With how mild our winters can be here in North Texas, pool-owners may be wondering, “Is it even necessary for me to winterize my pool?” Yes. Temperatures here in DFW can get below freezing and near zero which can wreak havoc on your pool equipment. Water expands as it freezes, leading to damaged lines. In many cases, the water will break these pipes. When a pipe breaks in your pool system, it can be challenging to track down.
Can I just Drain my Pool and Refill it in the spring?
Very rarely do we see someone attempt to drain and refill the pool in Texas. This is highly discouraged as swimming pools are designed to be kept full of water. Without water, damage to the walls or popping of the pool from hydrostatic pressure can occur. This can result in cracks and other expensive structural repairs.
Continue to run your pool’s pump
Speaking of your pool’s pump, make sure it’s continuing to run during the cooler months. If you have water features to keep your pump running, turning them on is a great idea for ambience while sitting outside. You should run your pool pump for 6-10 hours at a time for proper water circulation depending on the size of your pool. During a freeze situation if the water is circulating and moving it cannot freeze.
Invest in a freeze guard
One of the single best investments you can make. You should make sure you have a freeze guard installed. It’s basically a thermostat that override your pump timer and will turn it on if the air temperature reaches a certain threshold. Experts recommend that you set the freeze guard to turn your equipment on if the air temperature reaches around 37° just to be safe.
Pool Chemistry
Your pool’s chemistry must also be checked on a regular basis during the summer so it remains crystal clear, and during the winter, it constantly requires an inspection. More likely in the winter will be clogged drains and skimmers caused by leaves, bugs, and twigs that rot over time, and the pH levels of your swimming pool can be thrown off by decaying debris.
Clean the pool filters
This step might be a no-brainer, but you need to clean the pool filters before winterizing it. Filter cleaning is an essential part of pool maintenance, and you should never skip it for any reason. Typically in the winter months less attention is paid to the pool so having clean filters is a great way to keep your pool equipment running efficiently in the colder weather.
