Policy on Winterizing Outdoor Pool Heaters
Attention: All On-Site Associates
From the 10/18 E-Hour, all outdoor pool heaters are required to be turned off beginning November 1. Review this article for instructions and action items.
With the winter months right around the corner, we’d like to remind you of our policy on winterizing outdoor pool heaters. Essex is dedicated to minimizing our carbon footprint, and removing natural gas pool heater usage during the winter months will minimize fossil fuel consumption by eliminating energy waste. Review the below to fully understand the policy as well as time-sensitive action items.
What is the Company’s policy on winterizing outdoor pool heaters?
- The official policy is that all outdoor natural gas pool heaters should be turned off from October through April.
- Due to a warm autumn season, for 2017 only we will require that all outdoor natural gas pool heaters be turned off beginning November 1.
- Please note that solar pool heaters will be addressed separately.
Who does this policy affect?
- All California and Washington properties must turn off their outdoor natural gas pool heaters during the winter months. This does not include combination indoor/outdoor pools.
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If your community believes your pool heater should remain on during the winter, please contact the Senior Vice President of Operations directly to discuss.
- If the pool is open to the residents for winter use, the circulation equipment must be operational during pool hours and all other required pool maintenance should continue.
What is the purpose of this policy?
- Environmental Stewardship. Essex is a steward of the environment, and our goals are to conserve energy, minimize fossil fuel consumption and our carbon footprint. Heating a pool during the winter months wastes natural gas exponentially. In fact, in the winter it takes more fuel to heat a gallon of water for each temperature degree increase. Therefore, removing any unnecessary pool heating will help us achieve these sustainability goals.
- Cost and Energy Savings. In total, we have approximately 260 pools in our portfolio. The average cost for Essex to heat a pool with a gas heater is $3,200-$4,800 annually. Winterizing will also extend the life of the pool heating equipment. Therefore, winterizing the pools reduces energy waste which also results in cost savings
How does my community ensure the pool is winterized?
To close your pool for winter, complete the following steps:
1. Shut down the pool heater according to the manufacturer’s instructions by the required date.
- Manufacturer’s instructions. The Maintenance Supervisor is responsible for following the manufacturer’s instructions for pool heater shutdown and winterization. If you are unable to locate the manufacturer’s instructions, please contact our Director of Facilities (jbroos@essex.com) for assistance.
- General instruction overview. In general, pool heaters should be turned off at the heater controls, the circuit breaker switched off (if it has a dedicated circuit), and the gas valve closed if it has a dedicated gas valve, that will not interfere with other appliances such as a spa heater or leasing office water heater. Additionally, if your heating system has a by-pass valve, you should by-pass the heater. The circulation equipment must remain on during this time to maintain water quality and allow for easy start-up in the spring. Again, this is a general overview, and your Maintenance Supervisor should contact your pool service vendor if you have questions regarding how to properly shut-down your heater.
2. If your community has a pool cover, install the pool cover by the required date. If your community has a pool cover, ensure you secure the pool cover in a manner to prevent unauthorized removal. In addition, only use solid pool covers as they are the safest option.
- Why use a pool cover? When used properly, pool covers conserve water by reducing the amount of make-up water needed by 30%-50%, reducing chemical consumption by 35%-60%, and reducing cleaning time by keeping dirt and other debris out of the pool.
3. Resident Communications Plan.
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Action Required: Post pool closure notices 2 weeks prior to the required date (Wednesday, October 18, 2017).
- Ensure residents understand that the pool is unavailable until May 1 by posting notices around the pool area.
- These notices should remain posted throughout the duration of the pool closure.
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There are two versions of this notice available. Select the version that best applies to your community:
- Pool Closed for Winter
- Pool Not Heated for Winter
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Action Required: Send Resident Email notice on the date of closure (Wednesday, November 1).
- For communities with outdoor pools, you are responsible for sending residents an email notice on the date of closure (November 1, 2017).
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There are two versions of this notice available as email templates in RENTCafé Site Manager. Select the version that best applies to your community:
- Attention: Pool Closed for Winter
- Attention: Pool Not Heated for Winter
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Send the email notice via RENTCafé Site Manager.
- If you need a refresher on how to do this, please visit the RENTCafé wiki page – How to send emails to the residents.
4. Continue to perform routine water maintenance during winter. Routine water maintenance must be adhered to during the closure period. Chemical balance is important during this period to ensure a quick start-up when the pool reopens in the Spring.
5. Continue to cycle the water. Set the equipment time clock or controller to allow enough time for the pool to have a full turnover of the water at least once per day to ensure complete chemical mixing.
Questions?
- If you would like to request that your pool heater remains operational during the winter, please contact the SVP of Operations to discuss.
- If you have any questions about how to winterize your community’s pool, please contact Director of Facilities, John Broos (jbroos@essex.com).
- If you have questions regarding how to properly shut down your heater, contact your pool service vendor.
- If you have questions about RENTCafé Site Manager administrator functions, first reference the RENTCafé wiki page here. If you still require assistance, please contact AST@essex.com.