Freezing Temps Tomorrow

[pb4uswim]

Not sure where to post this but this seemed like a good area. I’m wondering if I need to do anything with my pool/pump in short term freezing situations. In the next few nights, the forecast is for the temps to drop below freezing for a couple hours each night. I’m wondering if I should do anything. I currently have my pump running a few hours every morning just to generate chlorine. This morning my water temp was at 55 degrees.

I’m thinking that I could run the pump all night on low (variable speed pump). I could even turn on the heater and make sure the water doesn’t drop below say 40 or 50 degrees. But, I’m also wondering if it would be better to just shut everything down and wait a couple days to restart the pump. One day the temp will drop to 31 degrees and be there for only one hour. The other day, it will drop to 28 degrees and be under freezing for five hours.

Advice on what to do should be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JW1]

I’ll be running my pump all night with the upcoming potential low temperatures at or below freezing. Keep the water moving and everything will be fine is the approach I’m taking based upon past similar situations.

 

[Newdude]

With water and ultimately ground temps in the 50s, it would take days at many degrees below freezing to freeze the pool. The above ground equipment and pipes aren't afforded that luxury, but even so it would take a few days at near freezing temps to freeze the pipes/equipment to the point of damage. Even if you were to lose power, 5 hours slightly below freezing won't matter.

Run your pools and they will circulate the 50+ degree water. At worst it will drop to 40 degrees. Sleep like a baby throughout.

 

[derekm]

No heater needed, just run the pump on low overnight (this is a frequent occurrence here in Canada.).

 

[Newdude]

Movement kept everyone’s water from freezing in TX with water temps well into the low 20s. But then the power went out and the water was so far beyond freezing, it only took minutes. The poor people experiencing it had to shift from pool/equipment saving to life saving.

Some dips slightly below freezing won’t do a thing. We had several similar dips here last month that didn’t even put a thin layer of ice on the open (but not running) pool, much less freeze and break the 1.5 inch pipes. One of them was 2 days at 28-32.

 

[pb4uswim]

Thanks everyone. I’ll run my pump on low overnight just to be safe.

 

[JW1]

Turned the pool pump on last night and the water temperature was 58. This morning the water temperature is 53 with an inch or so of snow on the grass. The low air temperature was 30 last night. The next two nights will be below freezing and with the upcoming Tuesday having a forecast high of 81.

 

[pb4uswim]

Similar here, except I won’t be seeing 80 any time soon. But, one more night of cold. I had forgot that my controller has a freeze protection setting. I set it to run the pump at 50% when the air temp is 34 degrees or less. My water temp went from 55 down to 50.

 

[IceShadow]

Pool down to 47.8°F.

Not too worried.