MACON, Ga. — We have made it to the time of year where it is probably too chilly to go swimming.
If you have a pool at your home, that means you’re faced with the chore of figuring out what to do with your pool during the winter season.
Fortunately, since we live in central Georgia, there are ways you can save money without putting your pool through a full winterization this winter season.
Central Georgia is in a unique place in terms of our climate and how it affects our pool use. We are far enough south that long stretches of sub-freezing weather are unlikely. However, it is also too chilly here to comfortably use our pools between October and April. This leaves you with a choice to winterize your pool or wait it out.
A full-scale winterization is time consuming and can be expensive. It involves lowering your pool enough to get the water line below the intakes. The pH has to be balanced. Pipes need to be drained. A cover needs to be fitted and maybe even purchased. All of which take time and potentially cost money.
In Georgia, we have a different, and much cheaper option. We just need to keep the water moving and prevent the water and pipes from freezing!
One option to do this is by investing in and installing a freeze sensor. When the air temperature drops to near freezing, this will turn on your pool’s pump to keep the water moving and mixing. You can also do this for free by manually running your pool when freezing weather threatens.
In addition to the water on the surface of the pool not freezing, the moving water will have a very difficult time freezing in the pipes. Covering pipes with blankets may add a bit more protection.
Why is moving water so important? Mixing! As long as the water in the pool is continuously mixing, near freezing water will keep mixing and exchanging positions with warmer water.
Because of our temperate climate in Georgia, we likely would not experience a freeze long enough to chill the entire pool below the freezing point. Long story short, your pool will not cool fast enough with pump running to be able to freeze.
The key this winter season to saving money with your pool is to not abandon your pool. A full winterization or manually running the pool when cold weather threatens will ensure that you are not caught spending money on burst pipes or cracked liners. However, if you allow the water to sit still in the pool and in the pipes all season, then that potential expense may become a reality. Run your pool, and save some change by doing so this winter!
There are more ways to save change as the seasons shift.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends opening your windows to take advantage of natural heat from the sun, maintaining heating systems with regular service to keep them up to date, and lowering holiday lighting costs by using LED lights.
Washington Energy Services says you can also find and seal drafts where warm air escapes your home or get a tankless water heater.
People can also use warm clothes and blankets instead of turning up the heat, keeping blinds closed when it’s cloudy outside to keep their homes insulated, or use space heaters in small areas of the home – like the bathroom or kitchen – instead of cranking up the heat all around, according to The Simple Dollar.
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