Any risk in running pump in 10 degree weather without a heater?

[nikolausp]

In Freeze Protection mode, is it safe to assume the heater will not turn on for the Spa? Is there a way I can check this on the Pentair digital panel outside? I have it in service mode, currently, running 2000 RPM on the main pool. Water feature pumps I haven't turned on yet.

The Pool School guy mentioned that he set up a freeze protect mode when the pool is in Auto mode, and said he set it to activate at 42 degrees. I don't know what he set up for the freeze protect to do. From what I gathered , he basically seemed to imply that in Freeze Protect Mode, all 3 pumps would turn on. I have no idea if he set Freeze mode to switch between Pool And Spa modes with no heater activated, and don't know how to check the settings. I would also add, I don't really trust him to have set it up optimally.

Also, Houston is supposed to freeze. Tuesday AM says 10deg for my area per my weather software. I live in Spring , which is a ways North of Houston.

 

[ajw22]

In Freeze Protection mode, is it safe to assume the heater will not turn on for the Spa?

Freeze protection should not turn on the heater.

Is there a way I can check this on the Pentair digital panel outside? I have it in service mode, currently, running 2000 RPM on the main pool. Water feature pumps I haven't turned on yet.

The Pool School guy mentioned that he set up a freeze protect mode when the pool is in Auto mode, and said he set it to activate at 42 degrees. I don't know what he set up for the freeze protect to do. From what I gathered , he basically seemed to imply that in Freeze Protect Mode, all 3 pumps would turn on. I would also add, I don't trust him at all..

You don't have freeze protection when in SERVICE MODE.

You need to look on Screenlogic which devices are checked for freeze protection. Maybe @Jimrahbe can post the screen to look at.

 

[nikolausp]

Freeze protection should not turn on the heater.



You don't have freeze protection when in SERVICE MODE.

You need to look on Screenlogic which devices are checked for freeze protection. Maybe @Jimrahbe can post the screen to look at.

Like I said earlier, I have zero access to ScreenLogic. Pool School guy said my screenlogic box was missing a wire/adapter so he couldn't set it up.

 

[ajw22]

Like I said earlier, I have zero access to ScreenLogic. Pool School guy said my screenlogic box was missing a wire so he couldn't set it up.

Don't expect folks to read back through 142 posts to see what you said earlier.

Let's see if @Jimrahbe or @mknauss can direct you through the ET panel. I think it ends up being very convoluted and hard to direct you here.

See page 44 in https://www.pentair.com/content/dam...ytouch-control-system-8-and-4-users-guide.pdf for how to set Freeze Protection from the panel for each circuit.

 

[mknauss]

an direct you through the ET panel.

MENU ▼ SETTINGS ▼ CIRCUIT Func. >CIRCUIT/ Func.

Then you page through each item and select Freeze - YES if you wish to protect that. Typically only select Pool and Spa

 

[GDN]

Keep in mind that your freeze protection will be cycling between pool and spa modes. If you just have the spa on in heater mode, the heater will be cycling on/off ever 15 minutes which is bad. I guess you could turn both pool and spa heating modes on, so it stays on constantly, but I would worry that you will quickly reach a point where your spa is at temp and your pool is not, and you return to cycling on/off.

Houston is not supposed to get below freezing and stay below freezing like the rest of the state, so I would not risk messing up my heater. Our pools in Dallas handle freezing temps in the 20's and sometimes upper teens on a regular basis just fine using the freeze protection.

My spa heats about 1 degree per minute with a 400K BTU heater. When the freeze protection turns back to the pool, there is one return that adds more pool (cold) water to the spa (for the spillover function). I figure it would take a while to completely heat either one, however your point is well taken.

I'm riding this out til the water hits 31 - 32 or see what it is at before bedtime tonight. At that point I will disable freeze protection, turn the pool/spa valves half way and turn the heater on to about 75 and let it run 24 by 7.

I've got friends in Plano and checked in with them, their water is at 71, they turned their heater on 2 days ago, so I'm drifting toward that decision too. Just depends on how fast the water temps continue to drop and if ice starts to form.

 

[Poolmama!]

My spa heats about 1 degree per minute with a 400K BTU heater. When the freeze protection turns back to the pool, there is one return that adds more pool (cold) water to the spa (for the spillover function). I figure it would take a while to completely heat either one, however your point is well taken.

I'm riding this out til the water hits 31 - 32 or see what it is at before bedtime tonight. At that point I will disable freeze protection, turn the pool/spa valves half way and turn the heater on to about 75 and let it run 24 by 7.

I've got friends in Plano and checked in with them, their water is at 71, they turned their heater on 2 days ago, so I'm drifting toward that decision too. Just depends on how fast the water temps continue to drop and if ice starts to form.

How are you going to refill the pool when you lose a ton of water to evaporation? Even with faucet covers on, ours are already frozen.

 

[JJ_Tex]

I'm adding water to mine now. I had to pour warm water in a watering can to turn on the water, then my hose had some ice clogs in it from the water that was left in there so I put it in the bathtub for a few minutes (my valentiene was not impressed). I also have a propane heater going next to the hose bib so its warm-ish when I wrap everything back up. I'll also store the hose in the garage in case I have to add again next week.

 

[GDN]

How are you going to refill the pool when you lose a ton of water to evaporation? Even with faucet covers on, ours are already frozen.

I don't know that it is perfect (and I haven't tested) , but I have a frost free faucet that my pool filler is attached too. If not familiar, the frost free faucets turn the water off below ground and the water flows back out of the faucet after you turn it off. My pool filler is connected to this faucet, via a Y splitter. The pool filler is simply PVC buried under ground about 15' and into the pool. My hope and plan is that faucet will continue to work as advertised, I can add to the pool and when I turn the water off the vacuum breaks (I can flip the valve at the Y to help) and the water flows back down out of the faucet and also then out of the pvc pipe into the pool.

To also help I added water to the pool 2 days ago to get it full, I should be good for a couple of days.

 

[JJ_Tex]

A lady just posted on our neighborhood website that she didnt want to mess with the outside faucets, and found that her washing machine connection fit her garden hose. She hooked it up there, ran it out a window and into her pool. Certainly out of the box thinking, but I bet she is warmer than I am right now

 

[mknauss]

A lady just posted on our neighborhood website that she didnt want to mess with the outside faucets, and found that her washing machine connection fit her garden hose. She hooked it up there, ran it out a window and into her pool. Certainly out of the box thinking, but I bet she is warmer than I am right now

That is correct. You should also have a spigot on your hot water heater.

 

[Leebo]

A lady just posted on our neighborhood website that she didnt want to mess with the outside faucets, and found that her washing machine connection fit her garden hose. She hooked it up there, ran it out a window and into her pool. Certainly out of the box thinking, but I bet she is warmer than I am right now

It'll also fit your hot water heater. I hook up a garden hose every so often to drain the tank.

 

[joboo7777]

A lady just posted on our neighborhood website that she didnt want to mess with the outside faucets, and found that her washing machine connection fit her garden hose. She hooked it up there, ran it out a window and into her pool. Certainly out of the box thinking, but I bet she is warmer than I am right now

This is my backup plan if I go below freezing. not sure how effective it will be at this point but may be worth a try. I'm sitting at 36F right now so will see how things go over night and in to tomorrow. I think if we can get through tomorrow we will start to see some relief. Still under freezing but better than single digits.

 

[wireform]

One word of advice for those with vinyl liner pools, should you end up with an ice layer on top DO NOT DISTURB IT by pushing it around or trying to break it up. You can easily cut through the liner with the sharp ice. Let it do its own thing and leave it undisturbed.

 

[GDN]

Well things change by the hour. I've decided not to wait on what if the water temp keeps dropping. I've turned freeze mode off, moved the valves to circulate both pool and hot tub, turned on the sprays and deck fountain at a low flow and turned on the heater to 75. Nothing will be fun, but I'll gladly pay the gas bill vs pool repairs.

 

[Longboat58]

My pump is 14 years old. With newer pumps are you able to set them where they just cycle on periodically to prevent freezing vs running around the clock?

 

[nikolausp]

I decided to put my pool in Auto Mode (instead of Service mode) to see what the Pool School guy has set up for Freeze Protection. It appears it's all working ok. Every 15 minutes it's switching back and forth between pool and Spa mode. It also turned on the Weeping Wall pump and the Waterfall Pump. I also confirmed that the Heater is NOT turning on, so that's good.

So hopefully I'm good to go, crossing my fingers. The only thing I don't really like is that the waterfall pump seems to be cranked on to as high as it goes, as it's loud and the water is gushing out more than I've ever seen it.

Is it bad to have the pump turned up all the way high for like 3 straight days?

The good news is, earlier today I got the last 2 tarps in existence at Walmart for my equipment pad, but the bad news is my wife decided to use them for all her plants in the front yard.

 

[Poolmama!]

A lady just posted on our neighborhood website that she didnt want to mess with the outside faucets, and found that her washing machine connection fit her garden hose. She hooked it up there, ran it out a window and into her pool. Certainly out of the box thinking, but I bet she is warmer than I am right now

I was trying to Google to see if the garden hose and washing machine are compatible as I also saw that suggested. With the slush on the top of the pool, I'm just not sure we're going to make it long enough to make it worth it. Unfortunately we don't have a sump pump to drain water to below the tile level...although it's not much higher right now. I seem to recall you can use the faucet on top of the pump? Guess I could also open the pressure relief valve on the cartridge filter? The equipment itself is doing fine I think. But the pool temp is now 32 and we still aren't even at the coldest temps yet.

 

[Poolmama!]

That is correct. You should also have a spigot on your hot water heater.

Unfortunately we have the new tankless water heaters...mounted on the outside of the house...so guess what's also freezing up around the neighborhood. Missing a good ole 50 gallon tank about now.

 

[GDN]

I was trying to Google to see if the garden hose and washing machine are compatible as I also saw that suggested. With the slush on the top of the pool, I'm just not sure we're going to make it long enough to make it worth it. Unfortunately we don't have a sump pump to drain water to below the tile level...although it's not much higher right now. I seem to recall you can use the faucet on top of the pump? Guess I could also open the pressure relief valve on the cartridge filter? The equipment itself is doing fine I think. But the pool temp is now 32 and we still aren't even at the coldest temps yet.

I don't know what is right about lowering water, etc, but if you wanted to, don't you have a way to backwash or pump to waste? You show a recent build, I think code would have required that.