Ice in the pool, what do I need to do?

When swimming pools suffer the most is in winter, especially when the drop in temperatures is extreme. Therefore, it is very important to know how to hibernate the pool when the bathing season ends.
If we do not do it correctly, the water may freeze and cause damage to the pool.

Frozen pool wall

When pool water freezes, it turns into a solid state that exerts pressure on the walls where it is located. In the case of steel pools, when the water freezes, the walls can expand under pressure.
If this happens, the steel frame can give way from the impact of ice and break down.

Frosted Pool Accessories

Normally, pool accessories such as the skimmer or hoses and pipes are full of water since they are conduits through which it circulates.
If that water that is in the pipes was to freeze, these accessories; in their majority in PVC, they can expand by the pressure of the ice water and begin to crack, they can even break.

How to avoid ice in the pool?

If you think your pool could freeze this winter, you should take some steps to protect the water.

Floating elements

It is very important to prevent ice from forming in the pool, that we place some floating elements along the pool.
We can take hibernation floats and place them linked to each other covering the width of the pool with them. In this way, we will generate a line of floating bodies on the water that will protect it from being frozen.
We can also link cans of water or any other floating element. The most important thing is that we put what we put, part of the object is submerged in the water otherwise it will not fulfill its function. For example, in the case of water cans, we can fill them with water in half so that they have weight.
Why does this avoid damaging the walls and the elements of the swimming pools? In case the water can freeze, as it expands, what it does is exert pressure on the floating elements instead of on the walls of the pool. In this way, we protect all the components of the pool.

Removal of accessories

To prevent pool ice from damaging pool accessories, protect them. For this we recommend removing items such as ladders, thermometers or the floating dispenser.
Normally, the water can stay in the hoses or the skimmer. To avoid this, you have to lower the water level below the skimmer. This way it will not enter and may clog the hoses if it freezes.

Winter cover

Although we take all the necessary precautions, do not forget that covering your pool is necessary in winter to protect it from the cold and from the dirt that may fall and get trapped at the bottom.

Now you know how to prevent frozen water from damaging your pool. Let’s do it!