💥 Say Goodbye to Frozen Worries: How My $50 Pond De-Icer Dominated the Cold!

[TeFLoN]

I live in Oklahoma City, OK, and I’m committed to keeping my pool running year-round. A few years ago, a brutal hard freeze left me with pool-related PTSD—nights of 2 a.m. skimmer basket checks to stop ice from forming, all while temperatures dipped below 15°F for an entire week. Despite freeze protect, one of the underground lines froze over two feet deep and burst, lifting a concrete section of my pool deck over 8 inches. The repair bill? Painful, to say the least.
Since then, I’ve done everything to protect my pool: covering equipment with a heavy-duty tarp, using heat lamps—you name it. But the stress lingered. That’s until this year, when I stumbled upon a 1250-watt pond de-icer. It’s a game-changer. I placed it in the pool right at the entrance to my skimmer, using a sandbag to hold it steady about three-quarters of the way down its cord.

The results? Incredible. Over the past week, with snow and sub 15°F temperatures, my pool has stayed completely ice-free. Not a single shard of ice! This de-icer, rated for just 300-gallon tanks, somehow kept my 15,000-gallon pool at 39°F. It’s like magic.

Now, I can travel without worrying, and my wife can relax knowing the pool is safe. For $50, this little device is an absolute lifesaver—and I’m kicking myself for not finding it sooner.

 

[TeFLoN]

Ok I took out the name of the De-Icer. Just trying to help folks.

 

[FlapjackMcCoy]

That's a real shame, I would have liked to know which one you got.

 

[Donldson]

That's a real shame, I would have liked to know which one you got.

Why? A 1200 watt heater is a 1200 watt heater. Runs electric through a resistor and it gets hot. They all produce 4100 BTU of heat.

Which, BTW, isn't doing a thing to heat 14,000 gallons of water. OP's pool isn't frozen because the frost line in Oklahoma is about an inch deep, so the pool is surrounded by soil that is 40-50 degrees. Underground pipes don't freeze unless the frost line drops below the level of the pipes and if it is cold enough for long enough to do that then a space heater by the skimmer isn't going to do squat to prevent it.

I'll note that unless OP's location is incorrect then the claim that temperatures "dipped below 15°F for an entire week" is at best poorly written as the highs in OKC have been near or above freezing this entire season. The lows may have kissed the teens, but the highs were still in the 30's.

 

[FlapjackMcCoy]

Why? A 1200 watt heater is a 1200 watt heater. Runs electric through a resistor and it gets hot. They all produce 4100 BTU of heat.

Which, BTW, isn't doing a thing to heat 14,000 gallons of water. OP's pool isn't frozen because the frost line in Oklahoma is about an inch deep, so the pool is surrounded by soil that is 40-50 degrees. Underground pipes don't freeze unless the frost line drops below the level of the pipes and if it is cold enough for long enough to do that then a space heater by the skimmer isn't going to do squat to prevent it.

I'll note that unless OP's location is incorrect then the claim that temperatures "dipped below 15°F for an entire week" is at best poorly written as the highs in OKC have been near or above freezing this entire season. The lows may have kissed the teens, but the highs were still in the 30's.

I looked around and could not find a 1250-watt pond de-icer for $50, and the ones I found for much less wattage had mixed reviews. Why would I not want to hear a recommendation from someone on what they decided? That has real value to me and if it doesn't to you that is fine but it's not for you to decide it has no value for me.

 

[TeFLoN]

That's a real shame, I would have liked to know which one you got.

Why? A 1200 watt heater is a 1200 watt heater. Runs electric through a resistor and it gets hot. They all produce 4100 BTU of heat.

Which, BTW, isn't doing a thing to heat 14,000 gallons of water. OP's pool isn't frozen because the frost line in Oklahoma is about an inch deep, so the pool is surrounded by soil that is 40-50 degrees. Underground pipes don't freeze unless the frost line drops below the level of the pipes and if it is cold enough for long enough to do that then a space heater by the skimmer isn't going to do squat to prevent it.

I'll note that unless OP's location is incorrect then the claim that temperatures "dipped below 15°F for an entire week" is at best poorly written as the highs in OKC have been near or above freezing this entire season. The lows may have kissed the teens, but the highs were still in the 30's.

Flapjack, do a basic Google search for a 1250-watt floating pond de-icer—shouldn’t take more than two seconds. Look at The Pond Guy while you're at it.

****Mod edit****

 

[TeFLoN]

I looked around and could not find a 1250-watt pond de-icer for $50, and the ones I found for much less wattage had mixed reviews. Why would I not want to hear a recommendation from someone on what they decided? That has real value to me and if it doesn't to you that is fine but it's not for you to decide it has no value for me.

Look at my response above brother.