Cold snap coming and won't be able to properly close pool yet!

[superdave5599]

I've been planning on following the TFP recommendation to not close the pool until the water gets to below 60 degrees. I think this morning it was right around 68-70 (I failed to log that and don't recall the exact temp.) I was anticipating that I'd probably do it in a couple weeks.

I saw last night that we're forecasted to have a couple days of pretty cold weather before it rebounds again for a bit.

Looking at the weather app, I see current predictions of lows below freezing overnight for tomorrow night for about a week until it pops back up.

What's my play here? I told my wife if we run the pump overnight, it shouldn't be a big issue, but she's a bit worried. To me, that seems like the safest option rather than try to do some half-Rear "winterization" (like pull the plugs for the pump and filter and let the water just drain from the fittings-I don't have time to blow everything out and do it all properly like I'd planned) and coming back to do more later.

Pump and filter are all just in the open under our deck, rather than in a pool house of some kind. As I write that, I suppose as a sort of fail safe I could maybe hang up some tarps and semi-enclose it, and stick a space heater in there to keep things over freezing in case the pump shut down for some reason.

Thoughts/ideas?

 

[Texas Splash]

As long as water is moving you are fine. Power failure is when there may be a concern. Therefore, it's good to have a Plan B if power should go out. Know how to quickly pull all drain plugs from equipment and perhaps have some tarps/blankets to throw over plumbing lines as well. Anything to get you through a cold snap.

 

[Newdude]

+1. While it will be cold-cold for 4 days with a couple lows in the low 20s and a 16, it will take the pool water a couple of days to cool. The cold snap will likely be over by the time it's a concern, and running the pump throughout is your insurance play.

Locate all your equipment drain plugs and hatch a plan now for an unexpected power loss, as said above. It'll be cold and dark if the time comes because old man Murphy was a jerkwad.

 

[superdave5599]

Sounds good!
Newdude, did you look up my forecast? Ha ha, cause those were accurate guesses if not!
Even on the coldest day, the highs in the daytime are all above freezing, so there will be a bit of a rebound, or at least slowing of the pool water temperature drop.
I'll just plan to flip the pump timer so it runs overnight and make plans to monitor and deal as necessary.
I think I can handle an action plan for if we lost power and such, though I don't anticipate that being a big concern; thankfully all ours are underground.

 

[Newdude]

did you look up my forecast?

We look out for you, so of course I did.

It actually went up a couple degrees since earlier.



Earlier I saw a high in the high 20s one day and a 16 low another.