What Happens If You Don’t Winterize A Pool?
Owning a pool is a luxury, but it comes with many expenses throughout the year. That includes the cost of preparing it for the winter, which is essential before freezing temperatures arrive. So, what happens if you don’t winterize a pool?
There’s a good chance that the pipes may freeze, expand, and burst if you don’t winterize your pool. Other key components, like the heater, filter, and pump, can break due to the excessive pressure from ice expansion. Above-ground pools can even collapse beyond the point of repair if you don’t close them for the winter.
Some people want to save money on the cost of preparing their pool for the winter, so they do it themselves without any professional help. This is fine if you know what you’re doing, but leaving any water in the pipes and equipment is just as bad as not winterizing your pool at all. Follow along as we explore what happens if you don’t correctly winter-proof a pool.
What Happens If You Don’t Close Your Pool For The Winter?
1. The Pipes Will Freeze
Preparing the pipes is one of the most important steps when winterizing a pool. This includes removing the remaining water in the pipes by blowing it out. Doing so will protect your pipes and ensure they don’t freeze during the winter.
As you can imagine, frozen pipes in your pool can be nearly as devastating as frozen pipes in your home. When water freezes, it expands and creates excessive pressure within the pipes. Once this happens, the pipes can easily burst if the ice expands too much.
The pipes will crack and split, releasing water into the landscape and surrounding areas. Depending on your pool’s location, this can even damage your home’s ground floor, basement, or foundation. Repairing severe damage can cost up to $5,000.
2. The Filter Will Break
Pool filters are necessary for their operation, and preparing them for winter is essential. However, leaving water in the filter is just as bad as leaving water in the pipes. Most pool filters can handle 50 pounds of pressure per square inch (PSI), but expanding ice can exceed that.
Ice expansion can crack the clamp ring and tank, which you can’t simply fix. In that case, you must replace the filter altogether, which can be expensive. Of course, in most cases, you must wait until spring rolls around to replace the filter.
Winterizing a filter is one of the easiest parts of the process, so you shouldn’t skip it. You can expect to spend up to $1,000 to replace a broken pool filter.
3. The Pool May Collapse
Do you own an above-ground pool? If so, then winterizing it is just as important as properly preparing an in-ground pool before the winter strikes. The big difference is that an above-ground pool can collapse if you don’t close it in the winter.
Ice can form on the walls and floors in your above-ground pool if you leave it as is. This is true whether the ice is in the pipes or in the pool itself. The pressure will continually build and put too much stress on the walls, which can eventually collapse.
Once one side collapses, the other sides are more likely to fall, and the pool will be destroyed. Failing to winterize an in-ground pool is a bad idea, but keeping an above-ground pool open is devastating.
4. The Pump May Break
The pump is an essential part of your pool’s function, and protecting it before the winter should be your priority. Like the other internal components, the pump can fill with ice if you don’t winterize it. Without a pump, water can’t properly circulate or filter impurities out.
Replacing a pool pump can cost between $500 and $2,5000, and it’s necessary if the pump breaks. Without a pump, your swimming pool can quickly become uninhabitable as it fills with harmful bacteria, algae, and bugs. Green pool water typically accompanies a broken pump, and that can be quite unsafe to swim in.
5. The Heater Will Fail
A heater is a luxury, but it can add value to your swimming pool in many ways. However, even the best pool heaters are vulnerable to freezing temperatures and ice expansion. Water can remain in a pool heater if you don’t blow it out of the lines before winter weather sets in.
If anything, heaters are often among the first pool components to freeze and break during the winter. You can’t fix a pool heater if it broke due to ice expansion, so you must replace it. Replacing a broken pool heater costs anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 in most cases, but it can cost more for high-end units.
6. You May Damage The Deck
You won’t necessarily see the damage you cause by not winterizing your pool. That’s because the pipes run beneath the ground, so you may not think of them. However, your pipes will naturally leak into the area surrounding your pool if they burst, which includes your deck.
This is true whether your pool deck is made of concrete, Coolcrete, or wood. The water will damage the deck material from beneath and within it, so you can’t do much to fix the issue. That said, you must at least think about solution by the time spring arrives.
Even if the water doesn’t damage the deck, someone may need to cut through it to access the pipes. Replacing the pipes and repairing the ground around your pool can cost tens of thousands of dollars in extreme cases.
Summing It Up
If you don’t winterize your pool, the pipes may freeze, burst, and release water into the landscape. When pipes break, water can eventually seep into your basement or damage the foundation. There’s also a good chance that the pump, filter, and heater will crack and break.
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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