Let’s Talk About Protection

What is Freeze Protection?

Freeze protection in the pool and spa industry refers to measures taken to prevent damage to a pool plumbing system due to the expansion of water in the pipes and equipment.  Freeze protection measures can take many different forms such as 24 hour a day pumping, pump and heat the water on a timer, cycle circulation throughout the day, etc.  Basically, as long as water is circulating through all the pipes and the water temperature is above freezing, the plumbing system would be considered in freeze protection mode when the outdoor temperature is approaching the freezing mark.

Why do you need it?

If you live in a climate where the temperature approaches freezing or dips below freezing, then it’s likely you will need some form of freeze protection for your pool/spa plumbing system as winter approaches or the swimming season begins in order to extend the pool season and get the most out of your investment. The risk involved in running your pool during these colder weeks is the potential for quick shifts in outdoor temperature which can lead to frozen pipes and/or equipment.  If your pool systems pipes or equipment freeze, there is a very good chance the frozen water will expand and cause damage to the system.  Burst underground pipes and broken pool equipment can be very expensive to fix not to mention extremely disruptive.

How does it work?

Freeze protection works off the basic premise that water in motion retains heat better than still water and therefore will require longer exposure to freezing air temperatures in order to lower its temperature to match it.  The pool plumbing system circulates and heats pool water throughout all pool equipment and piping; as long as the water is running, there should be minimal risk of freezing.

What makes a good Freeze Protection system?

There are a few key traits that a great freeze protection system must have:

1. Water temperature is maintained at or above a minimum set point.  This set point doesn’t need to be high but it must be high enough that the water in the system doesn’t freeze and it must take into account potential heat loss and how long that process takes for the body of water in question.  The Attendant is capable of determining the most energy efficient way of accomplishing this.  It takes into account outdoor air temperature, weather forecast and time of use energy billing when deciding the best time to heat your water.
2. Keeps water moving through all pipes on a regular basis.  It is recommended that you move water through all pipes at all times, but in some systems with multiple bodies of water and shared equipment setups this isn’t possible.  This will need to be accounted for when putting a freeze protection system in place.  The Attendant manages this through our automated flow switch system which manages the flow of water through different pipe configurations to ensure all pipes receive water on a regular basis.
3. The system is 100% automated.  The last thing you want to be doing when its cold is running out to your pool pad every so often to move valves and spin equipment up and down.  The Attendant is 100% automated but also allows you to override when you want to take control.

What is The Attendant?

The Attendant is a pool, spa and backyard automation system designed to provide peace of mind in managing your space, not only during the weeks of freeze protection, but all season long.

What does The Attendant offer?

• Automated flow switching technology keeps water heated and moving regularly through all of the plumbing system pipes and equipment.
• Smartphone notifications will let you know when freeze protection comes online or offline, when it’s overridden and even when the system thinks it might be time to close the pool.
• The ability to take control and pause freeze protect mode so you can use your pool or spa the way you want.