Winter Chlorine Levels

[Shirker]

I'm thinking about not closing this year. We don't get hard freezes. If I run the pump on nights when it gets cold, I think my plumbing will be safe. I haven't completely made up my mind yet. Feel free to talk me out of it.

If I don't close, is there a good rule of thumb for chlorine levels when the water temp is below 60°F? Or do I need to maintain the same recommend levels based on CYA?

Thanks in advance!

 

[C3Cl3N3O3]

As an FYI you can get a freeze protection circuit which will run the pump automatically when the air temperature goes below a certain point. Mine cuts on below 40 deg F and has been reliable during the winters where I didn't close the pool. I don't think they are terribly expensive, but they do require some skill to install.

 

[Texas Splash]

I also run my pump year-round. We get a good freeze once in a while, but usually not that bad or for too long. With water continuously moving, plumbing is usually fine. You'll find your FC consumption will drop considerably when the water temp drops below 60. As long as you have access to the water (i.e. not covered), it's not a bad idea to check the chemistry once in a while just to ensure FC and CYA haven't dropped to rock-bottom. Keeping the levels fairly close to normal patterns will make for easier spring openings. Hope that helps.

 

[pabeader]

I didn't close mine last year and I don't plan to close this year either. I did exactly what you are planning to do. I did miss one night and there was a super thin layer of ice on the pool. As soon as I kicked on the pump, it fractured and melted. I was a little more careful after that. As far as the FC, the amount stays the same but you will find that you need to top off much less often.

 

[pooldv]

I dont close. A jug of bleach adds 4 ppm to my pool. When FC drops to 9 or 8 I test PH, because it isn't valid with FC above 10, and add a jug. If I feel lazy and it's cold I'll add 2 jugs and not test again for a month or more. FC consumption when the water temp is below 50° is very low.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

No reason to close a pool here. We can get overnight temps below freezing but it always warms up at daybreak. Freeze protection is automated through my panel so that's a plus. Definitely get yourself a freeze switch, makes life easier.

The only thing I "winterize" is my waterfall because it's on a 3HP pump and I don't like it when it runs for hours from the freeze protect switch. Basically I drain the pump and leave it open and vacuum out the line to my waterfall then cut the breaker on the pump and throw a blanket over it. That's about it.

FYI - someone had a post on here with links to pipe freezing studies. The short answer is it takes extended periods of time (days) with temperatures constantly below freezing to have any effect on the above ground pipes. If the water is moving in the pipe, even a little bit, there's even less of a chance of freezing. So if you can just move your water a little when it's cold, you should be fine.

 

[Shirker]

Thanks, you guys make me feel a little better about not closing. While we don't get especially hard freezes here, we do some times get ice storms that can knock out power for half a day or so. But it sounds like even then I don't have to worry about the plumbing too much.

 

[ned8377]

I didn't close last year but decided I'm not doing that again. Even though I have freeze protection, I found myself babysitting the pool just to be sure it came on and was running overnight when temperatures dropped. I found myself tied to the house and pool even more so than in the summer. Then we had one of those ice storms like you mentioned where the power lines are cut by trees falling etc. I guess it depends on where you live and how cold it gets but we have had power out for days from those storms over the years. What are you going to do then? Your above ground plumbing will freeze if it stays cold. You can cover your equipment pad with a tarp and place several light bulbs in and that will help but you have the same problem if the power is out for days. I think I would rather close and not worry about it for 4 months - kind of a vacation.