Leaving an inground pool open during winter is fairly common in the sunbelt, where the climate rarely dips below 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. But it's possible to do this in cooler climates, as well – with or without the help of a pool heater.
Yes! You don't have to close the pool, and you can keep it open year 'round, with or without a pool heater. Or for those in very cold climates, you could also consider a very late closing and early opening, winterizing and closing the pool for just 3 or 4 months, instead of the normal 6 or 7 months.
Without Power
Open the air relief valve on your pool's filter. Remove the drain plugs from the front and rear headers of your pool heater. If you have a heat pump, remove those drain plugs too. Remove the lid and drain plugs from your pump.
The point of running your pool pump in the winter is to keep your water moving, which prevents it from freezing should temperatures get too low. So ideally, run your pump (and keep it running) whenever temperatures start getting close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the freezing point of water.
The harsh weather conditions throughout the winter season can create potential damage to more than just the pipes. What happens when you don't winterize your pool is that the water could turn green with algae. If the chlorine system stops functioning, you'll say adieu to the beautiful blue pool you know and love.
Pool Closing Mistake 1: Skipping the Pool Cover
For one thing, an uncovered pool will become a catch-all for leaves and debris. Those leaves will spend all winter stewing away in the bottom of your pool. In the spring, you'll be welcomed with a nasty, sludgy mess.
Chlorinated and non-chlorinated pools freeze at the same temperature. However, salt water pools will freeze at a slightly lower temperature. It should also be noted that above-ground pools will generally freeze at a higher temperature than inground pools.
Depending on the size of your pool, we still recommend the pump run 8-10 hours per day during the hottest summer months and at least 6 hours per day during the winter months.
Helpful tips to keep your pool and its equipment safe during freezing temperatures. Run your pool pump continuously when temperatures are near or below freezing. You don't need to run your heater, moving water likely will not freeze. Disconnect any aerators and lines to slides.
Pool covers block both debris and sunlight, to conserve your winter chemicals and protect soft and shiny surfaces. And a pool safety cover as shown here, keeps your pool safe and looking great. It is recommended to use a winter cover, and 99% of pool owners who have their pool winterized do cover the pool for winter.
If you have an above ground pool with the pool filter system and plumbing above ground (like nearly all above ground pools), pipes and pumps can freeze up in less than an hour of minus 32 degrees.
Unless you are considering the investment in a safety cover do not close the pool for winter.
Do swimming pools freeze solid? You betcha! Swimming pools that are not circulating can freeze solid from wall to wall within a few days below zero. The solid ice sheet can increase in thickness by up to 1/4″ per day, when temperatures remain below zero for several days.
When the temperature gets below about 60 degrees Fahrenheit your cell will most likely shut itself off automatically. During the winter months, the amount of chlorine needed from your salt cell to keep the pool clean is reduced. This is due to the fact that it is difficult for bacteria to grow in cold temperatures.
Whether you decide to use pool shock or not, it's still important to test and monitor the water chemistry of a covered, winterized pool during the off-season. Do this at least twice a month when the water in your pool is not frozen.
The size of your pool, the efficiency of your pump and filter, and how dirty your pool is are just some of the factors you need to consider. Nevertheless, most pool cleaning professionals would advise against running a pool pump for more than 8 hours a day.
Yes you can turn your pool pump off for a week. You can turn it off for a month, but there are consequences. The pool will get dirty—no pump, no filtering. The chemicals will not circulate and the water could start turning a nice shade of green as algae forms.
Running the pump at night should only be when you are doing a major chemical treatment such as algae clean-up. Your pool is more vulnerable during the day, plants don't grow at night the way they do during the day–that's true of ALL plants including Algae.
One of the most significant consumers of energy in homes with swimming pools are pool pumps, which keep pools clean by circulating water through filters. Pool pumps can consume 3,000 to over 5,000 kWh per year.
You really only need one chemical (algaecide) to properly winterize a swimming pool. You need some other stuff to protect your pool from harsh winter conditions, but only one chemical to add when closing.