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Pool Care Guide

Freeze & Winter Care for Texas Gulf Coast Pools

We don't get Chicago winters — we get one brutal freeze every few years that cracks unprepared plumbing. Here's how to protect a Gulf Coast pool through winter without overdoing it.

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The short answer: keep water moving whenever temperatures approach freezing — running pumps circulates water and protects pipes — and if you lose power during a freeze, get lines blown out before the water trapped in them freezes. A full seasonal close with Hood's runs $299.
32°Fstart running the pump
$299seasonal open or close
2021the freeze we all remember

Why "mild winters" still crack pipes here

The Gulf Coast goes years without a hard freeze, which is exactly why the occasional one is so destructive: equipment pads are exposed, plumbing runs shallow, and most systems were never built for 15°F. When Uri hit in 2021, the pools that survived were the ones with moving water or blown-out lines. The ones that didn't came back to split pumps, cracked filters, and burst check valves.

The running-water rule

Moving water freezes far slower than standing water. When overnight lows threaten freezing:

  • Run the pump continuously through the freeze window — a steady trickle through every return line protects more than you'd think.
  • If your system has automation with a freeze-guard, verify it actually kicks the pump on at the right temperature; we check these on winter visits.
  • Protect exposed plumbing at the pad with insulated wraps for the worst nights.

Lost power during a freeze? The water trapped in your pipes and equipment is now on a clock. If the outage will last through freezing nights, get the lines blown out and equipment drained before that water turns to ice. It's the single highest-value emergency call we get every winter.

What a proper seasonal close includes

Many Gulf Coast owners keep swimming through fall and simply pause in winter; others prefer a formal close. Our $299 seasonal close covers: balance the water for winter (yes, it still needs balancing), lower the waterline, blow out and plug return and suction lines, drain the pump, filter, heater and chlorinator, and inspect equipment so spring surprises get caught in fall. Spring opening reverses the process and rebalances for swim season.

Winter chemistry still matters

Cooler water grows algae slower, but an unbalanced pool still etches or scales all winter long, and stagnant, untreated water comes back green just in time for the first warm weekend. A light winter care rhythm — or at minimum a properly balanced close — keeps spring boring in the best way.

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