix. BTW, the liquid filled gauges you can order online supposedly work better and last longer.

 

[JohnT]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

I've never had a pressure gauge survive extreme cold. The key is that you have strong flow.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

I've never had a pressure gauge survive extreme cold.

Me, either. And mine do seem to "lock up" in a high reading.....always way above normal.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

Side note ... if this is the case, should the recommendation when winterizing include to remove the gauge and take it inside?

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

I know complete weatherization calls for that (remove gauge) but if you do not partially drain, then that doesn't always work so well.

Removing the gauge will drain the water back down to pool level, making it harder to prime or use the system for much of anything in many cases. If your system primes easily, then it's no big deal.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Re: Pressure gauge reading 45 lbs after cold night & power l

Side note ... if this is the case, should the recommendation when winterizing include to remove the gauge and take it inside?

...along with some directions or input about what it means when the pool is left open during cold spells and it reads high? Is there some way to test their accuracy or know what to do?