Freeze Coming - Protection - Spa Heater Turns on & run water features?

[FlyersDude21]

We purchased a house with a pool in Houston TX and will be going through our first potential moderate deep freeze next week.

Could use some help to make sure everything is working correctly/prepped. First time owning a pool and up north where i am from everone winterizes them but not here.

Pool Circuit shows Freeze Protection On.

1. Panel: Pentair EasyTouch 2 - 8
2. Pumps : 4 x Pentair Whisperflo ( 1 pump for Pool and 1 each for three water features. Additional water to spa rock spillover, center rocks and water fall rocks/Spillover grotto.)
3. Spa spills over rocks into pool

Background:
Last night freeze protection went on below 35 and was doing its job alternating every 15 minutes between pool and spa. When just the Spa portion came on however, Screenlogic showed the Heater on as well but the Heater never actually was fired up. Normally if I turn the spa mode on manually the heater also comes on. Also should I wrap the white exposed pvc?

Lastly, what do I do with the 3 feature pumps? I haven't used them in about 2 months and there doesnt seem to be water when i look in the pumps but there might be some in the lines. Do I drain them somehow, just leave them off or do I run them all during the freeze (add to freeze protection) and let that water flow and waterfall everywhere. Attached photo's of the features. One of my pool guys said to run them. None of them were in freeze protection modes so I doubt they were run last 2 freezes unless homeowners manually ran. Didn't know if running those pumps and having that water spill everywhere over the rocks could freeze and have them pop or cause issues

Photo's of all setting

Photos of pumps and water features

 

[txgunlover]

I include all my feature pumps in Freeze Protection settings. As long as you have power, you'll be fine if they're all in Freeze Protect.

 

[FlyersDude21]

I include all my feature pumps in Freeze Protection settings. As long as you have power, you'll be fine if they're all in Freeze Protect.

I guess I'm not so much concerned about the pump, but does having that water flowing over everything have a chance for potential issues? For instance, will that freeze all over the rocks and potentially pop them or cause issues to the flagstone?

 

[ajw22]

I guess I'm not so much concerned about the pump, but does having that water flowing over everything have a chance for potential issues? For instance, will that freeze all over the rocks and potentially pop them or cause issues to the flagstone?

Rock problems are easier to fix then pipe problems.

In future winters figure out if you can winterize your water features. You don’t need them during the winter. Turn them off, blow out and plug the lines, and then you don’t need to worry about them.

 

[FlyersDude21]

Rock problems are easier to fix then pipe problems.

In future winters figure out if you can winterize your water features. You don’t need them during the winter. Turn them off, blow out and plug the lines, and then you don’t need to worry about them.

I'm definitely going to do that. It just never really gets super cold down here. However, we've gotten hit two to three days each year in the upper teens and 20s.

Is it hard to blow them out and something I can do?

 

[ajw22]

I'm definitely going to do that. It just never really gets super cold down here. However, we've gotten hit two to three days each year in the upper teens and 20s.

Is it hard to blow them out and something I can do?

You just need the right equipment- blower, plugs, etc.

Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[FlyersDude21]

You just need the right equipment- blower, plugs, etc.

Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

I'm wondering if my local Leslie pools or company could do it that cleans. I guess the general consensus however is to run all the water features including the waterfall

We're going to be in the teens for a few hours

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Tomball+TX?canonicalCityId=d05709d1676d1768708f8a06e132bf3548177abd18b2a49afc4a0cfeb5cac31f

 

[ajw22]

I'm wondering if my local Leslie pools or company could do it that cleans. I guess the general consensus however is to run all the water features including the waterfall

I would not trust Leslie to put air in my cars tires.

We're going to be in the teens for a few hours

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Tomball+TX?canonicalCityId=d05709d1676d1768708f8a06e132bf3548177abd18b2a49afc4a0cfeb5cac31f

A few hours. If that is all don’t sweat it. Just keep water flowing and your pumps running.

Read…

The Physics of Freezing and Freeze Protection

Recently, there have been a lot of questions from those living in moderate climates about using automatic freeze protection or running pumps to prevent freezing and what a pool owner should do when temperatures drop so I thought it might be useful to have a thread which dealt with the issue from...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[FlyersDude21]

I would not trust Leslie to put air in my cars tires.


A few hours. If that is all don’t sweat it. Just keep water flowing and your pumps running.

Read…

The Physics of Freezing and Freeze Protection

Recently, there have been a lot of questions from those living in moderate climates about using automatic freeze protection or running pumps to prevent freezing and what a pool owner should do when temperatures drop so I thought it might be useful to have a thread which dealt with the issue from...

www.troublefreepool.com

Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday look a little sketchy

 

[JJ_Tex]

Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday look a little sketchy

We hit the teens for a night or two each winter and you should be fine with freeze protection. Just make sure you have a plan in case something breaks or you lose power to shut down your pool and drain the equipment.

 

[FlyersDude21]

We hit the teens for a night or two each winter and you should be fine with freeze protection. Just make sure you have a plan in case something breaks or you lose power to shut down your pool and drain the equipment.

So it seems like everybody says I should run all the pumps and the waterfalls.

I'm a little fuzzy though on how to drain things should we lose power.

 

[ajw22]

So it seems like everybody says I should run all the pumps and the waterfalls.

I'm a little fuzzy though on how to drain things should we lose power.

We are all a bit fuzzy on what equipment you have to drain.

The manuals for your equipment will have the winterization procedures.

 

[gkw4815]

Also in the Houston area. I am following the same approach that worked for me during the December 2022 freeze:

1) Main pump running in freeze protect mode.
2) Drain separate waterfall pump (I don't bother blowing out the lines, but I do remove the drain plugs and leave the Jandy valves halfway open so there is no trapped water to freeze and crack). FWIW, I have natural-stone waterfalls similar to yours.
3) I have a $9 "Power off alarm" that sounds a shrill siren if we lose power. If it goes off overnight, I'll connect and start my tri-fuel generator, which can easily power our all-gas house + the pool equipment. If I didn't have the generator, I'd instead drain the main pump, booster pump, filter, heater, undo the salt cell unions, remove the inline chlorinator lid, and put empty water bottles in the skimmers.

You don't want to run your heater as a means of freeze protection - it's unnecessary, uses a ton of gas during a time of potentially-tight gas grid conditions, and could damage your heater (due to corrosive condensation associated with very low water temperatures).

 

[FlyersDude21]

We are all a bit fuzzy on what equipment you have to drain.

The manuals for your equipment will have the winterization procedures.

We are all a bit fuzzy on what equipment you have to drain.

The manuals for your equipme

Also in the Houston area. I am following the same approach that worked for me during the December 2022 freeze:

1) Main pump running in freeze protect mode.
2) Drain separate waterfall pump (I don't bother blowing out the lines, but I do remove the drain plugs and leave the Jandy valves halfway open so there is no trapped water to freeze and crack). FWIW, I have natural-stone waterfalls similar to yours.
3) I have a $9 "Power off alarm" that sounds a shrill siren if we lose power. If it goes off overnight, I'll connect and start my tri-fuel generator, which can easily power our all-gas house + the pool equipment. If I didn't have the generator, I'd instead drain the main pump, booster pump, filter, heater, undo the salt cell unions, remove the inline chlorinator lid, and put empty water bottl

This is the equipment. The pump to the left is the pool. The second, third and fourth on the right are the water features. It seems like there is only one jandy for all three i assume. Believer is facing straight down to the ground. Unfortunately we don't have a generator yet so I'll just have to make due. Maybe I can wrap all the 2-in pipes with foam I have.

Seems like half the people say to run the pumps and the others just say to take the little plugs out of the bottom

 

[gkw4815]

Leftmost pump should be left running.

Your three water feature pumps could be either drained (should be two drain plugs each) or left running continuously. In principle, either should be ok.

I drain my waterfall pump mainly to save on electricity + because my stone waterfalls leak slightly when in use (not a big deal when run for 1 or 2 hours at a time, but potentially problematic if left running all day long).

Looks like highs in the mid-70s tomorrow - good weather for locating all of the drain plugs on your equipment.

 

[FlyersDude21]

Leftmost pump should be left running.

Your three water feature pumps could be either drained (should be two drain plugs each) or left running continuously. In principle, either should be ok.

I drain my waterfall pump mainly to save on electricity + because my stone waterfalls leak slightly when in use (not a big deal when run for 1 or 2 hours at a time, but potentially problematic if left running all day long).

Looks like highs in the mid-70s tomorrow - good weather for locating all of the drain plugs on your equipment.

Thanks for the help. I don't have any way to blow them out so I guess I'll just have to pull the plugs and let it drain. I wonder if they run through the filter because I've seen a couple videos where after you pull the plugs you need to turn the filter valve to push more water out but that would affect my main pump.

 

[gkw4815]

Presumably each of your feature pumps has its own drain in the pool? (at least that's how mine is set up - a separate loop that pulls from a drain, pushes through the pump to the waterfalls, and never "crosses paths" with the filter pump flow path.

I guess if you drain the feature pumps and can leave your main pump running without water pouring out of your feature pump drain ports, you've confirmed that the plumbing loops are separate.

 

[FlyersDude21]

Presumably each of your feature pumps has its own drain in the pool? (at least that's how mine is set up - a separate loop that pulls from a drain, pushes through the pump to the waterfalls, and never "crosses paths" with the filter pump flow path.

I guess if you drain the feature pumps and can leave your main pump running without water pouring out of your feature pump drain ports, you've confirmed that the plumbing loops are separate.

I'll try that and I'm going to assume they're separate considering there's no water the feature pumps but what are circulating with the pool pump.

 

[ajw22]

Your feature pumps do not run through your filter.

 

[FlyersDude21]

Your feature pumps do not run through your filter.

Thanks for the help. Do you have any suggestions for this second piece? I have photos of the settings above
Last night freeze protection went on below 35 and was doing its job alternating every 15 minutes between pool and spa. When just the Spa portion came on however, Screenlogic showed the Heater on as well but the Heater never actually was fired up. Normally if I turn the spa mode on manually the heater also comes on