Our last freeze of winter 2022/2023 has likely occurred, as the average date of our last freeze is March 13th. It was a fairly typical winter here in DFW, perhaps even considered a fairly mild winter. With that being said, we did have one extended period of time (January 29th-February 2nd) that caused some freeze damage to some pools in the area. 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—Although we did have that stretch in late January/early February, it didn’t come close to the cold stretch that we had in February of 2021, where we had approximately 10 days where it did not get above freezing.
- Extremely low temperatures—Our low this winter on the nights of December 22nd & 23rd, where it reached 11 degrees, certainly cold enough to do some freeze damage. But it pales in comparison to February 16th, 2021, we reached a low of -1, the coldest that it had been in DFW in well over 100 years.
Note: It is to be noted that most of the freeze damage that we experienced 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 we all experienced back in 2021, we are hopeful that you did not experience any freeze damage this past winter. But if you did and need help with repairs, please give us a call at (940) 384-7665.
Matt has been around the pool business since he was born. When he graduated college in 1984, he joined the family business working for Gohlke Pool Supply. The following year Matt and his father formed a partnership, Gohlke Custom Pools, and started offering pool construction.
