How to Deal with the Freeze Damage

Wow! That was some cold weather that we experienced as 2017 came to an end and 2018 got started.

The low temperatures that we reached (low teens) can definitely cause freeze damage, but what can really be difficult on pool equipment is the consecutive number of hours below freezing—of which we had the longest streak that we have had since 1996. By my rough estimate, we were below freezing for approximately 80-85 hours in the Denton area. As you are probably already aware of, water expands by approximately 9% when it is frozen, therefore anything that is full of water and freezes will potentially be damaged. This will result in quite a bit of freeze damage to area swimming pools, most of which will be at the pool equipment pad area—pumps, filters, heaters, pipes, etc.

Following is the recommended course of action if you observe freeze damage:

• If you do have a piece of equipment that is frozen up, it might take several days for the thaw to take place. Therefore, be sure to wait a few days before turning the pump back on to check for leaks.
• If you see a leak and the leak is excessive, turn off the power to the pool equipment to prevent water loss.
• Call our Service Department at (940) 891-0500 to get on the schedule.
• Consider contacting your homeowners’ insurance carrier (but typically the damages are below the deductible, depending on the type of policy and the amount of damage).

*Note: The record for consecutive number of hours below freezing in the DFW area is 295 consecutive hours, which took place December 18-30, 1983. In the past 20+ years the record is January 30-February 5, 1996, during which we experienced 136 consecutive hours below freezing.