- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,891
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Why you pulling the heat plugs? Just leave them connected and get as much heat when you have power.
Any risk in running pump in 10 degree weather without a heater?
- Thread starter AndyTN
- Start date
Why you pulling the heat plugs? Just leave them connected and get as much heat when you have power.
By plugs I mean the drain plugs to heater, pump, filter etc.... - not the AC power plugs to the heat tape.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,891
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Once you pull the drain plugs then there is no rush to get the pool operating again. Wait until things settle down and warm up. Your pool can sit dormant until the water temperature gets around 60F. That will take days.
Shutdown the pool and leave it alone and relax.
Shutdown the pool and leave it alone and relax.
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I wouldn't it. 1) it's freaking cold out there! and 2) the plugs can be quite a pain to get back in...and I am sure having the frozen water around the outlets would make it pain.
I would also add that these outages could last for several days...as in off for an hour, back for a couple hours, off again...rince/repeat until this madness ends, which could be Thursday or Friday.
It seems that people around me in Texas are losing power for the long haul, not just for a rolling 1 hour blackout or something. I'm hearing more and more reports from friends that they're now without power, so I'm starting to get concerned. My friend across town with a 4 month old baby, their house is now 50 degrees inside!
I want to make sure I know what to do with the pool, if I lose power (and assuming the power won't be coming back on for a long time, maybe 24-48 hours. Can somebody help me recap the steps? I've read this whole thread of course, but I was mostly focused on how to get the Freeze Protection working right with my pool pumps. From what I recall.... I would drain all 3 pumps , then I drain the filter? Do I first release the pressure thing at the top of the filter, and then find a drain plug down below somewhere, and remove it? Then after that..... I throw some sort of plastic bottle in the 2 skimmers? I don't have any antifreeze. Somebody said something about broken up pool noodles in the skimmers? I don't have any of those either. I do have a bunch of 2.5 inch thick "eggcrate" style foam that could perhaps work. I'm unclear what to do with plastic bottles or foam, in the skimmers. Also, I'm assuming I would also first start with turning off the breakers, in case the power came back on in the middle of all this, so everything won't turn back on with the drain plugs out? What about heater, does it have some sort of drain plug? If anybody could help me figure out some sense of what all to do, that would be great.
I want to make sure I know what to do with the pool, if I lose power (and assuming the power won't be coming back on for a long time, maybe 24-48 hours. Can somebody help me recap the steps? I've read this whole thread of course, but I was mostly focused on how to get the Freeze Protection working right with my pool pumps. From what I recall.... I would drain all 3 pumps , then I drain the filter? Do I first release the pressure thing at the top of the filter, and then find a drain plug down below somewhere, and remove it? Then after that..... I throw some sort of plastic bottle in the 2 skimmers? I don't have any antifreeze. Somebody said something about broken up pool noodles in the skimmers? I don't have any of those either. I do have a bunch of 2.5 inch thick "eggcrate" style foam that could perhaps work. I'm unclear what to do with plastic bottles or foam, in the skimmers. Also, I'm assuming I would also first start with turning off the breakers, in case the power came back on in the middle of all this, so everything won't turn back on with the drain plugs out? What about heater, does it have some sort of drain plug? If anybody could help me figure out some sense of what all to do, that would be great.
Last edited:
mjpohl
Active member
- Feb 24, 2019
- 41
- Pool Size
- 25000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-30
I’m still running my pump...if I have to drain equipment how do I deal with the fact that my pad is downhill from my pool? Like 6 feet downhill. Wouldn’t it constantly be draining water...atleast from main drain?
If I close the valve then I risk busting that pipe at the pad?
If I close the valve then I risk busting that pipe at the pad?
I have the same issue as you - my pool is above my equipment so water will continue to run. I was planning to plug the jets and the skimmer drain so water won't continue to flow. But worried that plugging could create a freeze / break situation - not sure how to handle it.
- Nov 7, 2018
- 1,049
- Pool Size
- 14000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Basically, you want to
1) Turn off power to pool/pump(s)
2) Open any and ALL drain plugs to pumps/motors/booster pumps as well as the filter
3) Open the relief valve on top of the filter (I would do this *after* removing the drain plug, it might keep you from getting soaked
4) Place material in the skimmer that will expand if ice forms. This can be empty bottles, pool noodles, anything that will compress.
5) Open and and all valves to allow expansion of any ice that might form from areas that still retain water.
The heater may have a drain where the water goes into the heater and will most likely have one (or more) at the exchanger (inside the heater cabinet). These vary greatly, so I would do a search on the manufacturer's website...they tend to have manuals available. Otherwise, a search on Google (use quotation marks!) with the EXACT model and "pdf" in the search term will probably help you find it.
Don't worry about ice that may/will form in the pool. If you have vinyl liner DO NOT TRY TO BREAK UP THE ICE!!!
Also, if you notice no water coming from the drains on the pumps, pouring WARM (not hot!!!) water into the filter basket may clear any ice.
Here is a link to your heater manual. Page 8 gives instructions for winterizing (draining it). Edited to say that I think there is only one drain plug on this unit but I’m not positive. https://images.inyopools.com/cloud/documents/pentair-heater-mastertemp.pdf
Here is one drain...I’m looking for the second one...
Last edited:
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,891
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
So I just float plastic bottles and/or foam on top of the water in the skimmer?
Also... as far as "open all valves"..... Can you explain in any more detail what all that would typically involve? I don't really know much about all the different valves. Would I turn the valves that goes between Pool and Spa mode 1/2 way, so both are "open" part way? Unfortunately I don't have a good photo of the completed equipment pad, and right now it's all buried under blankets / jackets / towels.
I have one client with pad below pool. You need to plug the returns and the openings in the skimmer below the basket. If your main drain comes through the skimmer that'll need a plug as well. Once the above is done drain pump, filter and heater and leave open as residual water will make it's way down too. Keep protecting the pad as you've done incase something was missed but make sure to shut off power to the equipment pad.
Just wanted to clarify... do I just toss some foam and/or empty plastic bottles in the skimmer where they will float?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,522
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
No. Add RV anitfreeze, rocks, or salt such that the bottle will partially submerge.
Ok. I don't have any antifreeze.
And what about foam? Do I need to figure out how to get the foam to not float?
Do you have an old pool noodle? If so, tear it up into long strips and shove them into the skimmer.
- Jul 17, 2019
- 3,721
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I got lucky and my skimmer was already freezing over with a thin coating of ice. I punched a hole in it and started stuffing empty water bottles and foam pipe insulation and the thin ice coating kept them just under the surface. Hopefully that is enough to prevent any damage.
I don't have any pool noodles, we haven't even stepped foot in our brand new pool yet (just the Spa, twice in the last couple weeks).
What I DO have that perhaps might work, is a lot of 2.5 inch thick Eggcrate style foam, for a different, recent project inside my house. I thought perhaps that could work? Thoughts?
Here is the EXACT product I have a lot of: 2-1/2" Acoustic Eggcrate Foam - Charcoal - 72"x80"
Another question I asked the other day but didn't hear back on, so just bring it up again to try and learn better..... was that I'm trying to get much more specific detail on what "open up all the valves" means. I wish I had a photo of my equipment pad before I covered everything up with towels / jackets / blankets a couple days ago. I've got the instructions figured out for draining the pump / filter / heater, but the instruction of "open up all the valves", I don't really know what that means. For 1 example, I have an elevated spa that overflows into the pool when the Pool is in POOL MODE... so, if I open up the POOL valve(s?), aren't I actually closing the spa valves in some way at the same time?
Anyhow, is there any good source or answer , in better detail, for what "open up all the valves" entails?
Anyhow, is there any good source or answer , in better detail, for what "open up all the valves" entails?