Steps Involved With Winterizing A Pool Heater
In total there are simply too many to have one definitive guide. Instead of a definitive guide simply follow these steps that apply to all pool heaters - the actual location of each of these items will be different depending on which heater you have.
Turn the gas valves off - I know we already discussed this, but it warrants mentioning again. Triple check the gas valves are all closed.
Turn the power off to the heater - Not every heater requires power but if yours does be sure to turn off the electrical breaker before you start to winterize your heater.
Open the pressure switch - Not every pool heater has a pressure switch but some do. If your pool has one then you need to open the connection to the pressure switch to prevent this sensitive (and expensive) piece of equipment from breaking when the water trapped inside it freezes. The pressure switch is normally located inside the heater and is connected with a 1/4" copper tubing.
There will be two nuts that connect to the top of the pressure switch and this is where you need to open it. The two styles that exist are either 7/16" or 1/2" in size. Use wrenches to open these carefully to avoid damaging the nuts or the pressure switch itself. You do not need to remove the switch completely. Opening the copper tube connection and letting the pressure switch hang from the wires is standard in the pool industry. The copper line will drain water when you open the connection port.
The remainder of the water will be pushed from the tube when you blow through the heater so no further interaction is needed with the pressure switch. Just open it and leave it - but be sure to reconnect it in the spring!
Open the winterization ports (drain cocks) - Every pool heater has winterizing ports, or drain cocks, in multiple locations on the heater. The number of ports that you have will depend on which heater you have but you will be looking for between 2 to 4 ports in total. The first place to look, as pictured here, is under the header of the heater where the pipes connect to it. Most commonly you will find one, or two, drain cocks in this location. In addition to the ones on the header there is usually a drain cock or two on the opposite side of the heater. The drain cocks will either be a standard thread plastic plug or a brass bolt style. For the purposes of winterizing the heater you want to remove every drain plug that you can find. To avoid losing these very important plugs you can store them in the pump strainer basket while you are winterizing the heater.
The plastic plug heaters like with Pentair or Hayward are easier to winterize than Jandy heaters which use brass drain cocks. The problem with the brass ones is that the heater case and the plug are made from different metals. This can encourage corrosion in this location. Since the threads on the drain cock are so fine this can sometimes cause difficulty removing the plug. Brass will strip easily so be sure to use a 9/16" wrench, not an adjustable wrench, pliers, pipe wrench or channel locks as these will all damage the brass. Additionally these brass drain cocks are usually seized in place and require a fair amount of force to remove. It is also fairly common for these to break when you try to remove them. If this happens to you then you will need to tap and thread chase this location which requires drilling and a tap set. Plastic drain plugs from heaters can be left out for the winter similar to all other winterizing plugs on your equipment. Brass drain cocks should be reinstalled after winterizing the heater. If you leave the brass drain cocks out over the winter then rust will form on the exposed threads of the heater making a water tight seal much more difficult in the spring.
Blow through the heater - Pool companies use specialty tools to blow the water out of the lines in your pool such as the Cyclone Blower. These provide much more air flow than a shop vac for example. You can also use a leaf blower if you have one though this would involve some custom modification to make a hose attachment on the end of the blower. If you are a pool owner and you want to close your pool every year then you might want to use the Cyclone blower but if all you have access to is a standard shop vac this can work also so long as it is at least 5 horsepower in size.
If you have unions on the inlet and outlet ports of the heater this is ideal for opening the system and isolating the heater as you blow through it. Not every pool heater will give you this option however. If you do not have union ports on your heater then you will need to open the system in the closest place to the heater in order to blow through the lines. It is not ideal to blow through a filter to get to the heater so consider adding some winterization unions into your system by your heater if you don't have any. Almost all of the water will blow out of the heater in the first few seconds once you turn the blower on. Despite looking empty continue to let the blower run through the heater for a minimum of 5 minutes. After 5 minutes blow through the heater in the opposite direction for another 5 minutes just to be absolutely sure you have all of the water out of the system. Be sure to reconnect the unions after you are finished to prevent an access point for rodents to get into your heater or plumbing lines in the off season.
How To Winterize a Pool
If you want to get started before your appointment, consider the following:
1. Give your pool a deep clean
Drop your robotic pool cleaner in the pool so it can brush off any deposit hanging around the pool walls. If you have a pool brush, thoroughly scrub the side of your pool to reduce the chance of black algae and scaling on your pool walls.
2. Check your pool water chemistry
Make sure your pool water is balanced before winterizing your pool. Stabilizing your pool water will ensure you don’t have more significant problems like algae bloom or scaling when you remove your pool cover in springtime.
Before closing your pool, always shock the water before adding winterization chemicals.
3. Turn off your pool equipment
Remove booster pumps, pool cleaners, any accessories you might have in the pool. Keep your automation system, pool pump and filtration system running until your pool professional arrives. They will ensure they are dried and winterized correctly.
4. Find space for your pool equipment
Make room for your pool equipment in a dry space. Ideally, somewhere that doesn’t get below 40°F degrees. Many people put their equipment in their shed or in the back corner of their garage to aid in the protection of the freezing temperatures outside don’t reach the pool equipment.
What Happens if I Don’t Winterize My Pool?
It is that time of year again where we need to get our pools ready for Winter. This can look very different from region to region. It really all depends on exactly how cold Winters are in your neck of the woods. Most people in States where it gets to freezing temps do what is known as “Winterizing” their swimming pools. What happens if you choose not to Winterize? You are in for some trouble. Here are some of the things that could happen if you do not properly close your swimming pool for those icy Winter months.
You Could Damage Your Swimming Pool Pump
Whether you have an energy efficient variable speed pool pump or a single speed pool pump, the freeezzing water going through it can damage the components. Especially if the water freezes inside of the pool pump. Don’t worry so much about the connectors and pvc. If broken,these can easily be replaced. Needing a whole new pump come Spring? That can get expensive. If your swimming pool pump gets ruined or you are just ready for an upgrade, I highly suggest you check out the American made, household name of Black & Decker who have extended their expertise to the swimming pool industry. They are half the price of what you would pay at your local swimming pool store. Check them out here.https://poolpartstogo.com/collections/all-pumps
You Could Damage Your Filter
Filters can handle normal pressure. Even high pressure from being dirty. However, the pressure of expanding ice is something your swimming pool filter cannot handle. The this can cause the tank to crack, the clamp to crack, or the valve can crack. Then the filter can can begin to leak. It is super easy to Winertize your filter. All you do is open the air bleed assembly and remove the drain plug. With a multiport valve, leave it between two positions. If it is a push-pull slide valve, you will want to leave it halfway up.
You Could Damage Your Pipes
When we Winterize, we lower the watr level and ensure all the water has been blown out of the pipes. Any standing water that you leave in the pipes is bound to freeze. Much like what we talked about in the filter, the freezing water will expand and put a ridiculous amount of pressure on your skimmer, pipes and anything else that can become full of water.
Now the pipes underground can also freeze, but not as quickly. This is due to the insulation from the ground. After several days of freezing temps, you can expect the underground pipes and the surrounding dirt to freeze.
You Could Damage Your Heater
Pool heaters are stronger, but still not strong enough to withstand the freezing temps. To Winterize a pool heater, remove the front and rear header drain plugs and disconnect the pressure switch. Like the plumbing, blow out the lines to remove any water that may be hanging out.
You Could Damage Your Pool Structure
This mostly pertains to above ground pools. They can actually crumple, much like a tin can. This is because as the ice sheets thicken, the outward stress is pushed against the walls. It can also put undue pressure on your skimmer.
You Could Damage Your Deck
You could ruin the fun activity of opening your pool if there is a pipe cracked below your deck. This could lead to the headache of a pool deck gut-job. Above ground pipes are much easier to repair. Having to cut through stone sounds like a nightmare to me.
It is Best to Winterize
Air pillows, skimmer plugs, pool covers, pool antifreeze and a few other important steps ensure you won’t experience any damage to you inground or above ground swimming pool.
How to Winterize Your Pool
How To Winterize Your Swimming Pool
The following are generalized instructions on how to properly close an In-ground swimming pool. Please note that all pools are somewhat different and your pool may need specific care not mentioned here. If you have any doubts about how to properly close your particular pool contact a local pool professional.
It’s that time of the year again -- in some parts of the country, the weather is becoming too cool to enjoy the pool, and even though it's not quite Labor Day, it's time to think about winterizing your pool. Even if you are a lucky pool owner who lives in a warmer climate, you still have to take a few steps to winterize your pool. In the Northeast and Midwest there are a fair number of steps to follow, whereas in California and other warm-weather environments, winterizing mainly consists of reducing the filtration time from 12 to six hours. However, no matter where you live, if winterizing is not done properly, it can result in costly problems such as broken pool equipment.
Professional pool companies charge an average of $200-400 dollars to winterize, but they also provide peace of mind all winter. Pool service companies ensure their winterization work, and they prioritize customers who get winterization services, so if there are any issues in the spring you will be first on their schedule when they make service calls.
If you are planning on tackling winterization yourself, it is very important to take the time to ensure it is done properly. For example, when water freezes it expands to nine percent of its volume, so water stuck inside a pool pump could freeze, expand, and break your pump. Damage like that could cost upwards of $400. Additionally, another common problem resulting from improper winterization is the rear header of a heater. This is because it captures water and is the farthest away from a heat source. A new header costs nearly the same amount you would spend on professional winterization, so it’s important to either hire a professional, or carefully follow the tips below.
Steps to close down the pool in Northeast and Midwest regions:
Blow the lines – Use an air tank and force out all the water from the lines.
Plug the lines – Use different size plugs depending on the size of the pipes to prevent water from getting back in. After blowing the lines of water, seal the pipes with the appropriate size plugs to prevent water from entering.
Add chemicals – An important step that should not be overlooked is to add winterization chemicals at the first sign of winterization. Then, periodically add additional winterization chemicals (not chlorine specific) throughout winter. It is unlikely for algae to grow during the winter, however, these chemicals help slow the process in the spring when the water warms back up.
Cover the pool – Mesh covers do not prevent water (rain/snow) from getting in the pool but they do prevent debris from getting in. Solid covers require a pump on top of the cover to pump water off the cover.
In regions where periodic freezing occurs, such as Northern Texas, Georgia, and Northern California, you must take steps to winterize, even if the pool is not fully closed. The main concern in these areas is that water could freeze in the pipes if the pump is not running. Freeze protection is a feature that turns on the pump when air temperatures get near the freezing point, usually activating at around 38 degrees Fahrenheit air temperature. Special note here: all Zodiac® and Jandy® controllers have freeze protection built-in. If you do not have a control with freeze protection, it is important to watch the weather report and turn on the pump when freezing temperatures are imminent.
Special Tips:
Do not forget the winterization chemicals! This is a common mistake since algae is unlikely to grow in the winter, but you are protecting yourself for springtime, when algae can grow quickly.
Let air run through your heater, and do not wrap it. In colder regions, cover the top of the heater with plywood, not with plastic wrap or any plastic material. Keep the sides of the heater exposed so moisture does not get trapped inside which can cause rusting of heater components.
Do not use anti-freeze in the pool.
In general it is not necessary to lower the pool water level. For pools with a tile line it is better to leave the water level at the tile line where it is easier to clean.
As soon as the temperature starts to warm, perform a chemical test. Add the spring chemicals to ensure the water will be clearer when you open the pool fully. Do not wait until you are ready to open the pool to check the chemical levels.
If you do not have freeze protection, in areas where the pool is left open, watch the weather and turn on the pump if it is nearing freezing temperatures.
It is important to winterize properly. Taking time to make sure it is done right can save you money and frustration. Not to mention impacting the precious time you have to enjoy your swimming pool. SO, if you don’t have the time or know-how to do it yourself, call in a professional and have it done for you.
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