I just posted this but didn’t want anyone in OK to miss it in case it happens. ONG is talking about outages. Oklahoma Natural Gas - Severe Cold
3 day deep freeze, how to protect the pool
- Thread starter Pemolis
- Start date
OrangeAndBlue
Silver Supporter
- Aug 19, 2017
- 128
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Oh no JJ_Tex! I had been rooting for you, but seeing how brutally cold it is still going to get tonight, and then even the rest of the week.... It's impressive you kept going even when your pool looks like a snow cone slushy.
I hope everything starts back up smoothly for you when this is over.
1 yr pool owner, 1st time poster but have been a loyal follower. I was following along, had a the plan to keep the pump running, woke up to ice in the pool but still had power so was continuing on as planned. After 1 hour of power outage mid afternoon I decided to kill the power at the breaker, drained pump, filter and heater, recovered equipment. Mother Nature is a formidable opponent, within a couple hours ice had grown and I expect a solid sheet by morning. Hopefully I’ll be ready to restart on Sunday after we thaw out. I figured better to steer into the skid (as they say) than crash and burn.
so far so good after my prime/pump issues this AM.. we had a 4-hr power outage starting around 530p tonight but kept breaking up the slush and we're free and clear of any ice buildup with the pump at 3450rpm in freeze protect mode once power was restored. hoping we're good at least until early morning with power
OrangeAndBlue
Silver Supporter
- Aug 19, 2017
- 128
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Darin - am I understanding you correctly here? You're saying that even over 4 hours without power, your pumps and equipment didn't freeze while sitting idle, and then started right back up? How did you keep them covered to manage that?
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
We are still hanging in there. Ambient air temp got to -10 last night but has warmed to a very balmy 2 right now. 
Pool temp is at 44 and should stay above freezing until Saturday when we will finally be over 32 for a bit...and last night was supposed to be the coldest of cold. Pool equipment pad is pretty chilly though, it's at 27 degrees. Because of the energy conservation request, I have put the pool pump into low speed. Hopefully with the pool water as warm as it is, the low speed will be sufficient. It's also nice and sunny (which is a cruel joke by Mother Nature since we are getting more snow this afternoon/tonight/tomorrow) so that should bump up the temps in the pool and at the pad a few degrees.
Our neighbors massive pool is still running, but it's a huge slush mess and the only liquid you can see is from the spa spill over. They have also covered the equipment pad somewhat. But, still hanging in there!
In unrelated news, our septic sprinklers (and maybe the lines?) are frozen and hasn't run in at least couple of days. Thankfully, the holding tank doesn't look too full...I do NOT want to deal with an overfilled septic tank!!!
Pool temp is at 44 and should stay above freezing until Saturday when we will finally be over 32 for a bit...and last night was supposed to be the coldest of cold. Pool equipment pad is pretty chilly though, it's at 27 degrees. Because of the energy conservation request, I have put the pool pump into low speed. Hopefully with the pool water as warm as it is, the low speed will be sufficient. It's also nice and sunny (which is a cruel joke by Mother Nature since we are getting more snow this afternoon/tonight/tomorrow) so that should bump up the temps in the pool and at the pad a few degrees.Our neighbors massive pool is still running, but it's a huge slush mess and the only liquid you can see is from the spa spill over. They have also covered the equipment pad somewhat. But, still hanging in there!
In unrelated news, our septic sprinklers (and maybe the lines?) are frozen and hasn't run in at least couple of days. Thankfully, the holding tank doesn't look too full...I do NOT want to deal with an overfilled septic tank!!!
correct. had a tarp over the pad for about the last 3 days but that's been it. we got down to -2 early this AM but still had power until 6a today so that probably helped. we just got power back about an hour ago and everything started right back up again.
mjpohl
Active member
- Feb 24, 2019
- 41
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-30
Northwest Arkansas here. I am not out of the woods yet but still hanging in there, I have been frozen over (except 4 small open areas where returns are pointed) since Feb 13. Equipment pad is completely tarped, wrapped, and I Have a space heater that has been running for 3 days straight under there. My biggest worry was last night and this morning where we got to -15 Air Temp. My water temp is staying at 33 degrees and so far the water surface in my skimmer is free of ice. I've been pouring hot water into my skimmers every few hours because i somehow feel that is helping! Today's bright sunshine will help alot i think! I have 3 more days to go!
iain42
0
OK I lucked out we didn't freeze at all and with help here I winterized for the first time. Plugs removed equipment drained and everything blown with a wet vac. Pipes wrapped in blankets a electric blanket on low. Wrapped a few times in thick plastic. There us some breathing room under there. The pool is drained just under the skimmer with no water in the skimmer baskets..
I will be building a simple cover over equipment later.
I feel better thank you everyone.
I will be building a simple cover over equipment later.
I feel better thank you everyone.
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
If you have drained the equipment, then tarping/heating/etc. isn't really needed.
iain42
0
I'm a bit crazed that way.... To infinity and beyond lol......
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
iain42
0
It is expected to snow until 4 am but so far we haven't lost power. Fingers crossed! I at least know now the drill and do this process much quicker next time. Back left corner my equipment bad is safe and sound...
Well, we ended up losing power for over 36 hours in addition to several rolling outages. I’m so glad we drained it when we did! The two check valves for the spa jets cracked, and I’m not sure about our Hayward heater. It was already frozen when we unscrewed the plug. I started the pool back up, and water is running through it without visible leaks, but we still haven’t tried to fire it up. I’m a little nervous, because the ice had the casing visibly bowed out.
Thank you so much for the suggestions on this thread that helped save my skimmers and much of our equipment!
Thank you so much for the suggestions on this thread that helped save my skimmers and much of our equipment!
yeah. thanks to everyone who posted in this thread I came out of this pretty much with no issues. Had the return pipe that froze but it thawed and everything appears to be running fine now.