I'm having our pool closed, but they can't do it for 7 days. The temperature will drop to 25 degrees one night this upcoming week here in Indiana. It is a salt water pool. Can I just run the pump during the cold spell or will the pipes freeze?
Question about keeping Pool open
- Thread starter sd72667
- Start date
Just run the pump when the temp is below freezing. Moving water in the pipes will not freeze in a few hours.
How long does it take for water to freeze and damage pipes? I'm in the same boat, pool not closed yet, and it's supposed to get down to 26/28 two nights in a row (but daytime temps coming up to mid 40s).
If the pump is running, the pipes should never freeze at those kinds of temperatures.
Someone put a 2" pipe of water in their freezer and at that very low temperature it took a long time to freeze ... but I can not remember the details.
Odds are they would not freeze solid overnight even without the pump running unless you got much colder than the 20s.
Someone put a 2" pipe of water in their freezer and at that very low temperature it took a long time to freeze ... but I can not remember the details.
Odds are they would not freeze solid overnight even without the pump running unless you got much colder than the 20s.
I've got my pool heater running today to "warm" up the water for several hours before the freezing temps hit tonight. Pool temp is 52 degrees. I'll run the pool pump for several days until the night temps are above freezing. Temps are supposed to be back in the 50's and 60's in several days.
- May 3, 2007
- 16,831
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Generally, I have found that it takes well over 8 hours for water to freeze solid in a 2" pipe even without the pump running. We regularly get down 25F every winter but usually it is less than 8 hours and I don't bother with freeze protection or running the pump.pool mum said:
I've found the plastic filter cylinder going to my sweeper will freeze and bust pretty easily.
I run mine at night to keep that from happening.
I run mine at night to keep that from happening.
- May 3, 2007
- 16,831
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I forgot to mention that freeze time is proportional to the diameter of the pipe/hose so a smaller pipe/hose will freeze faster than a larger one. 1 1/2" pipe will freeze about 25% faster than a 2" pipe. But a 1/2" hose might freeze close to 4x faster than a 2" pipe. So you have to take extra precautions with the smaller stuff. I would probably drain it during the freeze periods rather than rely on running the pump.