Do You Still Need Pool Service in a Florida Winter?

The normal January low at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is 60.9 degrees Fahrenheit, and the normal January high is 75.6. Those are the official 1991 to 2020 normals, and they are where any honest answer about pool service in a Florida winter starts. The question for a pool owner is what changes when it cools, and what does not.

This post sticks to what primary sources say, and it says where they run out.

What winter actually looks like here

These are monthly normals from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991 to 2020 period, for the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport station:

• December: high 77.7, low 64.7, average 71.2 degrees Fahrenheit
• January: high 75.6, low 60.9, average 68.3
• February: high 77.4, low 63.3, average 70.3

And for the Palm Beach International Airport station in West Palm Beach, same period:

• December: high 76.5, low 61.5, average 69.0
• January: high 74.7, low 57.9, average 66.3
• February: high 76.7, low 60.1, average 68.4

The National Weather Service in Miami publishes daily normals for the same two stations, and they line up. For January 15 it lists a normal high and low of 75 and 60 at Fort Lauderdale, and 75 and 58 at West Palm Beach.

Normals are averages, not forecasts. Pentair's page, quoted below, carves out cold fronts and winter storms, which is why the cold snap section near the end of this post is worth a read.

What the manufacturer and city sources say about keeping a pool open

Pentair's "Winter Pool Care: Sun Belt Edition" page says pools in its Sun Belt region "typically stay open all year round and do not need to close," and it adds an exception for a cold front or winter storm that could damage equipment or water chemistry. It also says: "If you live in a state that averages 60ºF+ during the winter, there's no need to close your pool." Pentair's wording is about a state's average, not a single station, but every monthly average in the lists above is above 60. The page then tells those owners to continue monitoring their water chemistry.

One line from that page gets quoted out of context, so here is its context. The "test your pool water every two to three weeks" advice is for a partial closure, which Pentair recommends for areas averaging around 45 degrees in winter. That is not Broward or Palm Beach.

The City of Fort Lauderdale's "GYR Tips for Swimming Pools" page makes the human point: "some of our neighbors do enjoy being able to use their pools or hot tubs on cool evenings or winter days." If anyone swims in yours, the chemistry has to be right for them.

The water numbers to check against

The CDC's page "Home Pool and Hot Tub Water Treatment and Testing" (dated May 10, 2024) gives these targets for home pools:

• pH of 7.0 to 7.8.
• Free chlorine of at least 1 ppm in pools, or at least 2 ppm in pools that use cyanuric acid (a chlorine stabilizer) or chlorine products with it.
• A DPD test kit gives the most accurate results. The CDC says test strips are less accurate.
• The CDC says chlorine and pH should be tested at least twice per day, and more often when a number of people are using the pool.

The CDC also says: "As pH goes up, the ability of chlorine to kill germs decreases, especially if pH is >8.0." So if your pH reads above 8.0, the chlorine is doing a weaker job even when the chlorine number looks fine.

This post found no primary source that says how algae or chemical demand behaves in cooler weather, or how often a pool needs a professional visit in winter. Both are left out rather than guessed at. How often you want help is your decision.

Pool care in the cooler months: the pump timer

The City of Fort Lauderdale page says a residential pump can run six hours per day in the summer and still clear the water, and in the winter "four hours per day is enough." It is an energy-saving tips page, and it adds that two more hours a day on a conventional pump adds about $10 a month to a bill.

A U.S. Department of Energy document produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (July 2000) says one complete circulation "usually takes between 6 and 12 hours per day," that it is not necessary to circulate the water completely every day, and that pool owners can save money by circulating for the shortest time possible, "often fewer than 3 hours." Both are about energy cost, not a guarantee of clear water in your pool. Write down what your timer is set to, and check your equipment manual before cutting it back.

Cold snaps: have a plan before the forecast turns

The Pentair page "Winter Weather Pool Protection" says "moving water is less likely to freeze" and that it is "essential to keep equipment running and pool pumps circulating even during freezing temperatures." Its separate freeze protection page says that if you have pool automation, you can enable freeze protection on it, and if you do not, you run your equipment around the clock until temperatures return to normal.

Jandy's installation and operation manual for its FHPM series pumps takes a different route. It says "The pump must be protected when freezing temperatures are expected," and that allowing the pump to freeze "will cause severe damage and void the warranty." Its winterizing section describes draining the pump and piping.

Two manufacturers, two methods. Which applies depends on your equipment, so read your own pump and automation manual while the weather is mild and find the freeze instructions.

A short checklist for today

• Test pH and free chlorine with a DPD kit, and compare against the CDC numbers above.
• Write down your pump timer hours so you know your starting point.
• Find the freeze protection section in your pump or automation manual.

If you would rather not do it yourself

OneBlu's Weekly Pool Care starts at $95 per month. Most standard residential pools fall between $95 and $189 per month, your exact price is confirmed before service begins, and routine balancing chemicals are included unless the approved quote states otherwise. The visit checklist includes testing and balancing routine water chemistry, checking circulation and filter pressure, and a digital service report with a photograph, readings and technician notes. It is month to month with no term to sign.

See the full pricing, check the service areas across Broward and South Palm Beach County, or get a price at oneblupools.com/get-started in about a minute.