We are in the last days of winter and soon it will be time to start getting ready for a new swim season. It is possible that your pool equipment suffered freeze damage this winter. Most of this damage would have occurred at the pool equipment pad area—pumps, filters, heaters, pipes, etc.
There are two extreme weather events that can cause freeze damage to pool components:
- Long periods of time with temperatures at or below freezing
- Extremely low temperatures
As you are probably already aware of, water expands by approximately 9% when it is frozen, therefore anything that is full of water and freezes can potentially be damaged. Therefore, it would probably be a good idea to check to see if you have experienced freeze damage. Following is a course of action for checking for freeze damage and the necessary steps to get the problem solved:
- Turn all of the pumps on and visually inspect to see if you have any leaks.
- If you see leaks, turn the pumps off and give us a call at 864-855-1281 to schedule repairs. Do not wait until the weather warms up to get repairs made, once the season starts, we will be very busy and it may delay getting your pool ready to be used.
- Most underground pipes are deep enough that they do not experience freeze damage, but, just in case, check the yard for wet spots. If you have a wet spot in the yard, you could have an underground leak, which needs to be repaired.
One question that we often hear is whether or not freeze damage to pool equipment is covered under homeowner’s insurance? Homeowners should check with their insurance company, but here are a couple of key points to know:Is freeze damage to swimming pools and swimming pool equipment covered by homeowner’s insurance “In most cases it is not covered, but the resulting damage would be covered. An example: the pipe freezes and busts, water leaks from the pool equipment area to the house and warps the floor. Some homeowners have added mechanical breakdown to their policy, and if they have, then the damage to the pool equipment would likely be covered.”
What is the deductible in most cases?
“The damage is covered under the ‘all other perils deductible’, which is usually $1,000 or 1% of the home value.”
At Anchor Pools, we hope that you did not experience any freeze damage this winter, but if you did, hopefully this information answers some of your questions. If we can help you further, please give us a call at 864-855-1281.
