TX Cold Weather Poll

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stshields91

stshields91

Silver Supporter
Dec 4, 2023
34
Frisco Texas
Pool Size
13000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Calling my fellow Texan cold weather wisdom collective :) This is my second Winter with our new pool, and I've learned everything I know from this site so thanks up front for that! With the cold coming to most of TX this week I'm curious how many of you will take the steps to cover your equipment pad for this stretch. The current forecast is attached. I'm not sure I'm going to just manually open the valve a bit for the spa to have water flowing through every exposed pipe I possible can and not cover, or if I'll take the extra step to cover and add a heat source under the tarp. Would love a quick reply from some with more years experience on what your planning to do this week:
  • Maximize water flow only
  • Max water flow and cover with tarp and heat source
  • More aggressive protections (I'd love to hear your plan)
With the cold spell we had in Jan I just maximized my flow and everything was just fine. That have a few days completely below freezing but the lowest temp was around 18 where I live. This time its's support to be short lived as well but low forecasted if 11F this time.

Would love to have some experienced folks reply with a quick bullet on your plans?

Scott
 

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stshields91 said:
Calling my fellow Texan cold weather wisdom collective :) This is my second Winter with our new pool, and I've learned everything I know from this site so thanks up front for that! With the cold coming to most of TX this week I'm curious how many of you will take the steps to cover your equipment pad for this stretch. The current forecast is attached. I'm not sure I'm going to just manually open the valve a bit for the spa to have water flowing through every exposed pipe I possible can and not cover, or if I'll take the extra step to cover and add a heat source under the tarp. Would love a quick reply from some with more years experience on what your planning to do this week:
  • Maximize water flow only
  • Max water flow and cover with tarp and heat source
  • More aggressive protections (I'd love to hear your plan)
With the cold spell we had in Jan I just maximized my flow and everything was just fine. That have a few days completely below freezing but the lowest temp was around 18 where I live. This time its's support to be short lived as well but low forecasted if 11F this time.

Would love to have some experienced folks reply with a quick bullet on your plans?

Scott
Click to expand...
I will rely on freeze protection to keep the water moving. However, ready to pull the plugs if Oncor can't keep the power on. Will not be tarping the pad.
 
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If it was just the cold, I would be content running the pump. You have several hours of ice storm coming Tues night, which will take down aerial lines or cause accidents which take down aerial lines. My own street is buried so we are kinda protected by that but the main thoroughfare where the accidents are isn't.

You don't need the heat source on short freezes unless you lose power, and then you'll likely lose the heat source because Murphy is a you-know-whut.


Do a dry run draining the equipment and any above ground plumbing. You want to be efficient at it *before* it's sleeting sideways and pitch black. Run the pump and if you lose power overnight, enact plan B because you're efficient at draining the equipment.
 
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Hey neighbor. Its just supposed to be cold and no mention of blackouts or anything crazy, so I'm just going to rely on freeze protection. Then I always have my backup plan to quickly winterize if we lose power or have an equipment breakage. Here are the steps in my Oh Crud plan:

1. Have all of my tools easily accessible, plus a flashlight just in case I need to move into step 2. Also, plan on this happening at 3am.
2. Turn off the equipment at the breaker. You don't want it trying to come back on if your equipment has been drained.
3. Unscrew the filter drain at the bottom of the filter and open up the pressure valve at the top
4. Unscrew both pump drains, plus unscrew the lid of the strainer basket.
5. Remove the drain plugs on the heater
6. Make sure the valves are open to everything so that there is no trapped water anywhere, say a little prayer
7. Try to protect the skimmers as best as possible with a Gizmo, cut up pool noodles, and empty water bottles to help absorb the expansion of the freezing ice so it doesn't put pressure on your skimmer.

Then of course a few days later you put everything back together in reverse order as the above since next week will be in the mid 70's all week.
 
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91,

My pump runs 24/7, mostly at 1200 RPM...

You don't need "max" water flow, you just need some water flow..

That is all you need to do... unless there is a power outage.. Then you need to know how to drain your filter and your pump...

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Thanks for all the advice and reassurance. I'm going to rely on stick with my original thoughts of just running the pump via freeze protection with valves set for max flow and then be ready if power goes out. Thanks again for the help here!
 
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stshields91 said:
for max flow
Click to expand...
Up north we leave outdoor faucets with a drip to help protect them from freezing if they can't be winterized. It's not foolproof, but it works way more often than it doesn't.

Now imagine how much water you are moving through the pump, even at low RPMs. As long as everything has some movement, you're golden. Even if the top of the pool ices over, the returns and skimmer pipe will be well below that and continue to function fine.
 
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stshields91 said:
Thanks for all the advice and reassurance. I'm going to rely on stick with my original thoughts of just running the pump via freeze protection with valves set for max flow and then be ready if power goes out. Thanks again for the help here!
Click to expand...
Depending on pump / controls - freeze protection might mean "full RPMs" which is not necessary as it burns exponentially more energy. You'd need to tell us more about your pool, but I just checked on my pool. Happily chugging along at 1200 rpms using very little power.
 
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Question about losing power scenario. Pull the plugs and drain all equipment. But, what about water level in the pool? Aren’t we concerned with sitting water in the skimmers? I assume we don’t drain below the skimmers in this emergency scenario?
 

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6XSBChamps said:
Aren’t we concerned with sitting water in the skimmers?
Click to expand...
It can handle whatever ice forms in the short term for a few days. Those of us up north worry about a full brick of ice blowing out the skimmers, not just an inch or so on the top.
6XSBChamps said:
I assume we don’t drain below the skimmers in this emergency scenario?
Click to expand...
Correct. Cut up a pool noodle and stuff it in there just in case it stays cold for an extended time. If more than a little ice forms, the noodle will absorb the expansion.
 
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stshields91 said:
Calling my fellow Texan cold weather wisdom collective :) This is my second Winter with our new pool, and I've learned everything I know from this site so thanks up front for that! With the cold coming to most of TX this week I'm curious how many of you will take the steps to cover your equipment pad for this stretch. The current forecast is attached. I'm not sure I'm going to just manually open the valve a bit for the spa to have water flowing through every exposed pipe I possible can and not cover, or if I'll take the extra step to cover and add a heat source under the tarp. Would love a quick reply from some with more years experience on what your planning to do this week:
  • Maximize water flow only
  • Max water flow and cover with tarp and heat source
  • More aggressive protections (I'd love to hear your plan)
With the cold spell we had in Jan I just maximized my flow and everything was just fine. That have a few days completely below freezing but the lowest temp was around 18 where I live. This time its's support to be short lived as well but low forecasted if 11F this time.

Would love to have some experienced folks reply with a quick bullet on your plans?

Scott
Click to expand...
In DFW area, we got down to 13 or 14 this week overnight multiple nights and as others have stated i relied on the pump moving the water. i did however have a backup plan in case power was ever lost and that was to be ready to remove drain plugs, i also filled some empty coke bottles with antifreeze and will throw those in the each of my skimmers if the power turn off just hoping to prevent those from getting damaged.
 
After the 2021 TX winter storm experience, I leave a "power off alarm" plugged in during the winter months. Pool runs as needed on freeze protection.

If power goes out, the alarm sounds a shrill siren that is loud enough to wake me up (and everyone else in the house, unfortunately). I can then connect and start generator to power up the house and pool equipment. Or, if issues with the generator, I can quickly drain all of the pool equipment.
 
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