ORLANDO, Fla. — If you own a pool in Central Florida, this weekend’s cold snap is something you don’t want to ignore.
With freezing temperatures expected, pool experts say taking a few simple steps now could save homeowners hundreds and even thousands of dollars in repairs.
Scott Jones, construction manager at Artesian Pools in Orlando says the most important rule of thumb during freezing temperatures is making sure water is constantly moving through your pool system.
“As long as water is moving through the system, it won’t freeze,” Jones said. “That’s the safest thing you can do to make sure nothing locks up.”
Pool owners should run their pool pump continuously when temperatures drop to around 32 degrees or below. Overnight and early morning hours are when damage is most likely to occur.
Many newer pools are equipped with automated freeze protection systems that turn on automatically when temperatures stay at or below freezing for an extended period of time. However, Jones says homeowners should double-check those settings.
“You want to check and make sure it hasn’t been disabled,” Jones said. “In Florida, we don’t get a lot of freezing, so sometimes people turn it off thinking they’ll never need it.”
If your pool does not have freeze protection, or if you’re unsure, Jones says you can manually turn the pump on to keep it running through the night.
Jones also warns pool owners not to overlook additional equipment. That includes fountains, waterfalls, pool cleaners, or any features running on secondary or booster pumps.
“It’s not just the filtration pump,” Jones said. “Any pump tied to the pool — you want to make sure it’s running all night.”
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