Tips For Protecting Pool Skimmers From Winter Damage

From www.swimmingpo... - Your pool skimmer is one of the most likely parts of your swimming pool to suffer a failure during the Winter season. Freezing water can expand within the skimmer pipes or within the skimmer body itself push and push outwards Causing the plastic to break. There are some extra steps that you can take when winterizing a pool skimmer which will help you to likely avoid damage to the skimmer over the Winter season. 1st the use of closed cell phone would be a good idea as this will help to protect the pipes themselves should some water find its way back into them after you have winterized the pipes. In addition to that you should probably also use a few liters or a gallon at most of antifreeze inside of the skimmer pipes . Again this will help to protect them should some water find its way in there. The layers of protection like this is the single best way to protect pool skimmers from damage.
We are not done yet as there is more that we can do to protect pool skimmers from winter damage. You should consider adding antifreeze into the body of the skimmer itself but then also stuffing the body of the skimmer with empty pop bottles. Any kind of pop bottles or empty plastic bottles wedged into the skimmer should help to provide some resistance against freezing damage. Image. It is a very affordable layer protection which every skimmer could benefit from. Finally be sure to use a Gizzmo product which is designed to thread into the skimmer ports. This Gizzmo product is again just another layer of protection that we are adding to the skimmer body. Hopefully one or more of these layers of protection will be enough to prevent damage from freezing to your pool skimmer this winter. For more info check out this video about winterizing pool skimmers: • How To Winterize A Poo...
Check out this page on my website for a complete pool winterization guide:
www.swimmingpo...
#SwimmingPoolSteve #winterize #poolmaintenance

[@PhilippeLavoie-q5m]

As a new pool owner, I cannot express how grateful I am for all your content!!

[@scottchenoweth5433]

Never thought about using a pool noodle in the skimmer as an extra level of protection. Genius!!!

[@pouetance]

In Quebec, we put a piece of foam in the skimmer. They sell it preshaped at the pool store for like 10 dollars. It's pretty effective especially considering how cold it get here during winter.

[@storyman34]

Thanks for all the videos. My pool is an on-ground, and I disconnect the skimmer and return connections, blow out the underground lines with compressed air, then use a wet vac to suck out any other moisture. The skimmer down pipe is disconnected and all covered to keep out water and critters. So far so good.

[@Platinum1812]

I love this channel!! Such a great tip.

[@north4961]

This year we experienced -17*C temperatures for just over a week. 1. I disconnected the heater and drained and air out the heater. 2. Put an immersion heater 1500 Watt ( Amazon ) near the entrance of the water fit perfectly - the heater is surrounded by perforated stainless steel. 3. Ran my Hayward VS at 2850 rpm. No ice in skimmer area, had huge chunk of ice in pool, but the water circulation worked perfectly. 🇨🇦

[@cwsosby]

I stuff the mouth and skimmer box full of pool noodles. I also leave my pool completely full during the winter due to the automatic cover.

[@64197464]

I installed unions in my 2” supply and return hand tightened remove pipes for winter

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Unions are for sure the best way to deal with opening the system for winterizing.

[@brandonr4427]

I leave my skimmer open at the bottom so any water can drain. How do I then use the antifreeze? I can’t just poor some in because it will drain out.

[@denet2469]

If you put noodles down the skimmer pipe is the idea they will float out when you open pool? Do you leave the cap on the anti freeze bottles?

[@ralphyounes1677]

Does rigid foam pieces work? I'm thinking of using them to fill the void of the skimmer and in the area of my pool lights after I add wights to my lights and drop them in the water. Great contents!

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

HD foam is closed cell and will not absorb water. Which is ok to use. White foam or polystyrene beads are not closed cell and will absorb water. Do not use these.

[@ralphyounes1677]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve Prefect thank you!

[@charleybrown4235]

@Swimming Pool Steve cut up pool noodles and put into the skimmer body. Do you think I am better off with soda bottles? I also had a question concerning the the skimmer weir. Should it be removed? Also, do skimmer mouth covers help at all?

[@A2513-b1g]

I blew out my pool return and completely filled it with antifreeze (from Leslie Pool). When I opened the pool In the Spring I saved some of the used antifreeze and put it in a plastic water bottle and put that in the freezer of my refrigerator. It froze solid! I have my doubts about the pool antifreeze that is sold everywhere. The main component is alcohol, and I am wondering if it degrades or evaporates or something? I thought that the main ingredient used to be polyethylene glycol a few years back.

[@rg3491]

How long should the backer rod be? 12inches or as much as you can freely insert into the line? Any risk it could break off in the spring when you goto pull it out?

[@keita_theuniverse]

Came here because the cover had failed lol… and it’s snowing and windy now but little to no debris and the water is crystal clear atm

[@peterole2797]

Great video and channel over all! Thank you! Do you recommend draining the pool below skimmer mouth during the winter any time the surface thaws? Is it a common practice?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Draining below the skimmer is done to facilitate blowing out and winterizing the skimmer.

[@thecurious6721]

Thank you for the great tips and info 👍 Could you please explain if the water freezes in the pool in winter in ontario? Or how deep the water freezes? Does it damage a fiberglass pool? If a pipe cracks during winter, how it is repaired, should the pool be taken out of the ground? Thanks 🙏

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

Yes the water freezes in the pool but not all the way solid. The bottom layer is still water. How deep depends on the temps where you live. Cracked pipes need to be located then dug up and repaired.

[@thecurious6721]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve Thank you. I am in Ottawa. Here 5 feet frost depth, I think. If the water freezes 5 feet deep doesnt it expand outwards and damage the pool? I always thought that pools are drained before the winter 😁

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

@@thecurious6721 There are many kinds of pools. Some above ground or temporary pools will be drained and put away for the winter, but most inground pools will be left with water in them to stabilize the pool in the ground. The water can and does freeze at the surface. Generally it does not damage the pool walls because the pool is also supported by the earth, collar and concrete all around help hold the structure in place. If you do not disturb the surface level of ice and let it naturally come and go it does not cause damage. In some super cold areas I have heard of things like logs, pool noodles or other methods like a empty bottles floating in the pool (under the cover) to help with ice damage problems.

[@thecurious6721]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve thank you so much 🙏 now everything is clear 😊

[@thecurious6721]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve Steve, could you please also advise with a gas pool heater, up to what outside temperature an inground pool can be used?

[@steveparish4027]

I understand the foam rope concept but if is is inserted down the pipe, how do you get it out and how do you cap it off if you have the rope in the opening.

[@grassrj]

I don’t get it either

[@tomwilder1495]

Will the pink Foamular NGX f250 pink board that they sell at Home Depot work? The only thing I found in the details was this. “Extremely low water absorption potential, delivering superior R-value retention in the presence of water”

[@DianaDiaz-go4xd]

Hi, I’m a new pool owner. Bought a mesh cover to avoid pumping water from cover. But realized I still have to pump water out. Due to the rain and snow, the water is now up to the skimmers. Is that a huge problem?

[@grassrj]

Water has come up to the bottom of my skimmer after a few rains then froze and it cracked the facer plate. I’m trying to figure out how to prevent that because it looks like it’s happening again this year. 😢

[@grassrj]

Maybe going around the edge with that foam piping?

[@michaelriggs4701]

New pool owner. Pool was dug and filled beginning of November in Ohio. Builder closed it last week as we are beginning to get temps in the 20’s at night. They blew all lines out and added a gizmo to the skimmer. Did not drop water below the skimmer. Good or bad in Ohio? Fiberglass pool.

[@shengshiwang6495]

When you say they did not drop water below the skimmer, were you referring to the skimmer mouth on the side of the pool, or the bottom of the skimmer where there's a hole or two? Normally the level of skimmer mouth is higher than that of the bottom of the skimmer.

[@longbra]

I’m assuming all this is ill relevant if you are running the pool pump all year?

[@Swimmingpoolsteve]

This info is for pool that close and winterize for the cold winter season.

[@fine5441]

@@Swimmingpoolsteve Idiotic to put antifreeze in your pool lines.

[@grassrj]

@@fine5441disagree. It’s hard to know they are empty. Cheap solution to prevent digging.

[@grassrj]

I jam it full of flexible pool noodles

[@randywheeler5387]

I fill the water bottles with dirt

[@rebeccaanderson5037]

heat tape

[@denet2469]

You use roof heat tape in the skimmers? I was just thinking about doing that also