Essential Maintenance Tips & Upgrades

In Austin, winter often means sporadic and sometimes severe freezes that require immediate action. Proactive maintenance and automation are your best defense against costly freeze damage, which can lead to cracked pipes, damaged pumps, and thousands in repair bills. This guide provides the two key areas of winter preparation: essential long-term maintenance and immediate steps for a Austin Freeze. Don’t wait for the first hard freeze warning; secure your investment now.

Year-Round Health

Maintenance Before the Cold Hits

Routine maintenance protects the pool structure and water quality throughout the cooler months, minimizing spring startup hassles.

Here are the key actions to take now:

Balance Chemistry: Adjust your pool’s pH (ideal 7.2-7.6) and Alkalinity (80-120 ppm) to prevent staining and equipment corrosion while the pool is less active. This is crucial for protecting your plaster and plumbing.

Deep Clean: Brush and vacuum thoroughly to eliminate all debris, leaves, and algae buildup. A clean pool is less likely to harbor bacteria and cause discoloration during the off-season.

Store Accessories: Remove and clean all ladders, handrails, skimmer baskets, and toys, storing them in a dry place.

Check Automation: Verify that your existing freeze guard system is operational and ensure its temperature sensors are functioning correctly so it can turn on automatically when needed.

Upgrades for Freeze Security

While Houston may not require full winterization, installing dedicated protection is essential. These recommended long-term pool upgrades automate freeze defense and offer significant energy savings.

Freeze Protection Automation: If your pool lacks this system, install a freeze sensor/control system that automatically turns pumps on when the ambient temperature drops below freezing. This is your most critical investment, ensuring water keeps moving to prevent pipes from cracking.

Variable Speed Pump (VSP): VSPs are a smart pool upgrade. They allow you to run the pump continuously at a low speed during freezing temperatures (which keeps water moving and pipes safe) while consuming significantly less energy than a traditional single-speed pump.

Feature Isolation: Ensure ornamental water features (waterfalls, fountains) have dedicated valves. This allows these features, which are often the most vulnerable, to be drained and isolated from the main circulation system to prevent pipe bursts.

Emergency Protocol:

When Freezing is Imminent

In the event of a sudden temperature drop, immediate action is required to protect your equipment.

Here is your essential contingency plan:

If Freeze Protect is ON: Confirm your equipment is running and cycling. This is completely normal and means the system is working.

If Freeze Protect is OFF: You must run your pool equipment continuously, 24/7, until temperatures rise above freezing. Running water cannot freeze.
Crucial DON’Ts:

DO NOT cover running equipment (risk of fire/equipment damage).

DO NOT wrap plumbing at equipment (running water prevents freezing).
DO NOT turn your heater/heat pump on; let water run through it to prevent the internal copper tubing from cracking.

If Power is Lost (The Backup): Immediately turn off the breakers to all pumps. Open all pump lids, open the air relief valve on the filter, and remove all drain plugs (at the bottom of your pumps, heater manifold, etc.) to drain the water from the system completely before it has a chance to freeze and expand.
Preparation is key to avoiding costly repairs. Combining year-round maintenance with automated defense ensures your pool is ready for any Austin winter. Don’t wait until the first freeze!

Preparing Your Austin Pool For Winter