How to Deal with Freeze Damage

During the week beginning on January 14th, we had some extremely cold weather with a low into the single digits. With temperatures getting this cold, there were some pools that experienced freeze damage. 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:

• Long periods of time with temperatures at or below freezing—Officially, the record for the DFW area for most consecutive hours below freezing is 295 hours (December 18-30, 1983). February of 2021 was brutal as well, when we had approximately 10 days where it did not get above freezing. This time around we were only at approximately 89 consecutive hours below freezing.
• Extremely low temperatures—The single digit lows that we experienced is fairly uncommon and can definitely cause freeze damage. This was the coldest weather since the record-breaking low temperatures of February 2021—when we reached -2 (February 16, 2021).

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:

1. Turn all of the pumps on and visually inspect to see if you have any leaks.
2. 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.
3. 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 2020/2021, we are hopeful that you did not experience any freeze damage this time around. But if you did and need help with repairs, please give us a call at (940) 384-7665.

NOTE: 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.

I am hopeful that you did not experience any freeze damage, but if you did, hopefully this information answers some of your questions. If we can help you further, please give us a call at (940) 384-7665.