How to Prepare for a Deep Freeze and Power Loss
As much of the country has been in an unseasonable deep freeze, we’ve received many questions from you on swimming pool (and hot tub) care.
We do recommend that you keep your equipment running at 100%, don’t break up the ice on the surface if you have a liner pool, brush snow off your pool and hot tub covers, and keep your hot tub cover on when it’s not in use.
With the freezing temperatures, ice, and snow, taking care of your pool is vital. Here’s how to prepare for a deep freeze and power loss.
12 Steps to Prepare for a Deep Freeze
When we have deep freezing conditions, we need to ensure that your water is circulating through you entire pool and any water feature system. If you have any water feature booster pumps you want to winterize, please follow the winterizing steps below (Note: this is not required.).
If you have a gas heater, it doesn’t hurt to turn your heater on and keep it running 24/7 (Note: this is also not required.).
Steps to Winterize Your Pool If You Lose Power
- Turn off all power in the breaker box located at the pool equipment.
- Open air relief valve on the filter to release water.
- Unscrew or open lid on filter pump.
- Unscrew both drain plugs on bottom of filter pumps.
- Open faucet or hose bib above filter.
- Unscrew large drain plug on back side of the filters.
- Pull up push/pool valve and unscrew drain plugs in backwash line (applies to DE filter only).
- If you have an in-line chlorinator, remove the lid and unscrew the drain plug if there is one.
- If you have a heater, unscrew the wing nuts under the front header. This is located where the plumbing pipes go in and out of the heater.
- If you have a Polaris cleaner booster pump, remove the drain plug that is located in front of the pump under the plumbing pipe.
- If you have any other devices that can hold water, please drain these as well (UV, Ozone, etc.).
- To assure you don’t lose your drain plugs, place them within the pump strainer basket.
All water should now be out of the pool equipment, assuring nothing can freeze.
Starting Up Your Pool When the Freeze is Over
1. Reassemble all drain plugs and lids removed.
2. Take your water hose and fill up all pumps with the water hose.
3. Turn your pool equipment back on
4. Turn on your pumps one at a time, allowing pumps to prime. (Note: pumps prime faster if you are only pulling from one water line. Adjust valve as needed).
Final Thoughts on the Deep Freeze
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our service department. We are here to help answer your questions and service your pool! It’s just a few short weeks away from spring, so if we can make it through this, we are almost in swimming season!
Use the form below to contact us today!
