Help running pool year round

[Matthewmon]

Split by moderator from HERE. Please start your own topic for your own questions and do not hijack another members thread. Thanks, jblizzle

where on this forum do I go to ready about the process of keeping an inground pool open during the winter (all year)? I'm in NC and still haven't closed yet and it got down to 22 degrees last night.....i put a pool cover over the pool pump and stuff and ran the pump all night. Not closing in NC a good or bad idea? It would cost me $180 to have someone come and close my pool so if I could just maintain it myself over winter I would like to do so. Even though its winter I enjoy seeing the pool water out of all my windows and not a cover.

 

[jblizzle]

Sounds like you are doing what you should. If the temp drops below freezing overnight:
- A cover over the equipment and even a light bulb under the tarp to add warmth.
- Running the pump at least a few hours overnight.

If you happen to lose power and the temperature is going to be below freezing for more than a few hours overnight, then you should drain the equipment at the pad to prevent damage.

 

[Divin Dave]

I would expect that maintaining a pool during winter will be similar to what we do in Texas. No need to lower teh water and properly close it. Just some basic maintenance is all thats needed.

Jason (jblizzle) is right about what to do for the freezing nights.

As far as the water chemistry goes, just make sure you maintain your FC as you normally would, and your PH, you will be just fine.

Split by moderator from HERE. Please start your own topic for your own questions and do not hijack another members thread. Thanks, jblizzle

where on this forum do I go to ready about the process of keeping an inground pool open during the winter (all year)? I'm in NC and still haven't closed yet and it got down to 22 degrees last night.....i put a pool cover over the pool pump and stuff and ran the pump all night. Not closing in NC a good or bad idea? It would cost me $180 to have someone come and close my pool so if I could just maintain it myself over winter I would like to do so. Even though its winter I enjoy seeing the pool water out of all my windows and not a cover.

 

[Matthewmon]

Sounds like you are doing what you should. If the temp drops below freezing overnight:
- A cover over the equipment and even a light bulb under the tarp to add warmth.
- Running the pump at least a few hours overnight.

If you happen to lose power and the temperature is going to be below freezing for more than a few hours overnight, then you should drain the equipment at the pad to prevent damage.

how important is the light bulb??? I'm afraid of it starting a fire somehow...which i do not want to risk... thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

Depends on how cold it gets

 

[mas985]

The cover alone can help quite a bit. The risk depends on the smallest size of your plumbing, lowest temperature and duration of freezing temperatures. But with 22F lowest temps and a cover, you are good for at most 13 hours with 3/4" pipe even without the pump running. Running the pump adds safety.

If you are interested in reading about freezing and risks, I started a thread on the subject here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/86914-The-Physics-of-Freezing-and-Freeze-Protection

We have gotten down to 22F before and I didn't run the pump at all and didn't even cover the equipment but my smallest pipe is 2" so there is some margin for that.

 

[miles267]

I saw somewhere suggestions of a 200 watt incandescent bulb under a tarp to protect equipment on pad from freezing during lower temperatures. Can anyone recommend a good fixture to put a 200W bulb in under the tarp?

I don't have any old lamps or work lights with this wattage rating and want to prepare before winter.

 

[jblizzle]

There is nothing specific about needing 200w. Any bulb will be a source of heat.

 

[atttech-2]

200 watt sounds like overkill depending on the size of your equipment pad. I don’t use a bulb to warm my equipment but in my beer brewing there are times I am growing yeast in my garage that gets down to 50F. I am able to keep a large cabinet that is approx. 30 cu ft. at 72F with a single 60 watt bulb and a thermostat. Granted the cabinet is not subject to wind chill but I still think it would be plenty of heat for those that can get by without having to close, smaller fire danger too. Any outdoor light fixture should serve.