Why Didn't PS Use Antifreeze When Closing My Pool

[Mendy48]

This is the 3rd season that the pool store didn't use anti-freeze when blowing out my lines. I asked them why they didn't use antifreeze and they stated that it was not needed.

I wouldn't even know how to close my pool with anti-freeze. It's never been done before so I can't learn it.

Anyhow, how would I close my pool with anti-freeze if I don't drain my pool below the return jets? The reason I don't do that is because my returns are plugged (some fancy return jet I guess); that means that when water is blown out from them, water can't brush back in. With that said, I don’t drain pool below return jets, but I DO drain the pool right below the skimmer.

So the question I have is whether "anti-freeze" is really necessary when closing any type of pool. If so, how do I incorporate this with my type of setting..where I don't drain my pool below the return jet.

Note: when they came in the other day to close my pool, they took off the psi gauge in the picture below, and attached the air compressor there to blow out ALL my lines at the same time. Does anyone here do that? Does anyone here have a pump setting like mine?

My pool is already closed. Just trying to understand the "blowing out my lines" a bit more. It wouldn't hurt to understand what's going on. I took care of the chemicals and the mesh cover myself, but blowing out the lines for my pool is a whole different story.

 

[anotherpyr]

I‘m going to guess that there are as many ways to close a pool as there are to skin a cat.

I’ve closed with and without antifreeze in the pipes. Is antifreeze necessary? Not if you get the water out, or least enough out that there is sufficient room for expansion when the water freezes. Air will compress, fluids won’t. The argument I’ve heard for antifreeze is it protects in case of leaks. For the skimmers lines its probably a good idea in the event water gets past the plugs and fills the lines. For the returns, it’s not a bad idea but may not provide as much protection because if the plugs are leaking and they’re under water the dilution would reduce the effectiveness.

 

[Mendy48]

Yeah. I just added some anti-freeze to my skimmer. There’s a gizmo in there, but I also added a noodle for additional safety concerns. We’ll see next season. I just don’t want to spend money fixing anything, and the PS were very fast to close my pool. I just want re-assurance that nothing will crack in my skimmer cause those are expensive to fix.

 

[Chrissykr]

They move those openings/closing along. My pool company is here 25 minutes max on either one. They have two guys and they have a system. My pool company told me they do 10-12 a day.

 

[Pool_Medic]

^ It’s very common to not use antifreeze at all. The use of the gauge port to blow lines seems odd but it works. I’m still blow away by companies who won’t get a big blue or a cyclone. Nothing blows water better.

If I get at it, I can close 8 a day that have safety covers.