Worried about Winter Weather? 

You didn’t or don’t normally winterize your swimming pool/spa? Welcome to the South! But sometimes we are tricked by Mother Nature and we get a Stormageddon. Protecting your pool system during a freeze requires keeping the water moving and having a backup plan in case of power failure.

1. The Number One Rule: Keep your water moving!

Moving water is much harder to freeze than still water. Don’t be alarmed if you see some ice on the surface of your pool. The concern is the water in your equipment and pipes.

• Run Pumps 24/7: If you are not fully “winterizing” (draining and closing) the pool, you must run your main filtration pump continuously until temperatures rise above freezing.
• Check “Freeze Protection” Settings: If you have an automated control system, check that “Freeze Protect” mode is enabled. This typically turns the pumps on automatically when the air temperature drops below 38°F. Ensure it is set to a high enough speed (RPM) to move water through all plumbing, including the spa and salt cell.
• Don’t Forget the Spa: If you have a spillover spa, ensure the automation cycles between “Pool Mode” and “Spa Mode” or keep the spillover running effectively. Water sitting stagnant in the spa plumbing can freeze and burst pipes rapidly.
• Do Not Break Ice: If a layer of ice forms on the surface of the pool, do not try to break it. Breaking the ice can create sharp shards that may gouge or damage your pebble finish or tile line.

2. Protect Specific Equipment

• Salt Cell Care
  • Don’t Add Salt: Salt sensors often read incorrectly low in cold water. Do not add salt based on these readings, or you risk over-salting the pool which can damage your pebble finish.
  • Expect Low/No Output: Most salt cells stop generating chlorine when water hits roughly 50°F-60°F. This is normal. You may need to use liquid chlorine or tablets to maintain sanitation during the cold snap.
  • Freeze Risk: The salt cell housing is plastic and can crack easily. If the pump is running, it is safe. If power fails, it is one of the first things you should drain or remove (replace with a “dummy cell” or straight pipe if you have one, or just leave it open if the system is drained).
• Heater:
  • You generally do not need to run the heater to prevent freezing if the water is moving. However, if you have a heater, ensure the pump is pushing water through it.
  • Caution: Do not try to heat the pool significantly during a deep freeze; the extreme temperature difference can cause condensation that damages internal heater components.

3. Protect the Gunite & Pebble Finish

• Watch Water Levels: The water level must be high enough to keep the skimmers from sucking air. If the skimmers run dry, the pump will lose prime, water stops moving, and the equipment will freeze.
• Skimmer Protection: If you expect significant ice accumulation on the surface, you can place a “Gizzmo” or a simple empty plastic bottle (capped, with some rocks for weight) inside the skimmer basket. This absorbs the expansion of freezing water so the plastic skimmer housing doesn’t crack.

4. The “Power Outage” Emergency Plan

If you lose electricity, the water will stop moving and freezing can begin within hours. You must act quickly:

1. Flip the Breakers: Turn off all pool equipment at the breaker panel so it doesn’t surge back on later.
2. Drain the Equipment: Locate the drain plugs on your:
   • Main Pump (usually 2 plugs)
   • Filter (usually 1 large cap)
   • Heater (usually 1-2 plugs on the manifold)
   • Salt Cell (unscrew unions)
3. Open Valves: Open the air relief valve on top of your filter to allow the water to drain out.

Summary Checklist

With a separate pump for your sheer descent, you have a distinct advantage: you can (and usually should) shut it down and drain it, even while keeping the rest of the pool running.

Unlike the main pool pipes, sheer descents are uniquely vulnerable during a freeze. Here is the specific guidance for your setup:

The Recommendation: Shut It Off and Drain It

For a sheer descent, draining is the safest option.

• The “Supercooling” Effect: Sheer descents fan water out into a thin sheet. When this thin sheet hits freezing air, it loses heat rapidly. Running it acts like a giant radiator, chilling your entire pool much faster than if the water stayed under the cover.
• The “Lip” Risk: The sheer descent unit in your wall typically has a narrow plastic opening (the lip). Even with water running, ice can form at the edges of this lip. If the ice expands, it can crack the plastic unit inside the wall, which is an expensive and difficult repair involving masonry work.
• Ice Pile-up: Running waterfalls during a freeze often creates large mounds of ice on your bond beam or coping, which can crack the tile or stone.

How to Protect It (Step-by-Step)

Since you have a separate pump, you can isolate this feature without affecting your main filtration or spa.

1. Turn Off the Breaker: Switch off the breaker for the sheer descent pump so it cannot be turned on accidentally by an automated timer or freeze protection system.
2. Drain the Pump: Remove the drain plugs (usually two) from the sheer descent pump housing to let the water out.
3. Clear the Lines:
   • Gravity Drain: If your equipment is above the pool level, gravity might drain most of the water back into the pool.
   • Blow It Out (Best Practice): To be 100% safe, use a shop vac (on the “blow” setting) or a small compressor. Place it at the pump discharge and blow air through the line until you see bubbles coming out of the sheer descent in the pool wall. This ensures no water is sitting in the pipe or the plastic box in the wall.
   • Valve Management: If you have valves on this line, leave them open after draining so trapped air/water can expand without bursting the pipe.

“What if I can’t drain it in time?”

If the freeze is happening now and you don’t have time to drain it:

• Run it on High: You must keep the water flowing with enough force that it doesn’t dribble. A dribble will freeze instantly.
• Monitor the Lip: Watch the opening of the waterfall. If you see icicles forming on the plastic lip, you are in the danger zone. It is better to shut it off and try to drain the pump immediately than to let ice block the opening.

Summary for the Separate Pump

What if I lose power?

If you lose power during a freeze, the clock starts ticking immediately. Water in your pipes and equipment can begin to freeze within 4 to 6 hours (or faster in extreme cold or for exposed features like your sheer descent).

Since you cannot keep the water moving without power, you must switch strategies from “circulation” to “drain and protect.”

Here is your Emergency Power Outage Protocol.

Phase 1: Immediate Action (Do this within 1-2 hours)

1. Trip the Breakers Go to your pool sub-panel and turn OFF all circuit breakers (Main Pump, Sheer Descent Pump, Heater, Salt System, etc.).

• Why? When power is restored, you do not want the pumps to surge on automatically while the system is drained or frozen. That would burn out the motors instantly.

2. Drain the Equipment (The “Pull the Plugs” Method) You must get the water out of the expensive equipment on your pad. Gravity is your friend here.

• Pumps (Main & Sheer Descent): Each pump usually has two small drain plugs (one on the side, one on the front/bottom). Unscrew them and let the water pour out. Store the plugs in the pump basket so you don’t lose them.
• Filter: Look for the large drain cap at the very bottom of the filter tank. Remove it. Open the air relief valve on top of the filter to help the water flow out faster.
• Heater: This is the most expensive item to replace. Look for a drain plug (or two) on the “manifold” (the part where the PVC pipes connect to the heater). Some heaters have a plastic “petcock” valve you open like a faucet; others have a bolt.
• Salt Cell: Unscrew the two large unions (the rings connecting the cell to the pipe). Water will spill out.
  • Pro Tip: Since you have a salt cell, take the cell completely off and bring it inside your house. The plastic housing becomes very brittle in freezing temps and can crack easily if any residual water expands.

3. Open All Valves

• Turn any diverter valves (the handles that turn) to a “middle” position so water can flow in all directions.
• If you have a check valve (flapper valve) on your spa or sheer descent line, you usually can’t do much with it manually, but draining the pump helps release pressure.

Phase 2: Pool & Spa Protection

1. Protect the Skimmers (Crucial for Gunite/Pebble)

• If the water stops moving, the surface will freeze. The ice will expand and can crush the plastic walls of your skimmer.
• The “Bottle Trick”: Take an empty 16-20oz plastic water bottle. Fill it 1/3 with rocks or sand (so it sinks partially) and cap it. Drop it in the skimmer basket. The bottle will crush instead of your skimmer walls if the water freezes.

2. Cover the Equipment (The “Tent” Method)

• Once plugs are pulled, pile thick heavy blankets (moving blankets, old comforters) over your pumps, filter, and heater.
• Cover the blankets with a waterproof tarp to keep them dry.
• Cover the pipes with plumbing insulation or Fun Noodles. Wrap with insulation and duct tape or zip tie.
• Note: This insulates the residual water in the pipes near the ground.

3. The “Ice Rule”

• If the power is out for a long time, the surface of your pool will freeze.
• DO NOT BREAK THE ICE. I cannot stress this enough. If you smash the ice, the sharp shards will scrape against your tile line and pebble finish, causing permanent cosmetic damage. Let it melt naturally when the weather warms.

Phase 3: When Power Returns

1. Check Thaw: Ensure the water in the pump pot is liquid, not ice. If it’s slushy, pour warm water over the pump housing (not boiling!) to thaw it.
2. Replace Plugs: Put all the drain plugs back into the pumps, filter, and heater. Reinstall the salt cell.
3. Prime: Fill the pump basket with water using a bucket or hose.
4. Power On: Flip the breakers back on and start the system. Watch for leaks (sometimes O-rings pinch when cold).

Summary: If power dies, drain the equipment immediately. It is better to spend 20 minutes draining the system now than $5,000 replacing a cracked heater and pump next week.