Sea Speed said:

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Oooh. Interested here too. This is our first year having a pool. Need to get that all sorted out and I am away. Putting several blankets over the whole system should do the trick?

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Well there's 2 ways here, 1 is that you can leave everything running, since the chance of a power outage like we had a few years ago is relatively low, but still possible. So if it does go out for an extended period, you're kind of screwed, and prepare to drain equipment and freeze your ass off or just hope for the best.
Or try to drain and cover everything you can ahead of time. Blankets etc don't help that much if they don't touch the ground, which helps to insulate. If I just open my multi-port to Waste, the filter will mostly drain out, and there's a plug at the bottom, and can wrap or cover the lower pipes. I have a salt cell this year I have to protect unlike with the last freeze.

Sea Speed said:

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Oooh. Interested here too. This is our first year having a pool. Need to get that all sorted out and I am away. Putting several blankets over the whole system should do the trick?

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During Uri, after electricity went out and the pool pump couldn't run 24 hours/day, I ended up draining the water from the filter and wrapping up the pipes as much as I could. There is a plug at the bottom you can unscrew to drain the water as texsn95 mentioned. You can also open the air release valve on top of the filter to facilitate the draining once the water starts slowing down.

When the temperatures came back up, I turned the pump back on and everything worked fine.

texsn95 said:

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Sea Speed said:

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Oooh. Interested here too. This is our first year having a pool. Need to get that all sorted out and I am away. Putting several blankets over the whole system should do the trick?

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Well there's 2 ways here, 1 is that you can leave everything running, since the chance of a power outage like we had a few years ago is relatively low, but still possible. So if it does go out for an extended period, you're kind of screwed.
Or try to drain and cover everything you can. Blankets etc don't help that much if they don't touch the ground, which helps to insulate. If I just open my multi-port to Waste, the filter will mostly drain out, and there's a plug at the bottom, and can wrap or cover the lower pipes. I have a salt cell this year I have to protect unlike with the last freeze.

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This, pretty much, also YouTube has some good winterizing tips for pools.

Here is a video if you happen to have a Hayward filter. Start around the 5 minute mark and go to a little after 6:30.

Can't watch YouTube where I'm at so will have to do my best to explain it to my wife from whatever articles I can find as well as these posts. Nunber one will be just keep it running. Thanks all.

tandy miller said:

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This will probably kill my lemon tree. It's huge, so not sure how I'd cover it. I got it from life

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Water well at the base the tree it will need it,and will help protect the roots. Wet soil radiates more ground heat than dry soil. Strip of all fruit, wrap the trunk to the base of the limbs. If it's and older tree, it will be more hardier than younger trees. Good luck

25 or below for an extended time, queen palms are dead. Most others native to South Texas seem to do fine.

oh great. can't find the water turn off key. It grew legs.

Sea Speed - I don't know how old your pool is but mine that I put in about 4 years ago - the pump kicks on automatically when temp gets below 32 .

The problem wil be if you lose power for an extended time. During Uri we lost power once during the night and I had to go out and empty the system - drain the filter and open everything up.

tandy miller said:

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This will probably kill my lemon tree. It's huge, so not sure how I'd cover it. I got it from life

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First, bury the trunk of the tree up to about 18" off the ground in mulch or compost to protect the graft point for the tree. Build a frame out of 1" PVC large enough to go over and around your tree and use screws to hold the pipes into the elbows. Drape plant blankets over the frame and use heavy duty spring clamps to hold the blankets to the frame and binder clips to connect the blankets to each other. Throw a rope over the top and use tent stakes to anchor it to the ground. Before you cover it, wrap the tree with old style incandescent christmas lights (not LED) and plug them into to an outside outlet with a weather rated extension cord. The lights will keep the tree warm under the blankets. In the event the power goes out, the mulch will protect the tree above the graft location and allow it to resprout from the trunk, even if the rest of the tree dies. Worked for us with a lime, two satsumas and an avocado during the Feb 21 freeze.

Didn't see this earlier but apparently the Euro model went a little hard on the eggnog.

Fitch said:

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Didn't see this earlier but apparently the Euro model went a little hard on the eggnog.

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Get a heat tape strip.

I need what the euros been smoking.

Seabreeze said:

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I need what the euros been smoking.

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Can probably get it legally there at sublingwell in Kemah

Or Firehouse, they sell there now

Nice. I'll have to have my wife check them out when she needs a refill.

CPC is on board with hazardous cold

Eff this. Heading back home to a) let my daughter hang with grandparents, b) escape SAD of PNW, c) escape **** ton of snow so far this year, and d) ****ing Tony's and Whataburger. Turn on the heater. I only packed shorts.

Models looking much better this morning

Better meaning colder or warmer? I want single digits again

Tom Cardy said:

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Better as in we'll probably keep the lights on and pipes intact, but still get a good bit of chill

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I want chaos

Ha! I am supposed to inspect some wrecked vehicles (outside) in Amarillo and Dalhart from 12/19-12/21.

Plan ahead!

I was shocked but I called and booked a chimney sweeping for today. I can't believe they were available.

And I'm well aware that decorative fireplaces are extremely poor at heating. But hell, I want a fire.

Mostly Foggy Recollection said:

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CPC is on board with hazardous cold

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The Rio Grande has some magical properties to protect Mexico like that.

Yep, i didn't have any pipe bust in '21 but my dad did. His supply of pvc, and fittings was 25+ years old and really not usable. Talking stuff left over from '83. Rolling around Houston for non existent supplies sucked. Early this spring i went and stocked up for both of us on everything for the future. If you don't have it, go get it soon before the panic sets in if this actually comes to pass,

Good advice. Always good to have spare linear runs of pvc you can cut up as needed, elbows, unions, pvc glue, and some sharkbite fittings on hand.