McKinney Winter Is Coming… Again
How to Keep Your McKinney Pool from Turning into a Very Expensive Ice Sculpture
Y’all know how it goes around here. One day it’s 78° and the kids are still in shorts, next thing you know your phone buzzes with a winter-storm warning and half of Collin County loses its mind at the grocery store.
We’re all still a little PTSD from 2021. Nobody wants to relive the week without power, the ceiling waterfalls from burst pipes, or the $20,000 pool-equipment funerals that happened afterward. I still get sick driving through Stonebridge Ranch or Adriatica after a bad freeze—pumps split wide open, filters that look like someone took a sledgehammer to them, heaters that cost more than a used car now sitting in pieces.
The good news? Almost all of that heartbreak is 100% avoidable if you do a couple simple things.
Why Stuff Actually Breaks
Water gets bigger when it freezes. That’s it. That’s the whole science lesson. Same reason a forgotten Coke in the freezer blows up and paints the inside of your fridge cherry red. Your pump, filter, and heater are just fancy (and pricey) Coke cans full of water. When that water turns to ice with nowhere to go, something has to give. Usually it’s the plastic housing or a copper heat exchanger.
The magic fix: water that’s moving refuses to freeze solid. Creeks keep flowing even when ponds turn into hockey rinks. Keep the water circulating and you’re golden.
Your Freeze Guard — Cool Feature, But Don’t Trust It Blindly
Pretty much every pool built in the last 15-20 years around here has a freeze-protection sensor. Looks like a little thermometer on a wire hanging off the equipment. When the air temp drops to around 38°, it’s supposed to wake up the pump and get things moving.
Awesome when it works. Sketchy when it doesn’t. I’ve seen these things fail because:
- the sensor died
- a spider built a condo in it
- the wire got chewed by something with a bushy tail
Test it NOW while it’s still nice outside. Fill a Solo cup with ice water, dunk the sensor bulb in for 45-60 seconds. Pump should kick on. If it doesn’t, call somebody (like us) before the sleet starts flying sideways.
The Non-Negotiable Freeze Rules
When the forecast says “hard freeze” and they’re already canceling school two days out, do this:
- Run the pump 24/7 until it’s warm again. Forget your normal timer schedule. Electricity bill goes up a little, repair bill goes down a lot.
- Open every single valve—waterfalls, fountains, spas, everything. I can’t tell you how many $8,000 rock-wall repairs I’ve done because somebody left the waterfall valve closed. Water sits in those lines, freezes, and now your pretty stonework needs a mason.
- Crank the speed. If you have a variable-speed pump, low RPM is great for July. In January it’s not moving water fast enough. Bump it to 2800-3200 RPM. Faster water = happier pipes.
Leaves Are the Silent Killer
North Texas trees wait until the absolute worst moment to drop every leaf they own. A skimmer basket full of wet oak leaves can block flow completely. Pump runs, nothing moves, water freezes anyway, and sometimes the pump motor burns up from running dry. I’ve seen it catch fire. Go empty the baskets even if it’s 25° and miserable. Thirty seconds of freezing fingers beats a five-figure repair.
Power Outage Apocalypse Plan
If the grid flakes out (and we all know it still can), you’ve got maybe 2-4 hours before ice wins.
Here’s the “drain it yourself” checklist most homeowners can handle in 10-15 minutes:
- Flip pool breakers OFF at the main panel.
- Unscrew the two drain plugs on the bottom/front of the pump (put plugs in the pump basket so you don’t lose them).
- Open the drain on the bottom of the filter (big round plug, might need channel locks).
- Open every plug on the heater (usually two on the inlet/outlet headers).
- Open the air-bleed valve on top of the filter so everything drains faster.
Once it’s empty, nothing above ground can freeze and break. Underground lines stay warm in the dirt. Go back inside and pray ERCOT gets its act together.
Random Pro Tips That Actually Work
- Toss a half-filled (with sand or rocks) plastic bottle in each skimmer. Ice crushes the bottle instead of the skimmer wall.
- Don’t smash the sheet of ice on the pool surface. It’s basically razor wire to a liner and can pop tiles off gunite walls.
- Wrapping the pump motor in blankets sounds smart but can cook the motor. If you insulate, leave breathing room or just put a trouble light or small space heater under a loose tarp.
Myths That’ll Cost You Money
- “Saltwater pools don’t freeze” → Wrong. Yours isn’t the Dead Sea.
- “Tennis balls or pool noodles stop the pool from freezing” → Cute, but no.
- “My home warranty covers freeze damage” → Read the exclusions page. Spoiler: usually not.
Pool Scouts Is Here For You
Look, nobody buys a house with a pool planning to play plumber in a parka. If any of this sounds overwhelming (or you just want the peace of mind that comes with real pro backup all year long), check out our DIY Assist membership.
It’s built exactly for hands-on owners like you who want to stay in control but have experts in your corner. Here’s what you get:
- Two Annual Equipment Check-Ups
◦ Prep for swim season
◦ Winter-ready inspection - Comprehensive Diagnostic Report
We check your heater, lights, controllers, pump run times, and filter efficiency - 10-Point Perimeter Water Test
We make sure your water is clean, balanced, and safe
Plus, the good stuff:
- 19% off repairs and chemicals
- Free delivery on chemical orders over $150
- Dedicated pro hotline (Mon–Fri 8-6)
- All for just $199.99 prepaid or $19/month
Or, if you’d rather we just come out and handle the entire freeze-protection process for you while you stay inside with the hot chocolate, we’ve got full-service winterization options too. Call us at 469-352-9191 to get scheduled today.
Stay warm out there, McKinney-Frisco-Prosper-Allen-Plano friends. We’ll get through another Texas winter like we always do—one panicked grocery run at a time.
— Your local Pool Scouts crew