Winterizing Your Pool
Should I Winterize My Pool?
There are several options when it comes to winterizing your pool. The weather in Oklahoma does not require that you completely shut down your pool in the winter.
THE #1 ENEMY: FREEZING!!!!!
When water freezes, it expands with enormous force. It can crack pool pipes, filters, pumps and skimmer baskets.
Your time clocks or automation system should be equipped with an automatic freeze guard that turns on the pump when the temperature reaches 34-37 degrees. This feature should protect your pump from freezing. HOWEVER, if you lose power, the freeze guard will not work. At this point, you will need to winterize your pumps.
NOTE: If you are going out of town and there is the possibility of an ice storm while you are away, you may want to winterize before you leave.
Keep an Eye on your equipment
Check your system when the temperatures first start to fall to the low 30’s to verify that the freeze guard is engaging. Don’t wait till a hard freeze occurs.
If there is a hard freeze (below 24 degrees) for several days, it is very important to check your pump operation daily to ensure pumps are running. Remember: the movement of the water will keep the pumps from freezing. As an added layer of protection, you can put heat tape on the pipes.
So, how do I winterize the equipment????
How to winterize pool equipment
Pumps
Turn off the pump.
Remove the 2 wing nuts on the side of the pump and drain the water from the
pump.
NOTE: If you are looking at the pump, they are on the left side of Pentair Pumps.Open the lid of the pump and leave it open.
Open the unions going in and out of the pump.
MOST IMPORTANT STEP…TURN OFF THE BREAKER TO THE PUMP.
You have drained the water from the pump. If you leave the breaker on and the freeze guard activates the pump, the pump will run dry and burn up.
Cartridge Filter Tank
Located at the bottom of the tank is a plug, open it and let the water drain out.
( This is the same plug you open when you clean the filters. )Open the pressure gauge and leave it open.
Heater
Open the drain plug by the manifold. What’s a manifold??? The place where the pipes go into the heater.
Let the heater drain and do not replace the plug. Put it some place for safe keeping.
Salt Water Cell
Open both black unions and remove the cell.
Drain all of the water out. Do not reinstall until after the freeze.
Unions
Anywhere there is a union, open it up. This takes the pressure off. There are 2 unions going into the heater and 2 unions going into the filter.
Skimmers
Purchase 2 bottles of antifreeze. Set a bottle of antifreeze inside of your skimmer. Do not pour out the contents. Placing the bottle of antifreeze there will keep ice from pushing against the skimmer plastic.