Few days of below freezing temp. What to do?

[Bold22]

I just bumped my rpm up a little.

What are you running it at now? I was running mine just under 2500 but just bumped it up to 2950. Hoeing that’s enough. Starting to get ice forming in the water at the tanning ledge. 😰

 

[Bketchum5]

So we lost power in Edmond, OK. I’ve removed the plugs from the pump (2), the filter and drained it out and the heater. Should I leave them unplugged until we get power back and try to start pump afterward??

 

[Leebo]

That is correct, don’t put the plugs back in yet. Leave them out so there’s a spot for any water that may find it’s way into the system to escape.

 

[Bketchum5]

That is correct, don’t put the plugs back in yet. Leave them out so there’s a spot for any water that may find it’s way into the system to escape.

What if it’s a while before power is back on and everything starts to freeze more. Shoudl
I just ride it out until weather warms up then put all the plugs back in? Right now the filter drain plug at the bottom the grooves are frozen from when I drained and getting the screw in plug
Would be dang near impossible. And my spa/spillover is completely frozen now. Will the ice push out on the walls or does ice want to expand down before out? Getting worried and I know I shoudl have been better prepared.

 

[Leebo]

Odds say the surface of your pool will be safe. Every year our pool up in Ohio sees several months where the surface is several inches of ice, and no damage. You’ll be fine I’m sure for the week. Personally my main worry would be the equipment. With the drain plugs open I suspect the water will drain from the equipment thus saving that.

I honestly suspect you caught everything in time. Stress about keeping warm. 👍

 

[gocubs418]

And here is my first blackout. Pray for my equipment.

Update: 25 minutes, power restored. Pump operation resumed as normal.

 

[Hachu]

I'm in Tulsa and decided this morning to pull the plugs on the equipment (pump, filter, heater, SWG) but I'm concerned about the skimmer. I put in a gizmo, but my pool is already below freezing and we've haven't even hit the negative temps for the next couple days.

A gizmo? I don't have one. I saw someone said to put in a milk jug into the skimmer. I had to do this at 2am this morning because ice had formed on one of my skimmers and caused the air to go in and may have caused my system to shutdown and I couldn't get it to run again.. I had to shut everything down. Did you drain the water to below skimmer line? I didn't do this and just saw a post someone said to do that?

 

[Hachu]

And here is my first blackout. Pray for my equipment.

Update: 25 minutes, power restored. Pump operation resumed as normal.

I hope your pool is still running ok. Because of the blackout that woke me up and finding that one of my skimmers had froze and air got in. Sustem no longer working.

 

[snm805619]

A gizmo? I don't have one. I saw someone said to put in a milk jug into the skimmer. I had to do this at 2am this morning because ice had formed on one of my skimmers and caused the air to go in and may have caused my system to shutdown and I couldn't get it to run again.. I had to shut everything down. Did you drain the water to below skimmer line? I didn't do this and just saw a post someone said to do that?

And here is my first blackout. Pray for my equipment.

Update: 25 minutes, power restored. Pump operation resumed as normal.

I’m in the same boat. Have had a few blackouts (actually in one now). Pool is frozen over but pump still running. All of the equipment has been covered for a couple days, water is at 32. Not sure what else I can do!

 

[Bketchum5]

Odds say the surface of your pool will be safe. Every year our pool up in Ohio sees several months where the surface is several inches of ice, and no damage. You’ll be fine I’m sure for the week. Personally my main worry would be the equipment. With the drain plugs open I suspect the water will drain from the equipment thus saving that.

I honestly suspect you caught everything in time. Stress about keeping warm. 👍

Thanks for the response. I hope i caught it time. I had to get my generator going before I got to the pool. The pump plugs didn’t drain much at all however the water level in the basket was below the return. The filter did drain out but the threads are frozen. Going to be tough to get the cap back on. And the heater didn’t drain at all. It was about an hour from time we lost power, getting my generator going then removing the plugs. There’s no way they froze that fast inside

 

[monoptn]

I'm in the same boat here in Clarksville, Tenn, albeit without the power outage. It has not been above freezing here since last Wednesday. We are not hitting single digits, but have been around 15 at night and 20 during the day recently. I think we are looking at 12 degrees tonight. Should I continue running my pump on full power and be confident that it will not freeze up, or should I turn it off and open the valves and drain plugs to drain everything? ie, with power, will it prevent freezing even though it's been so cold for so long? Should I bite the bullet and turn the gas heater on? I am aware of the condensation/acidity problems that could cause withe the heater, but it would be better than my pipes freezing up.

 

[donnosu]

A gizmo? I don't have one. I saw someone said to put in a milk jug into the skimmer. I had to do this at 2am this morning because ice had formed on one of my skimmers and caused the air to go in and may have caused my system to shutdown and I couldn't get it to run again.. I had to shut everything down. Did you drain the water to below skimmer line? I didn't do this and just saw a post someone said to do that?

I wasn't able to drain the water below the skimmer like you would normally do when you winterize. I placed a gizmo in the skimmer and cut up pool noodles to prevent ice damage. I went back out and opened up my actuators and there was still water in them and slush was already forming after 45 min, both suction and return. I poured some RV antifreeze down and covered them back up in blankets and tarp. Just hoping for the best now.

 

[MCF50]

So is the plan once u decide to drain equipment, throw the breaker, leave drain plugs out, and wrap up equipment with towels and leave it? Or are some people putting plugs back in and re-starting everything when you get power?

 

[Hachu]

So is the plan once u decide to drain equipment, throw the breaker, leave drain plugs out, and wrap up equipment with towels and leave it? Or are some people putting plugs back in and re-starting everything when you get power?

My power came back on right away and my system/pumps just won't turn on...sorry, it did turn on for a quick bit and stopped.

 

[Hachu]

I wasn't able to drain the water below the skimmer like you would normally do when you winterize. I placed a gizmo in the skimmer and cut up pool noodles to prevent ice damage. I went back out and opened up my actuators and there was still water in them and slush was already forming after 45 min, both suction and return. I poured some RV antifreeze down and covered them back up in blankets and tarp. Just hoping for the best now.

I don't think we can drain either. We don't have any antifreeze. Are you constantly breaking the frozen ice ? Wish for the best for you and all of us with a pool.

 

[mknauss]

So is the plan once u decide to drain equipment, throw the breaker, leave drain plugs out,

That is correct. No need to wrap or cover anything once you have drained.

 

[gocubs418]

So I have experienced several 25 minute blackouts, probably 6-7. My pool/pump is holding on and I have a North facing pool. Thankfully, the sun is just about to start sitting over the pool here within the hour.

I'm concerned about tonight. Temperatures are going to be roughly 10 degrees lower.

Pull the plugs or just let it ride as this point?

 

[ajw22]

So I have experienced several 25 minute blackouts, probably 6-7. My pool/pump is holding on and I have a North facing pool. Thankfully, the sun is just about to start sitting over the pool here within the hour.

I'm concerned about tonight. Temperatures are going to be roughly 10 degrees lower.

Pull the plugs or just let it ride as this point?

Pull the plugs is my vote.

 

[PaigeMark]

Thanks for the response. I hope i caught it time. I had to get my generator going before I got to the pool. The pump plugs didn’t drain much at all however the water level in the basket was below the return. The filter did drain out but the threads are frozen. Going to be tough to get the cap back on. And the heater didn’t drain at all. It was about an hour from time we lost power, getting my generator going then removing the plugs. There’s no way they froze that fast inside

I poured some warm (not hot) water into the pump basket and it removed enough slush to drain. The plug for the motor wasn’t draining so I put the plug back on the basket drain and poured more warm water in. A few minutes later, it came pouring out of that motor drain plug so I could remove both again. Might try that?

 

[PaigeMark]

So I have experienced several 25 minute blackouts, probably 6-7. My pool/pump is holding on and I have a North facing pool. Thankfully, the sun is just about to start sitting over the pool here within the hour.

I'm concerned about tonight. Temperatures are going to be roughly 10 degrees lower.

Pull the plugs or just let it ride as this point?

The minute my pool temp reached 32-33 degrees, everything started going south. One of the pumps started to really struggle while I was out there checking so we shut it down and there was slush building in the pump. Went ahead and decided to pull all of the plugs and hope for the best. If you can make the decision in daylight, I think you’ll be glad you didn’t wait. Draining the heater in the dark was a pain and we knew where all of the plugs were. It was just harder in the dark/cold.