Need Advice: Filter guage pegged or broke but freezing temps

[maynard001]

So here's my quandry...I'm in Tennessee...we're at 8 degrees right now on Monday night. I cleaned out my skimmers this weekend in preparation for the freeze this weekend since I knew I would have to keep the pump running. Baseline pressure is 10psi on a normal day.

I just went outside to check on things and make sure the pump is still running before bed since we're getting down to 8 degrees tonight and water is rippling on the top of the pool...pump is running...everything looked good until i noticed the gauge is at 0. I looked closer and noticed that not only is the needle at zero...but it appears to be underneath the little metal needle rest. I'm not sure if this just means my gauge is broken from the cold or if my filter is running at such high pressure that it's wrapped all the way around above 80psi and is essentially "pegged". One more note...I noticed a very small/slow leak around the top of my filter a month or so ago. I took pictures and asked my pool guy for advice. He said such a slow leak could be safely dealt with in the spring. He said if I started messing with it now I would likely crack something with the cold and that as long as it was just a drip and not a spray of water it was fine to leave until spring. So I've got some ice around the top of the filter where this water was leaking. Is it possible the guage is just pegged because some ice is trapped right underneath it? It's obvious that the filter isn't frozen solid because my jets are on and blowing and the pool is rippling.

I'm not sure what to do. If I stop the pump everything is going to freeze up solid tonight and tomorrow...but I also don't want the filter to explode on me. What would you guys do?

 

[samiguy]

Re: Need Advice: Filter guage pegged or broke but freezing t

I am by no means a pro, but I would think that the gauge is just crapped out. Hard to get that kind of pressure with a pool pump. Kind of "what does the pool look like" thing. Water is moving and that is the most important. About 12 here now in Charlotte and am just keeping the pump running and hope that nothing happens. Like you said, if you shut down the pump, everything will freeze and then you will have a mess. Give it a few days and then replace the gauge. Good Luck!!
Sami

 

[maynard001]

Re: Need Advice: Filter guage pegged or broke but freezing t

I know it's late. Thanks for the reply dude. You're gonna help me sleep a little easier. I figured if water was moving out of the jets it couldn't be plugged up as bad as the gauge was saying. Good luck on your end too. Hope none of us have freeze damage.

 

[Isaac-1]

Re: Need Advice: Filter guage pegged or broke but freezing t

My guess is the water inside the small metal passage in your gauge stem has frozen exerting high level of pressure for the gauge to read since typical pool pumps can not generate more than 40-50 psi.

Ike

 

[maynard001]

Re: Need Advice: Filter guage pegged or broke but freezing t

Thanks again for the replies. Yea...I checked it again this morning when I got up. All of my jets are running and seem to be pushing as much water as in the summer...I've got a good solid ripple going across the top of my pool. Cleaned out the skimmers this morning...no ice in there either. Water definitely seems to be flowing...at this point i'm chalking this up to a busted gauge or ice in the gauge like you said...gonna head to the pool store today to get a replacement that I can swap out when it warms up.

Thanks for the help dudes...I was freaking last night.