{"id":160929,"date":"2025-12-08T13:41:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poolscouts.com\/mckinney\/?post_type=local-post&#038;p=160929"},"modified":"2026-02-11T14:18:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T14:18:22","slug":"mckinney-winter-is-coming-again","status":"publish","type":"local-post","link":"https:\/\/poolscouts.com\/mckinney\/local-post\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\/","title":{"rendered":"McKinney Winter Is Coming\u2026 Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><i>How to Keep Your McKinney Pool from Turning into a Very Expensive Ice Sculpture<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Y\u2019all know how it goes around here. One day it\u2019s 78\u00b0 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We\u2019re 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\u2014pumps 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The good news? Almost all of that heartbreak is 100% avoidable if you do a couple simple things.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Why Stuff Actually Breaks<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Water gets bigger when it freezes. That\u2019s it. That\u2019s 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\u2019s the plastic housing or a copper heat exchanger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The magic fix: water that\u2019s moving refuses to freeze solid. Creeks keep flowing even when ponds turn into hockey rinks. Keep the water circulating and you\u2019re golden.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Your Freeze Guard \u2014 Cool Feature, But Don\u2019t Trust It Blindly<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">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\u00b0, it\u2019s supposed to wake up the pump and get things moving.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Awesome when it works. Sketchy when it doesn\u2019t. I\u2019ve seen these things fail because:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">the sensor died<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">a spider built a condo in it<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">the wire got chewed by something with a bushy tail<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Test it NOW while it\u2019s 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\u2019t, call somebody (like us) before the sleet starts flying sideways.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>The Non-Negotiable Freeze Rules<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">When the forecast says \u201chard freeze\u201d and they\u2019re already canceling school two days out, do this:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">Run the pump 24\/7 until it\u2019s warm again. Forget your normal timer schedule. Electricity bill goes up a little, repair bill goes down a lot.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Open every single valve\u2014waterfalls, fountains, spas, everything. I can\u2019t tell you how many $8,000 rock-wall repairs I\u2019ve done because somebody left the waterfall valve closed. Water sits in those lines, freezes, and now your pretty stonework needs a mason.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Crank the speed. If you have a variable-speed pump, low RPM is great for July. In January it\u2019s not moving water fast enough. Bump it to 2800-3200 RPM. Faster water = happier pipes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Leaves Are the Silent Killer<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">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\u2019ve seen it catch fire. Go empty the baskets even if it\u2019s 25\u00b0 and miserable. Thirty seconds of freezing fingers beats a five-figure repair.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Power Outage Apocalypse Plan<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">If the grid flakes out (and we all know it still can), you\u2019ve got maybe 2-4 hours before ice wins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Here\u2019s the \u201cdrain it yourself\u201d checklist most homeowners can handle in 10-15 minutes:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">Flip pool breakers OFF at the main panel.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Unscrew the two drain plugs on the bottom\/front of the pump (put plugs in the pump basket so you don\u2019t lose them).<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Open the drain on the bottom of the filter (big round plug, might need channel locks).<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Open every plug on the heater (usually two on the inlet\/outlet headers).<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Open the air-bleed valve on top of the filter so everything drains faster.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Once it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Random Pro Tips That Actually Work<\/b><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">Toss a half-filled (with sand or rocks) plastic bottle in each skimmer. Ice crushes the bottle instead of the skimmer wall.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Don\u2019t smash the sheet of ice on the pool surface. It\u2019s basically razor wire to a liner and can pop tiles off gunite walls.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Myths That\u2019ll Cost You Money<\/b><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li5\">\u201cSaltwater pools don\u2019t freeze\u201d \u2192 Wrong. Yours isn\u2019t the Dead Sea.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\">\u201cTennis balls or pool noodles stop the pool from freezing\u201d \u2192 Cute, but no.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\">\u201cMy home warranty covers freeze damage\u201d \u2192 Read the exclusions page. Spoiler: usually not.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Pool Scouts Is Here For You<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It\u2019s built exactly for hands-on owners like you who want to stay in control but have experts in your corner. Here\u2019s what you get:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">Two Annual Equipment Check-Ups<br \/>\n\u25e6 Prep for swim season<br \/>\n\u25e6 Winter-ready inspection<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Comprehensive Diagnostic Report<br \/>\nWe check your heater, lights, controllers, pump run times, and filter efficiency<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">10-Point Perimeter Water Test<br \/>\nWe make sure your water is clean, balanced, and safe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Plus, the good stuff:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\">19% off repairs and chemicals<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Free delivery on chemical orders over $150<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Dedicated pro hotline (Mon\u2013Fri 8-6)<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\">All for just $199.99 prepaid or $19\/month<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Or, if you\u2019d rather we just come out and handle the entire freeze-protection process for you while you stay inside with the hot chocolate, we\u2019ve got full-service winterization options too. Call us at <a href=\"tel:469-352-9191\">469-352-9191<\/a> to get scheduled today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Stay warm out there, McKinney-Frisco-Prosper-Allen-Plano friends. We\u2019ll get through another Texas winter like we always do\u2014one panicked grocery run at a time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>\u2014 Your local Pool Scouts crew<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":160936,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-160929","local-post","type-local-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>McKinney Winter Is Coming\u2026 Again - Pool Scouts of McKinney<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/poolscouts.com\/mckinney\/local-post\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"McKinney Winter Is Coming\u2026 Again - Pool Scouts of McKinney\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to Keep Your McKinney Pool from Turning into a Very Expensive Ice Sculpture Y\u2019all know how it goes around [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/poolscouts.com\/mckinney\/local-post\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pool Scouts of McKinney\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-11T14:18:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/poolscouts.com\/mckinney\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/12\/AdobeStock_194430925-min-scaled-e1765552476475.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"467\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/\",\"name\":\"McKinney Winter Is Coming\u2026 Again - Pool Scouts of McKinney\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/AdobeStock_194430925-min-scaled-e1765552476475.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-08T13:41:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-11T14:18:22+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/AdobeStock_194430925-min-scaled-e1765552476475.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/16\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/AdobeStock_194430925-min-scaled-e1765552476475.jpeg\",\"width\":700,\"height\":467},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-post\\\/mckinney-winter-is-coming-again\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Local Posts\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/local-blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"McKinney Winter Is Coming\u2026 Again\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/poolscouts.com\\\/mckinney\\\/\",\"name\":\"Pool Scouts of McKinney\",\"description\":\"Pool Cleaning &amp; 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