How many Southerners are closing their pool?

[woodyp]

We live in East Texas and the decision has been made........ (wifey making me do it!)...........to NOT close and cover the pool. This will be our first winter with it. Due to all the dadblamed sparklypoolitis caused by the BBB method all summer long..............she can't bare not to see it again until next spring. After all, she still wants to look out the window or sit on the deck this winter and enjoy her "pool" view. Isn't this why many of us chose to own pools in the first place? And I'm QUITE sure she has visions of some redneck Santa Claus pool decoration for XMAS! The crew at my pool dealer was split 50/50 on closing it or remaining open. Most inground pools here are NOT closed and covered for winter unless completely surrounded by trees. I've been surveying folks since July.

I might get just a leaf cover to weather the initial onslaught of fall while its' falling. Other than that, I'll maintain chemicals at a minimum as called for and circulate it about 4 hours daily until the weatherman hollers FREEZE warning! At which point the pump will run 24/7 until potential disaster passes.

One question about circulating while it's freezing (which is few and far between for us). If I should put the multivalve on "recirculate" instead of plain old filter setting to increase water flow............is there ANY potential of the water inside the sand filter freezing while doing so if its' just sitting inside there? Anything else I need to be aware of to remain "open"?

Who else here is staying open and why?

 

[bk406]

is there ANY potential of the water inside the sand filter freezing while doing so if its' just sitting inside there

Water freezes at 32 degrees. If it's just sitting there, what do you think is going to happen to it?

Last winter people in Dallas were freaking out on TFP when it got cold and stayed cold for several days. I think even a couple of people had everything freeze up and the filter cracked. If it gets cold enough for long enough, even circulated water will freeze solid.
Here are a few reminders from last winter

freeze-question-from-west-side-of-atlanta-ga-t18276.html?hilit=freeze sand filter

didn-t-close-weather-worse-than-expected-am-i-in-trouble-t18270.html?hilit=freeze sand filter

i-survived-the-arctic-blast-of-10-t18340.html?hilit=freeze sand filter

 

[mynewpool]

is there ANY potential of the water inside the sand filter freezing while doing so if its' just sitting inside there

Water freezes at 32 degrees. If it's just sitting there, what do you think is going to happen to it?

Last winter people in Dallas were freaking out on TFP when it got cold and stayed cold for several days. I think even a couple of people had everything freeze up and the filter cracked. If it gets cold enough for long enough, even circulated water will freeze solid.
Here are a few reminders from last winter

freeze-question-from-west-side-of-atlanta-ga-t18276.html?hilit=freeze sand filter

didn-t-close-weather-worse-than-expected-am-i-in-trouble-t18270.html?hilit=freeze sand filter

i-survived-the-arctic-blast-of-10-t18340.html?hilit=freeze sand filter

That was a freakish cold winter here in Texas. That will more than likely not happen for another 10 years or so. I was in Houston and had no issues. I covered up my pipes with insulation and then put a tarp over it and had no issues. It is all about prep work.

 

[bk406]

That was a freakish cold winter here in Texas. That will more than likely not happen for another 10 years or so. .

Anybody want to take a chance on it? :?

Your not the first to say that actually. But, if it does happen again, no complaining from anybody who didnt close.
I guess I honestly dont understand why folks even down south just dont close it down from December to March.

 

[woodyp]

Thanks for those links mynewpool. I'm brand new to this so any advice or experiences are appreciated. And yeah, that was a freakish winter here last year even though Dallas had it much worse than we did a couple of hours east of them. I'm still 3 hours north of Houston though! I've only got one foot of pipe (pvc) above ground from the skimmer...........2 foot or so for the return...............then maybe a total of 6 feet above the pump pad to and from the pump/filter and such. I'm thinking a couple runs of electric heating cord and some pipe wrap and I'm good to go. A lot easier to just tarp the equipment pad for wind chill (with my stuff on) than drain lines and fool with pool covers, cover pumps, line plugs, skimmer plug and what have you.

 

[mynewpool]

That was a freakish cold winter here in Texas. That will more than likely not happen for another 10 years or so. .

Anybody want to take a chance on it? :?

Your not the first to say that actually. But, if it does happen again, no complaining from anybody who didnt close.
I guess I honestly dont understand why folks even down south just dont close it down from December to March.

You have attacked back at me more than once with that line. I am not sure what the issue is, but let me ask you, do you live down south. Why go through all the trouble of closing if there is no real reason to close? Why go through all the draining an clearing out pipes and stuff if you really do not need to? I have heard people who close their pools still have issues. So what is the real deal here and why you want to attack back at me?

Also in December through march, there may still be swim days. We have had 90+ degree weather in December before.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I ddin't close our pool last year and we had some 15º nights. I just ran the pump for a few hours in the mornings and didn't have a problem. However, I do have an insulated equipment shed so that helped I'm sure.

We didn't have any ice in the pool but here's what the fountain looked like

 

[bk406]

You have attacked back at me more than once with that line. .

I didnt attack you. Show me where i did please.

My point is that a lot of people didnt close last winter and they regreted it. I really dont care if you close or not. If you have a feeze up, its not my money that will pay for the fix. I was just pointing out what happened last winter. I just think its silly to take the chancve with thousands of dollars worth of equipment, etc when its pretty easy to cloes it down for a few months, thats all. And no, I dont live down south.

 

[bk406]

A lot easier to just tarp the equipment pad for wind chill (with my stuff on) than drain lines .

Wind chill has no effect on water freezing. Wind chill only effects how the skin feels.

 

[lbridges]

Wind chill has no effect on water freezing. Wind chill only effects how the skin feels.

True enough, but I expect the reference to be more toward plants (evaporation of water from the surfaces, hence freeze damage) and just got carried away by applying it to equipment.

BTW, I won't be closing my pool, and don't know anyone in the area who will, but perhaps my part of Florida is not really part of the "south".

 

[bk406]

Naw, florida is ok, i would imagine. I was more referencing TN and north TX.

 

[Lobo55]

I live in north Texas (DFW) and have not closed my pool for 9 years now. 17 year old pool with a freeze guard that runs pump 24 hours a day when at risk for freezing. Worst thing that has happened was an old jandy energy bowl cracked and had to be replaced. I have considered closing to save on electricity but not due to protecting equipment.

 

[woodyp]

"Wind chill has no effect on water freezing. Wind chill only effects how the skin feels."

Kinda makes you wonder why bridges and overpasses freeze first then...............doesn't it? Even in the South!

 

[lbridges]

Kinda makes you wonder why bridges and overpasses freeze first then...............doesn't it? Even in the South!

Because the underside is not insulated by the ground.

 

[zea3]

I did not close my pool last year, but when we expected to have freezing temps for more than 4 hours overnight I went ahead and drained to the bottom of the skimmer, plugged it, plugged the return and drained the water from the pump and filter. It didn't take very long to do. With an above ground pool gravity will drain the pipes well enough in most cases. Last winter was the first time I drained for a freeze in the 5 years we have owned a pool and really the only reason I did not just let the pump run is because when the weather is very cold the pump gets LOUD! I didn't want the neighbors to start complaining about how loud my pump is at 2 in the morning!

 

[woodyp]

"Because the underside is not insulated by the ground."

............and neither are my above gound pipes on the pad! Hence the insulation and possible electric heat cord for pipes and possible pad cover. Not arguing.............just sayin'. Thanks for the input.

 

[jasonknox]

woodyp - Just for the record I live in the south and do not close my pool.

 

[bk406]

woodyp - Just for the record I live in the south and do not close my pool.

I wouldnt expect SW Georgia would have an issue. It folks say, between I-20 and I-40 that can have issues if they dont close. I'd say north of I-40, close, south of 20, staying open is most likely ok. It's that in between area that would worry me if i didnt close. Oklahoma, Ark, TN, north TX, north MS, GA, AL, etc., I'd close. But to each his own

 

[woodyp]

I can spit and hit I-20. Maybe I'm in luck!

 

[Lana537]

We live in East Texas and the decision has been made........ (wifey making me do it!)...........to NOT close and cover the pool. This will be our first winter with it. Due to all the dadblamed sparklypoolitis caused by the BBB method all summer long..............she can't bare not to see it again until next spring. After all, she still wants to look out the window or sit on the deck this winter and enjoy her "pool" view. Isn't this why many of us chose to own pools in the first place? And I'm QUITE sure she has visions of some redneck Santa Claus pool decoration for XMAS! The crew at my pool dealer was split 50/50 on closing it or remaining open. Most inground pools here are NOT closed and covered for winter unless completely surrounded by trees. I've been surveying folks since July.

I might get just a leaf cover to weather the initial onslaught of fall while its' falling. Other than that, I'll maintain chemicals at a minimum as called for and circulate it about 4 hours daily until the weatherman hollers FREEZE warning! At which point the pump will run 24/7 until potential disaster passes.

One question about circulating while it's freezing (which is few and far between for us). If I should put the multivalve on "recirculate" instead of plain old filter setting to increase water flow............is there ANY potential of the water inside the sand filter freezing while doing so if its' just sitting inside there? Anything else I need to be aware of to remain "open"?

Who else here is staying open and why?

To the OP:

We are staying open over this coming winter because:
1) We have new plaster and feel that we want the pool running to keep up its curing state.
2) We did it successfully last year because (see #3).
3) DH was a shark in a past life and can't stand to have any machine turned off ever. The pool and the house HVAC systems run 24/7/365.

Much to my own chagrin, we cover the pool in the fall and winter because of the trees/pine straw/dead branches....so I don't get to have that view that Mrs. OP will be enjoying!

Lana
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