My saltwater detached spa and pool share one pump. We have a gas heater and no covers for either. My plan was to keep the pool open for the winter, keep the spa heated, and then run the pool pump at night to prevent freezing. We live in Virginia so I wasn’t too worried but it’s supposed to be 28° tonight already in the season! I am so worried that the pipes to the spa are going to freeze, but I can’t run the spa and the pool running at the same time. I am wondering if I should winterize my pool and just keep the spa open. Any advice is appreciated!
One pump system freeze scared
- Thread starter cmathews
- Start date
Even at 28 it will take a time for pipes to freeze. Can you alternate between spa and pool every 30 minutes?
If your spa overflows when the valves are in "pool" position, water will continue to flow through the pipes to both the pool an spa when the single pump is running. If you don't have freeze protection, most of the bigger-name VSP do, just run the pool during the freezing hours, usually 2:00AM - 9:00AM. That's usually enough with a single-speed pump. If the temps don't get higher during the day, run it as long as needed. If you have a VSP and don't want to worry about freeze protection, just run the system at a medium speed 24/7
Temperatures here are getting to 30 degrees at night. Sometimes in the high 20's. I've run my pool from 2:00AM now 'til 4:30PM for 30+ years and never had a freeze issue. Just keep the water moving.
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That’s an idea I just set the timer to go through the night switching between the pool and the spa every hour. Thanks so much!
Do you have automation? Pentair, Jandy, Hayward? They will do that for you as long as freeze protection is enabled. Usually starts around 34-38 degrees.
I have Jandy and it does have automation. I just am not sure if it works for the pool and the spa simultaneously since it’s one pump. I think I need to call my pool builder and get him to explain it to me!
Freeze-protection can be enabled for the spa in the "Freeze Protection" menu. Which control do you have?
If you have Jandy automation - there is a setting for Freeze Protection where you select which equipment is enabled for that.
It will work with 1 pump. The system switches between Spa and Pool every 30 minutes if you have both enabled.
I had no idea! I set this up and it’s working beautifully. Thank you so much.