Freezing weather

[DB-Cooper]

Another question. What do I do once temps go back to normal? Make sure drain plugs are nice and tight, and then just turn on the pump? Air gets flushed out? Some other process?

Thanks.

That filter drain plug needs to be REALLY tight, last time I did a breakdown I was surprised how tight I needed to make it. You'll need a large wrench.

You'll have to prime the pumps big time, assuming better weather when you start back up, I'd just use a hose directly into the filter and fill it up good. It may take several seconds to prime but then you're good to go.

 

[DB-Cooper]

So revisiting this thread, I had the final backup plan to do what was suggested here. I read elsewhere that once the water drains to the pool (my equipment is well above on elevation) to close all the valves to prevent air from getting underground. Thoughts on that?

Similarly, any thoughts on just running the heater through these times to keep the water warm. It'll be expensive, but only for a couple days?

I know the freezing energy required to freeze moving water is huge, I think two days of the real bad single digit stuff will be fine assuming we keep power which is the big unknown given the previous reliability.

 

[HeyEng]

So my question is, how did he become unstuck?
How anyone can fall for that ruse. .. .
I ended up brushing the pool today and I guess my gloves are better. I had no problems until I lifted it out of the water. Then water ran down the pole, soaking my gloves. Woops!

If I recall, we poured beer over his tongue/face/head. As you might have surmised, there were adult beverages flowing that day.

 

[HeyEng]

So revisiting this thread, I had the final backup plan to do what was suggested here. I read elsewhere that once the water drains to the pool (my equipment is well above on elevation) to close all the valves to prevent air from getting underground. Thoughts on that?

Similarly, any thoughts on just running the heater through these times to keep the water warm. It'll be expensive, but only for a couple days?

I know the freezing energy required to freeze moving water is huge, I think two days of the real bad single digit stuff will be fine assuming we keep power which is the big unknown given the previous reliability.

There are some information out there that suggests NOT running the heater due to corrosion that can occur because of the cold temps and interactions with the metal (that's a very 3rd grade explanation) but it's been quoted/revisited lately, so a quick search should bring up the specifics. Someone also pointed out that a few manufacturers warn that using the heater below 65 degrees will void the warranty.

Nonetheless, we are currently at 33 degrees and we still have 5 or 6 days of very cold weather ahead (including a couple of nights well below 0) and I am giving strong consideration to firing mine up to get the temp up at least SOME. I am still on the fence about it since there seems that as long as water is flowing at a good clip, it won't freeze.

Also, you DO NOT want to close the valves. If there is water left in the system (and if you don't blow it out, odds are there will be SOME) you want room for it to expand. Closing the valves may not allow for enough expansion.

 

[DB-Cooper]

There are some information out there that suggests NOT running the heater due to corrosion that can occur because of the cold temps and interactions with the metal (that's a very 3rd grade explanation) but it's been quoted/revisited lately, so a quick search should bring up the specifics. Someone also pointed out that a few manufacturers warn that using the heater below 65 degrees will void the warranty.

Nonetheless, we are currently at 33 degrees and we still have 5 or 6 days of very cold weather ahead (including a couple of nights well below 0) and I am giving strong consideration to firing mine up to get the temp up at least SOME. I am still on the fence about it since there seems that as long as water is flowing at a good clip, it won't freeze.

Also, you DO NOT want to close the valves. If there is water left in the system (and if you don't blow it out, odds are there will be SOME) you want room for it to expand. Closing the valves may not allow for enough expansion.

Thanks, well my MasterTemp isn't working at present, it worked yesterday. Panel won't turn on. Fuse is good, tried to short the starter by disconnecting the membrane and that didn't work. Got power going into the unit before the fuse. I guess I won't be running it regardless

 

[Sollace]

We received 3 separate notices from our water district company warning about preparing for six days of a hard freeze. Then I noticed my neighbor out putting bubble wrap (of all things) inside his water meter. Insulation you know. So I mentioned that to hubby and he'll put some rags inside ours. Gee. You think we're overdoing all this?

 

[HeyEng]

We received 3 separate notices from our water district company warning about preparing for six days of a hard freeze. Then I noticed my neighbor out putting bubble wrap (of all things) inside his water meter. Insulation you know. So I mentioned that to hubby and he'll put some rags inside ours. Gee. You think we're overdoing all this?

I don't know that it will get *that* cold, especially since the ground takes quite a bit longer to get cold. We haven't gotten out of the 20s for over a week and our 4" soil temperature is 35 degrees. Better safe than sorry, right? Nonetheless, I don't think bubble wrap has that much in way of insulating properties.

 

[ajw22]

Similarly, any thoughts on just running the heater through these times to keep the water warm. It'll be expensive, but only for a couple days?

The Pentair MasterTemp Heaters say:

• Operating this heater continuously at water temperatures below 68° F. (20° C) will cause harmful condensation and will damage the heater and void the warranty.
• When starting the heater for the swimming season with a water temperature below 50° F (10° C), the heater may be used to heat the water; however, make sure that the heater operates continuously until the water temperature reaches the heater’s minimum setting of 68° F (20° C).

The Hayward H-Series heaters[say "Do not use the heater to maintain the water temperature just above freezing or for freeze protection."

Heater Condensation - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Waiawa]

On this topic. . .

New pool build, about a week past completion. We're in the brushing twice a day. . . . And hubby says he's doing it in stages. The metal pole is freezing cold. Any tips on brushing in freezing weather? Is there something like a koozie or a sock? (We're also in this frozen blast coming down past Dallas and into South Texas )

Why are you brushing?
With this cold weather algae won't grow, and if it's just dirty, you can clear that out once the weather gets better.
I hope your husbands ribs are ok and not broken.
As for poles, they do make fiberglass ones.

Check the links I posted on the first page of this thread....There's an old thread by a guy named Mark that has a lot of good info.
Ahhh...here's the link:

The Physics of Freezing and Freeze Protection

Recently, there have been a lot of questions from those living in moderate climates about using automatic freeze protection or running pumps to prevent freezing and what a pool owner should do when temperatures drop so I thought it might be useful to have a thread which dealt with the issue from...

www.troublefreepool.com

The other link is for pipe insulation. I purchased the ones for 2" piping...should be here on Tuesday.
Here's the link for that one:

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

I hope this helps. I place a water bottle under my equipment, which is covered to see if it will freeze. It started at 37*, but the bottle is much thinner than PVC, so it should give me some idea if I need to turn up my speed for the freeze protect. Right now it's at 1800 and water temp is 39*.
Tomorrow and Monday will tell the story for sure.
I'm also building a "tent" frame made of 3/4" PVC and will tie a tarp over it to protect everything. Right now it's covered with those plant covers, and I have it tied around everything...I'm thinking the equipment may need to breath, so I'm going "tent" style.

Being born and raised in Hawaii, this is ALL very new to me....but cool (in more than one way) to experience!
Keep warm...just a few more days!

 

[woodyp]

My equipment pad is covered with an oversized grill cover slit on one end to go over a tall waste pipe and clothespinned together.

 

[ajw22]

Why are you brushing?

Brushing a newly plastered pool is to keep the plaster dust in solution so it can be filtered and that the dust does not adhere to the surface and ruin the finish.

 

[Waiawa]

Brushing a newly plastered pool is to keep the plaster dust in solution so it can be filtered and that the dust does not adhere to the surface and ruin the finish.

Ahh...didn't see the plaster, I'm thinking fiberglass. Hmm that means cleaning the filter out as well of all that dust, nothing like playing with water in freezing weather...bummer!

 

[DB-Cooper]

I got a super heavy duty 16' x 12' tarp from Costco and tented my pad using a lot of clamps. I threw in a 65W '"Plant" Heat Lamp' under the tent. It's actually quite amazing how warm it is under the tent with just that lamp. The picture below was right after I installed it, but it's warm. It's a GE lamp I got at Lowes, but the online reviews are high for growing certain types of plants that coincide with April 20th; I won't say more on that...

I made a similar tent for my outdoor kitchen which is North facing and open, same "plant lamp" in that tent. I tied down the tent to hopefully survive the 25 mph winds coming and made a bungee cord safety system for the heating element in case the tent collapses and pushes the lamp over. I couldn't get a hanging work light as they were sold out, so I'm doing this with an E26 base stand bungee'd in to anchors and stakes. I did put them on a monitoring Wi-Fi plug and have an over-watt shutdown built-in in case I have a water intrusion.

Fingers crossed, and tent picture below (plant light is between main pump and fountain pump, towels over multi-port and actuators)

 

[Strawberryshortcake]

This weather is so crazy, haha. I am trying really hard not to panic, but geez. Haven't had temps like this in so long.
It has not gotten above freezing here for a few days now, and it is 13 tonight. Snow is suppose to start tomorrow afternoon, with a low of 10. I decided to drain my equipment, and put a bottle in m y skimmer. I had someone come out to show me how to do everything, but he didn't do much - I thought maybe he'd blow out the lines or something, but he said that he expects the underground pipes to be fine. I don't know if it was the right choice... obviously, keeping the system running would be safer IF our power doesn't fail - but I FULLY expect it to fail here. I didn't know or have the equipment (shop vac?) to blow out the lines, and there was no one else to call.

I laid a piece of fiberglass insulation on the pipes going into the ground, covered that with large sheets of plastic to hopefully keep it dry, and topped everything with moving blankets.
I'd been leaving the pool running so now that it is shut off, there is quite a thick layer of ice on the surface. Kind of surprised how fast it formed. Hoping I made the right decision... I am just 100% expecting the power to go tomorrow or soon after. The power goes out in this location SO easily, it seems. And I moved here from the outskirts of the city, much more "rural"... and now I'm in the middle of the city, I thought it would happen less! It's worse!

Looking at 3 degrees monday night with windchills in the negatives...

 

[Waiawa]

The temp now is 25*, and my water bottle has been next to my equipment under the green plant covering for the past 24hrs.
So far it's still liquid and is NOT frozen...I hope it stays that way!

 

[DB-Cooper]

Stay safe out there. I was just trying to take a big icicle off my fountain. The travertine is actually not too slippery, but I hit the concrete coping and slid into the deep end. Water temp is 37F, but I wasn't even cold due to the adrenaline. Getting out was tough as I had nothing to grab onto but ice, but all that adrenaline, somehow I snaked my way back out of the deep end.

Be EXTRA careful walking around your pool!!

 

[PaigeMark]

Stay safe out there. I was just trying to take a big icicle off my fountain. The travertine is actually not too slippery, but I hit the concrete coping and slid into the deep end. Water temp is 37F, but I wasn't even cold due to the adrenaline. Getting out was tough as I had nothing to grab onto but ice, but all that adrenaline, somehow I snaked my way back out of the deep end.

Be EXTRA careful walking around your pool!!

Glad you’re ok! My husband slipped and fell on the pool deck two nights ago. Very dangerous out there.

 

[Waiawa]

Stay safe out there. I was just trying to take a big icicle off my fountain. The travertine is actually not too slippery, but I hit the concrete coping and slid into the deep end. Water temp is 37F, but I wasn't even cold due to the adrenaline. Getting out was tough as I had nothing to grab onto but ice, but all that adrenaline, somehow I snaked my way back out of the deep end.

Be EXTRA careful walking around your pool!!

Whoa!
That does not sound good!
Glad you're ok, time for some warm chicken soup.
I haven't even gone close to my pool, been too busy building my equipment tent in 25* weather, but tomorrow will be worse, so had to finish today!
Here's a before and after pics.
My bottle water is still liquid...yea!

 

[HeyEng]

Stay safe out there. I was just trying to take a big icicle off my fountain. The travertine is actually not too slippery, but I hit the concrete coping and slid into the deep end. Water temp is 37F, but I wasn't even cold due to the adrenaline. Getting out was tough as I had nothing to grab onto but ice, but all that adrenaline, somehow I snaked my way back out of the deep end.

Be EXTRA careful walking around your pool!!

Wow...excellent advice! I thought about your post as I went to check my skimmer since there was a lot of snow/ice in that general area. Glad you got out OK...that could have been a really bad deal!

 

[Newdude]

Water temp is 37F, but I wasn't even cold due to the adrenaline

We used to fall in chasing an errant puck in pond hockey and still play for a few more hours soaking wet from the waist down or more. Mentally it seems alot worse than it is. Now that you have had the regrettable experience, if it was ever to happen again you would be way more mad than afraid.

Still though, nice save and glad it turned out ok. Thanks for thinking of the others.