Freezing Potential

[dphanes]

Moved from here.

Warmer pool water isn't going to help much. The water can be 90F and it can still freeze in pipes that aren't flowing, albeit it takes just a little longer but not that much longer. I would not rely on that. Plus a solar cover in the winter can actually reduce the water temperature because it blocks some of the solar gain and evaporation loses tend to be quite low anyway.

But I think you might have misread the thread I posted. It isn't the pool that needs covering it is the pad equipment that requires covering. That is how people can go without freeze protection. Tarping the equipment reduces convection and radiation loses so it takes much longer for the pipes to freeze. Adding a light bulb under the tarp can prevent freezing all together. It takes many days of freezing temps to freeze pool water but far less time to freeze the water in the pipes.

As I posted in the thread, I have not used freeze protection for many years and regularly get temperatures down to the low 20s F. I haven't used equipment covers either without incident. But your conditions may be different. Again if you want help in assessing your freeze risk, then let me know the following:

Minimum air temperature typically experienced.
Maximum duration of temperatures below freezing (hours).
Smallest pipe size on the pad.
Location of the equipment (middle of a field vs next to the house).

It may turn out to be like me where nothing is required.

@mas985 I would ininterested in your assessment ofpipe freeze potential for our pool.We live in the foothills on NC. 2 inchpvc pipe is the smallest at the equipment which is right next to our house garage. We can get into the low 20s or teens overnight but there are a couple of 2-3day stretches where we will stay below 32.
I can build a tarp tent over the equipment but am worried about whether that will work during a snow or ice storm where there is weight on the tarp temp.

thanks

 

[mas985]

Any period of sub freezing temperatures of longer than about 8 hours should be of some concern and requires some sort of mitigation effort. The longer the time period or the lower the temperatures, the more risk. For really long sub freezing time periods (i.e. days), you are probably better off draining the pad equipment. Otherwise, a tarp and lightbulb can be quite effective. Also, note that both ice and snow are somewhat insulating so the equipment underneath can be more protected than it is exposed to the air and sky (i.e. longer freeze times).

but there are a couple of 2-3day stretches where we will stay below 32.

Does the pool water start to freeze? If so, you may need to protect the skimmers as well.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Are you running the pump overnight when its freezing?