Each winter, we average 33 days where we reach at or below freezing temperatures. As of this writing (March 11th), we are at 34—therefore it has been a fairly typical winter. Most pools in the area did not experience any freeze damage, but a few did. Most of the damage that occurred was limited to the pool equipment pad area—pumps, filters, heaters, pipes, etc.
There are two extreme weather events that can cause freeze damage to pool components, and we really didn’t experience either one of them this past winter:
- Long periods of time with temperatures at or below freezing—I am sure that you recall the cold stretch that we had last February, where we had approximately 10 days where it did not get above freezing.
- Extremely low temperatures—Our low this winter was on January 2nd, when we reached 19 degrees. Last February 16th, we reached a low of -1, and I recall that being the lowest recorded temperature since 1899.
With that being said, most of the freeze damage that we experience in February 2021 was due to the power outages. Most pools that remained in operation sustained minimal, if any, freeze damage.
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 can potentially be damaged. Therefore, it would probably be a good idea to check to see if you have experienced freeze damage. Following is a course of action for checking for freeze damage and then taking the necessary steps to get the problem solved:
- Turn all of the pumps on and visually inspect to see if you have any leaks.
- If you see leaks, turn the pumps off and give us a call at (940) 384-7665 to schedule repairs. Do not wait until the weather warms up to get repairs made, as we are very busy and it doesn’t look like it will slow down anytime soon.
- Most underground pipes are deep enough that they do not experience freeze damage in this region, but, just in case, check the yard for wet spots. If you have a wet spot in the yard, you could have an underground leak, which needs to be repaired.
After the winter that you had to go thru in 2021, we are hopeful that you did not experience any freeze damage. But if you did and need help with repairs, please give us a call at (940) 384-7665.
