How do I close my pool if equipment pad is downhill from pool?

[mjpohl]

Let me give you the set up. I am not planning on closing my pool, but want to be ready in case I'm not as lucky in another winter storm.
I've got a picture of my pool and equipment pad below. (the fenced in area on the far left of the picture-where the blue tarp is-equipment pad).
My equipment pad is roughly 7 feet downhill from my pool. Which means (since I have a 7 ft deep end) that even if I cut the power, drain the filter/pump/skimmer lines, my main drain will continue to empty until no water is left in pool. Of course I could always close the valve at the equipment pad, but wouldn't that just set me up for my pipes freezing? I'm trying to understand a better way for me to do this if i am ever in an emergency pinch.

 

[ajw22]

You need to have a powerful blower on hand to blow out lines and air lock them like us folks up North do. Blow water out of all pipes that are above the frost line.

Closing Pool for Winter - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[mknauss]

In your situation, might a buried valve, with a sprinkler box or some other item providing access to it, be a way to close off the flow from the pool such that you can drain the above ground equipment.

 

[IsThisWhereIPutMyName?]

I have a semi in ground pool with a main drain and the pad below the water line. I lift the drain line above the water line, pour in RV antifreeze and keep the line tied off until spring.

Your situation is a little more complicated. Since most of your lines are well below ground and I doubt you have much if any frost line in your area, so there isn’t much risk other than to the valve above the ground. I would add a little RV antifreeze to the line to lower the freezing point of the water in the valve.


Turn the valve closed add antifreeze to the other side. Open the valve just a little and blow the antifreeze past the valve then close it back back up.

 

[EricJ320]

Let me give you the set up. I am not planning on closing my pool, but want to be ready in case I'm not as lucky in another winter storm.
I've got a picture of my pool and equipment pad below. (the fenced in area on the far left of the picture-where the blue tarp is-equipment pad).
My equipment pad is roughly 7 feet downhill from my pool. Which means (since I have a 7 ft deep end) that even if I cut the power, drain the filter/pump/skimmer lines, my main drain will continue to empty until no water is left in pool. Of course I could always close the valve at the equipment pad, but wouldn't that just set me up for my pipes freezing? I'm trying to understand a better way for me to do this if i am ever in an emergency pinch.
View attachment 176748

I’m in the same boat as you, my pad is at least level with my main drain, possibly even below it. I’m in TN and don’t close either. Previous owner used to run the single speed pump whenever it was close to freezing, after one winter doing that I upgraded to a VS pump with freeze protection and this winter was much easier and less hassle. My only concern I guess is if I should lose power, though I always felt I could shut off the main valves, open the drain on my filter and let my small amount of exposed plumbing drain out, maybe even throw a pile of blankets on the valves to give them a little bit of extra protection. Thankfully I’ve yet to lose power at the same time we had cold temps. Maybe it’s a naive way to do it, but it’s worked so far and such a unique setup I think I’m fairly low risk for freeze issues and I have several options should the worst happen.

This was Christmas Day this year, a rare white Christmas for us. The pad is under that deck beyond the pool.