Now that our ice storm has melted, I put the plugs back in and turned the pumps on for a while to get the leaves out of the water. All working fine and very little need to add chlorine or acid. The storms tend to blow through here about once a week for the next several weeks, so taking the plugs out that often isn't really a chore. I discovered they are plastic and hold their seal even if finger tight, at least for a while.