Above ground pool pipes will freeze in under 6 hours if exposed to weather temperatures below 32° F (0°C) if they are not protected from the cold. Inground pool pipes will take 5 – 7 days of continuous temperatures below 32°F (0°C) to freeze up.
This problem is more prominent in above-ground pools. The water can freeze within an hour inside the pipes if the temperature is at or below 32°F.
Pool pipes can freeze and break in as little as six hours when the temperature is below 32 degrees. That means a single cold night could cause significant damage.
Keep Pool Pumps Running
If you are in a normally mild climate, pay attention when the news reports a freeze warning, and then remove your timer clock off switch, to run the pump 24/7 until the weather warms up. As long as water moves through the pipes, it won't freeze.
Insulate plumbing lines with blankets or towels to prevent freezing. Even pool noodles can serve as good insulation around pipes. Open all lines to ensure proper water flow. If a valve is shut off, no water will flow through that pipe, and there is the danger of freezing damage.
Underground pipes do not freeze as quickly as above ground pipes due to the layer of protection from the ground. But that doesn't mean they won't freeze eventually. It takes several days of below freezing temperatures to freeze the ground and soil around the pipes.
Pool pumps must run at 36 degrees or lower per manufacturers specifications. Automatic freeze guard protection takes care of all this for you. Freeze guards are set at 36 degrees and will turn your main circulating pump on and will keep it on until the temperature rises back above 36 degrees.
Moving water can't freeze, so the first step is to make sure your filtration and auxiliary pool pumps are running continuously. Many pumps have a built-in freeze guard that will automatically kick into action once the outside air reaches a certain temperature.
Cold temperatures on their own don't really do much harm to the elements of a pool motor (copper, plastic, steel, etc.). It's the moisture that goes along with the cold that usually does damage. Some pool technicians don't feel as though storing the pump indoors actually prolongs motor life.
Use an air compressor to blow out all the return jet pipes. Make sure to keep the air blowing until the air is visible coming back into the jets of the pool. Put a plug in the fitting under the water when you see the bubbles blowing at full force. Doing this right can get over 95% of the water out of the return lines.
There's a danger of freeze damage to your pools if and when temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Burst pipes are the most serious (and one of the most expensive) potential consequences of letting your pool freeze over. Water left in the pipes and plumbing system of your pool can freeze during the winter. As water freezes, it expands, and the pressure can potentially rupture the pipes.
Most homeowner and commercial property insurance policies, in general, will cover damage from a frozen pipe that bursts.
Depending on the size of your pool, we still recommend you run your pump run at least 4-6 hours a day during the fall and winter months. The daily cycle can be divided into multiple cycles, but each cycle should be no shorter than 4 hours, for all the water to pass through the filter at least once.
Snow and ice can cause severe damage to pool pumps if they are not protected. Like your garden hose, pool pump lines can freeze. Some internal components of the pool pump are also sensitive to the cold. Snow or freezing rain could coat an unprotected pool pump and cause serious damage.
Keep your system running 24/7:This may be counter-intuitive to some, but you should run your pool filtration pump and any auxiliary pumps the entire time the temperature is below freezing.
And, at temps below 35ºF, run the pump for 24 hours to prevent freezing. Two speed pumps can operate on low speed during cold weather, and some variable speed pumps, like the Pentair Intelliflo, have built-in freeze sensors to turn on low when temperatures get close to freezing.
Lower the water level to below the skimmer. Clear pipes and equipment of water using a blower or compressor and plug the pipes at the pool. Add swimming pool antifreeze to the lines to prevent freezing. Place a Gizzmo* (or similar device) in the skimmer to seal it and absorb pressure from ice.
There are more than 2 million miles of PVC pipe in service today, and rigid PVC pipe (Schedule 40) is the standard for pool plumbing pipe. Highly durable rigid PVC pipe is capable of a lifespan of over 75 years when properly installed.
In most cases, you will want to drain the pool to be at least 4 to 6 inches below the top of the skimmer. This allows adequate space for expansion of the water throughout the winter without risking damage to the pool.