Apology in advance for the long post, but I want to get all the background in here. Our skimmers seem to keep freezing, and I'm a bit confused how it is happening. For closing we lower the water below the returns (well below skimmers), then the pool company comes and blows out the lines and puts gizmos in the skimmers to seal the lines and then fills the skimmers with antifreeze (which I provide). Somehow whenever it gets really cold, our skimmers end up freezing with ice. I'm confused where does the water come from to make the ice? The pink color in the pictures is because I had to splash the antifreeze around a lot trying to free the 1/2 gallon jug for the picture, I do not believe the ice was pink to start with.
A few winters ago, the ice got thick and we ended up with a cracked skimmer. I assumed rain/snow melt had leaked through the cover plate and introduced enough water to cause the freezing. Since then I have taken extra precautions of putting a 1/2 gallon jug with rocks in there and covering the skimmer covers with a rubber mat to seal them from rain and snow melt. This winter is the first winter since then with really cold weather, and I noticed during the warm spell we had a couple of days ago we have a lot of ice again. I'm hoping the 1/2 gallon jug is enough to save them this year, but where is that ice coming from? My real concern is the antifreeze I'm buying is worthless, as they do put some antifreeze in other places as well when closing. It says good for -50F, and we haven't gotten that cold. Maybe -15F at the worst, but that is air temp and this is below ground under a rubber mat. The only other place I can think of is condensation from the pool itself. The skimmers are always dripping wet since the water/ice in the pool is much warmer than the air, and the dark solid cover keeps it raining in the pool every time the sun hits it so I assume it rains some in the skimmers too, you can see the ice along the walls above the water as an example.
Crack found spring 2016:
I just read this post:
Pump not running and 20 degrees F
Our deck around the skimmers is still level and crack free if that make any difference.
Does anyone have ideas where the water that forms this ice comes from? Also what do others do with their skimmers to avoid damage in extreme cold? Would I be better off with a dry skimmer and no antifreeze at all during closing, or just a little to protect the non-flat parts of the simmer bottom?
Thanks,
Dan
A few winters ago, the ice got thick and we ended up with a cracked skimmer. I assumed rain/snow melt had leaked through the cover plate and introduced enough water to cause the freezing. Since then I have taken extra precautions of putting a 1/2 gallon jug with rocks in there and covering the skimmer covers with a rubber mat to seal them from rain and snow melt. This winter is the first winter since then with really cold weather, and I noticed during the warm spell we had a couple of days ago we have a lot of ice again. I'm hoping the 1/2 gallon jug is enough to save them this year, but where is that ice coming from? My real concern is the antifreeze I'm buying is worthless, as they do put some antifreeze in other places as well when closing. It says good for -50F, and we haven't gotten that cold. Maybe -15F at the worst, but that is air temp and this is below ground under a rubber mat. The only other place I can think of is condensation from the pool itself. The skimmers are always dripping wet since the water/ice in the pool is much warmer than the air, and the dark solid cover keeps it raining in the pool every time the sun hits it so I assume it rains some in the skimmers too, you can see the ice along the walls above the water as an example.
Crack found spring 2016:
I just read this post:
Pump not running and 20 degrees F
Our deck around the skimmers is still level and crack free if that make any difference.
Does anyone have ideas where the water that forms this ice comes from? Also what do others do with their skimmers to avoid damage in extreme cold? Would I be better off with a dry skimmer and no antifreeze at all during closing, or just a little to protect the non-flat parts of the simmer bottom?
Thanks,
Dan
