Unusual Freezing Temps

[jhawk19]

Hello All,

This is my first post. My pool was installed in November and filled up in December. I live in SC and have a 16,000 gallon pool. I have freeze protection set to 38°. I have a 3600ppm salt level. Temps this week have been COLD. Tonight it's supposed to get into single digits and the pump has been running all day. Tomorrow's high is 39°. Do I need to be concerned?

 

[pooldv]

About plumbing freezing? No.

 

[jhawk19]

Excellent! Anything else I need to be concerned with?

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi Welcome to TFP,
If it were me, I would wrap something like old towels, or old blanket around the above ground pipes. A put a tarp over the pump and filter, and put work light, under the tarp to give it a little heat.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[mas985]

The automatic freeze protection can and does fail. As Dave suggested, tarp the equipment and put a light bulb underneath. Better yet, just drain the above ground plumbing.


This thread might be of some interest:

http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/86914-The-Physics-of-Freezing-and-Freeze-Protection

 

[pooldv]

We rarely get into single digits, but we got to 9 last year along with 3 or 4 days with highs in the 20s and we had no issues, other than being COLD. Not even ice on the pool surface. We've had plenty of temps in the 20 and upper teens with no issues ever. I think because we don't have sustained periods of cold that the ground and gunite don't get cold enough to freeze. Probably the same in SC.

 

[jhawk19]

It's too late and too cold to drain the above ground plumbing. I did wrap the plumbing with some towels. I'll let you all know how it turns out tomorrow!

 

[jblizzle]

Better hope for no power outage

 

[jhawk19]

No issues! Everything is running smoothly. Water temp is 36° and climbing!

 

[pooldv]

No issues! Everything is running smoothly. Water temp is 36° and climbing!

Not fast enough!!


We did have a power outage once a couple of years ago for about 36 hours. Lots of stuff froze and it sucked a lot. But, we thawed it out and everything worked fine. Nothing you can do about that though. That light bulb under the tarp is not gonna help any!!!

 

[mas985]

Right! Which is why under those type of conditions the only way to truly protect the equipment and plumbing is to drain it of water.

But it does prove that freezing does not always cause damage. In fact, in most cases it won't cause damage unless it freezes in a particular order.

 

[jhawk19]

Thank you guys. Great information. Happy to be here.

 

[chiefwej]

Thank you guys. Great information. Happy to be here.

Well I'm happy that I'm not there. It's was 75 and sunny here today. I was just out cleaning my filter and getting the pool ready for summer.