I get asked this question often, “What should I do with my pool in the winter? I’m not using it, can I run the filter three hours a day?” And so on. The following information may not apply to you if you live in the eastern part of the U.S. But for us here in the west, NOW is the time to set your clocks to run from about midnight to six a.m. Many of you have ‘freeze protection’. Depending on the temperature setting, this will automatically turn your system on so that the pump will circulate the water, which prevents the pipes from bursting and ice from forming on the top of your pool or spa. That’s a good thing. However, why waste the extra electricity running the pump during the day, then have it come on at night when the temps dip below 32-36 degrees, depending on what your setting is? To save electricity, eliminate the daytime circulation and run your pool at night. If you have the occasional guest over during the daytime and would like to have your pool running, you can manually turn the pump on.
If you have an auto-fill, which adds water to your pool when the level drops, I’d suggest wrapping the anti-siphon valve, but leave the handles available in case you need to shut it off. Sometimes the auto-fill valve, the part that is next to the pool, freezes up. You can place a folded towel, weighted down, to help prevent that. But it is important to be mindful during the winter months and keep an eye on the water level in your pool. If the level drops in your pool, most likely your auto fill has frozen, which means you have to add water manually with a garden hose so the pump doesn’t run dry.
The last thing to be aware of…if you have a heater that has a by-pass valve installed, I’d suggest opening it during the winter (when you use the heater, it must be closed). The reason is that water always flows through the heat exchange, which has very small tubes that freeze up easily. This is one of the reasons the system should run during the coldest part of the night; running water prevents the tubes/pipes from freezing. But if your equipment is in the shade all day, your heater is most susceptible to freezing. It’s not a bad idea to lay a blanket over the heater for a little more protection (just don’t forget to take it off before turning the heater on!)
If you live in Australia…enjoy your summer!!
All the best,
Lucy
#winterizingmypool g+1 #swimmingpoolsinwinter #lucyspools #lasvegaspools
