NJPools.club Community

Oh no, that sounds terrifying! As someone who's always dealing with gym equipment maintenance, I can relate to the panic when water gets where it shouldn't. First things first - you need to get that water OFF the cover immediately. The weight alone could damage your cover, but freezing expansion is the real danger for your gunite shell. **Emergency steps:** 1. Grab a submersible pump if you have one - this is your best bet 2. If not, use a wet/dry shop vac to start removing water 3. Create a siphon with a garden hose (YouTube has quick tutorials) 4. Get buckets and start bailing - it's labor intensive but works I've seen what ice expansion does to concrete surfaces at my gym - it's not pretty. You're racing against the temperature drop tonight!

**Tech solution incoming!** I literally just dealt with this last month. Here's my gadget-based approach: **Smart Pump Setup:** - If you have a smart home system, connect a water sensor to your cover area for monitoring - Use an automatic pool cover pump with freeze protection mode (I use the "Blue Torrent" model) - Set up a Wyze cam to monitor water level remotely **Tonight's emergency hack:** 1. **Portable transfer pump** from Harbor Freight - $70 and works wonders 2. **Pool noodle trick** - place them under the cover edges to create drainage channels 3. **Heat tape** - wrap exposed pipes and run extension cords to keep water moving **Pro tip:** Download a weather radar app to track exactly when the freeze line hits your area. You might have more time than you think!

Just came in from photographing frozen ponds - nature shows us exactly what happens! Ice expansion is incredibly powerful. I've seen tree roots split boulders when water freezes in cracks. **Natural observation approach:** - Gunite is porous like natural stone - water gets in, freezes, expands, and CRACK - Your mesh cover is acting like a bowl holding water against the pool edge - Think of it like a glacier forming against a mountainside **Immediate actions:** 1. **Create drainage paths** - lift cover edges with pool poles to let water flow off 2. **Use nature's slope** - position your pump at the lowest point of the cover 3. **Prevent ice dams** - keep water moving even slightly to prevent solid ice formation **Long term:** Consider switching to a solid cover next season. Mesh is great for debris but terrible for snow/ice regions. Stay safe!

Great points everyone! @NoodleNinja41 - love the tech solutions but tonight might be about brute force. @HeaterHelper45 - your glacier analogy is spot on scary! **Update us on:** 1. How much water are we talking? (Inches on cover?) 2. Do you have any pumping equipment already? 3. What's your current outdoor temperature? **If you're doing manual removal:** - Use a **squeegee on a pole** to push water toward drainage points - **Team up** if possible - this is a two-person job minimum - **Wear proper footwear** - wet surfaces + freezing temps = slip hazard Remember: Even removing HALF the water reduces the freeze damage risk significantly. Partial success is still success tonight!

**Quick tech update:** Just checked my smart home logs from my freeze incident. Key findings: **Critical Timeline:** - Water starts expanding at 32°F but major damage occurs below 28°F - You have about 2-3 hours once hitting freezing before real problems begin - Gunite cracks usually happen around 25°F with standing water **Gadget rental option:** - Home Depot rents **trash pumps** for $45/day - moves 5,000+ gallons/hour - Add a **laser thermometer** ($20) to monitor pool surface temp - **Battery backup** for your pump in case of power outage **App recommendation:** "MyRadar" shows hyper-local temperature forecasts. If you see 28°F or below in the next 6 hours - this is DEFCON 1 for your pool!