Nomak2
12-11-2013, 10:33 AM
IG 18,500 + IG Spa
1 pump variable speed, Pool Cleaner Vac, 1 skimmer
Intellichlor 3600
Buckeye, AZ
I'm not sure how to winterize when I still want my spa to be available. Nights will be below freezing soon. Do I run the pool like "normal" with reduced hours / speeds during the coldest times assuming that will protect pipes? Any suggestions to protect, yet keep useable? Thank you.
mas985
12-13-2013, 02:30 PM
I don't believe many people from Phoenix actually winterize their pools. Winterizing is for those climates where the average daily temperature remains below 32F for weeks at a time and the pool water freezes. I believe that for your climate, it doesn't get cold enough or long enough to do that. However, if you get below freezing temperatures during the night, you may need to take some precautions.
Booster pump lines will usually freeze first because they are so small and need to be drained before the freezing weather hits. From what I have seen, that is the most vulnerable.
The remaining plumbing can usually survive below freezing temps for a few hours. This time of year we regularly get below freezing temps for up to 8 hours at a time and all the way down to 22F and I don't do anything for that and the plumbing is just fine. There is too much residual heat in the water and the building for freezing to occur that fast let alone freeze damage.
However, for longer freeze times and lower temps or if you just don't want to take the chance of freeze damage, you have several options depending on your setup:
1) Drain equipment. Effective but sometimes not the most desirable or easiest solution.
2) Tent equipment with a light bulb heat source. Effective but dependent on reliable power.
3) Freeze protection (automatic). Effective only if properly setup and working and also dependent on reliable power. Requires a timer or controller that supports it.
4) Run Pump during freeze hours. Effective but with a spa, you would need to set the suction and return valves for both pool and spa at the same time. Also, any water features would need to be turned on too.
Each method has its pros and cons and you need to decide which will work best for your situation.