Does anyone NOT close pool?

[Poconos]

I'll take a first crack. No matter how much insulation you put around the AG pipes you will have to keep water flowing to keep them from freezing. All the insulation will do is slow the process. You have to consider the skimmer freezing as well. If you do consider just running the pump when temps dip below freezing, what about a power outage? That could be the achilles (sp) heel with your idea. To give you an idea of the severity of frost and freezing you could check the local building codes that deal with frost depths. Something tells me that in the Chicago area it will be deep enough to be concerned. Also remember that once you get an ice plug anywhere in the circulation system, you have no circulation. Personally I wouldn't take the chance. How about a much smaller and separate hot tub that would be more manageable?
Just some thoughts.
Al
BTW: I deleted the other thread.

[maureenc26]

Thanks, Poconos, for the thoughts. It does seem to be a risk. I suppose we could just keep watching the temperature forecasts and shut it down when it gets to be consistently cold. 42" is code for sinking deck posts and other such things due to frost in this area.

BTW, we have a hot tub also; our idea of keeping the pool open is really more of a whim for a big party atmosphere (and, yes, this is our first year with the pool, so kids and parents are still really into it!)

Now that we've been thinking this through, I am wondering about insulating around the pipes AND the skimmer (good point!) AND the outside walls. It seems to make sense that any insulation would decrease energy costs to heat the pool. Is there any reason NOT to insulate (critters, moisture retention, rust?) I've got the 3/4" Dow blue insulation sheets that I'm planning to cut to the size of the pool wall between the uprights; not sure how I'm going to get them to adhere -- either duct tape or waterproof insulating foam-in-a-can. I have both flexible, blue 'sill insulation' AND some self-adhesive black foam rubber kinds of weatherstripping that I was thinking of wrapping around the pipes (one or the other, not both.) Thoughts? (Remember, I have deck all the way around the pool, so it doesn't matter what it looks like -- I imagine it will look pretty goofy!)

Thanks for your response!
Maureen

P.S. thanks for deleting the thread -- I couldn't figure out how to delete it completely, so I just deleted the copy.

[GraceByDesign]

Sounds to me like an awful lot of work and expense for very little return. If you were swimming every day, maybe.

I would just enjoy the spa over the winter. Then add up the savings in gas heat and chemicals and insulation, and go on a nice holiday next winter to somewhere south of the equator!!