Do you really need antifreeze in the lines?

[fairplay13]

It is my first year closing my in ground pool, we bought the house and the pool is 10 yrs old.
And I got a company in to close it, a respectable company in the community.
I got the same company the old owners had closing/opening the pool for years.

However when they close pools, they dot use antifreeze in the lines, they just blow the lines out.

Has anyone heard of this?

 

[JohnT]

Antifreeze is a backup in case the line leaks or a low spot in the lines keeps you from getting all the water out.

 

[run53]

Antifreeze is a backup in case the line leaks or a low spot in the lines keeps you from getting all the water out.

Agree, but if the water is stuck in a low spot, wouldn't it be below the freeze line in most cases?

 

[JohnT]

Antifreeze is a backup in case the line leaks or a low spot in the lines keeps you from getting all the water out.

Agree, but if the water is stuck in a low spot, wouldn't it be below the freeze line in most cases?

Not around here. The deepest I've seen it freeze here is 21", but none of my lines are much more than a foot to a foot and a half deep except the drain. In northern areas the ground probably freezes below the pipes every winter.

 

[run53]

Antifreeze is a backup in case the line leaks or a low spot in the lines keeps you from getting all the water out.

Agree, but if the water is stuck in a low spot, wouldn't it be below the freeze line in most cases?

Not around here. The deepest I've seen it freeze here is 21", but none of my lines are much more than a foot to a foot and a half deep except the drain. In northern areas the ground probably freezes below the pipes every winter.

OK...I'm in NE and the low spots of all my lines are at least 36-40" below ground.

 

[yukonsc]

I was wondering the same thing - I live in the Washington DC area, do I need antifreeze or just blow out all the lines?

 

[Bama Rambler]

The antifreeze is kind of a belt and suspenders approach. Obviously if you can blow all the water out of the line, and keep it out, it doesn't need antifreeze. Depending on your certainty of being able to do that determines whether you should use antifreeze or not. So if you're not absolutely sure you can get the water out of the line to a point below the frost line, then adding antifreeze is a insurance.

 

[Qwaxalot]

We use the anti-freeze as an indicator. As we blow out the lines, the presence of anti-freeze at the returns indicates that the lines have been evacuated. Any anti-freeze still in there is just insurance