Most automation panels can turn your pool pump on by themselves when the air gets cold. Whether yours will on the first freezing night depends on three things you can check now, in the fall: the water level, whether freeze protection is switched on for the right equipment, and what temperature it's set to trigger at. Here's where each setting lives on Pentair EasyTouch and IntelliCenter, Hayward ProLogic and Jandy AquaLink RS, taken from each manufacturer's own manual.
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Freeze protection works by running the pump. If the water has dropped below the skimmer opening, the pump draws air, loses its prime and runs dry — and Pentair's pump manual says a pump run dry damages its mechanical seal. A panel that switches the pump on with the water too low burns up the seal and still doesn't keep water moving. So before you touch a menu, look at the skimmer and top the pool up if it's low. Why that matters is covered in our guide to why a pool pump loses suction.
Then check one more thing: the panel's air temperature reading. Pentair's and Hayward's manuals both say the decision comes from an outdoor air temperature sensor. Compare what the panel shows with a thermometer on the same day; a sensor that reads warm will start the pump late or not at all.
| System | Trigger temperature | Where the setting lives | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair EasyTouch | Air sensor below 36°F (the manual says 35°F in other places) | Settings menu → Circuit Function → Freeze: Yes, circuit by circuit | Pool and spa circuits are protected by default; pool and spa valves alternate every 15 minutes |
| Pentair IntelliCenter | Not listed in Pentair's quick reference guide | Settings → Advanced System Configuration → Installation Setup → Circuits → Freeze Protection | Home screen shows "Freeze Protect Active"; freeze cycle time 5–60 minutes (default 5) |
| Hayward ProLogic | 38°F default, adjustable 33–42°F | Configuration menu → Filter Pump Config → Freeze Protect and Freeze Temp | The Configuration menu is normally locked and meant for a pool professional |
| Jandy AquaLink RS | 38°F default, adjustable 34–42°F | MENU/HELP → SYSTEM SETUP → FREEZE PROTECT | The main filter pump is protected by default; switches off within 2°F of the setting |
One pattern runs through all four: freeze protection is a list of circuits, not a single switch. On EasyTouch, ProLogic and AquaLink RS the filter pump is on that list by default, but anything else you want protected — a spa, a booster pump, a separate cleaner pump, a water feature — usually has to be added to it.
EasyTouch. Pentair's user guide says freeze protection switches the filter pump on to circulate the water when the outdoor air sensor falls below 36°F; in its settings section it describes the trigger as 35°F, so treat it as the mid-30s. You assign it per circuit in the Settings menu under Circuit Function, where each circuit has a "Freeze" line you set to Yes or No. The pool and spa circuits come with freeze protection on by default, and when both are assigned, the system switches the pool and spa valves every 15 minutes so water keeps moving in both. If you have an IntelliFlo variable-speed pump, the guide notes you can set a dedicated freeze speed; without one, the pump runs at its default circuit speed.
IntelliCenter. On Pentair's newer touchscreen system, freeze protection is an option on each circuit under Settings → Advanced System Configuration → Installation Setup → Circuits, and the Home screen shows "Freeze Protect Active" while it's running. Under the Delays settings you'll find Freeze Cycle Time, adjustable from 5 to 60 minutes with a default of 5, and a Spa Freeze Override Time of up to four hours that lets you run and heat the spa during freezing weather. Pentair's quick reference guide doesn't state the trigger temperature, so we haven't guessed one here.
Hayward's ProLogic operation manual puts freeze protection in the Filter Pump Config section of the Configuration menu: Freeze Protect is enabled by default, and Freeze Temp is adjustable from 33°F to 42°F with 38°F as the default. That one temperature is used for every output that has freeze protection turned on. On a two-speed pump it runs on high by default; on a variable-speed pump you choose the freeze speed.
Two details owners should know. First, the manual says the Configuration menu is normally locked and should only be used by a pool professional, which is why most owners have never seen these settings. Second, its warning in capitals: pressing the SYSTEM OFF button overrides any programmed freeze protection and may cause damage in freezing conditions. Service mode also disables all automatic functions. Don't leave a ProLogic switched off or in Service mode on a cold night.
If you have a pool and spa, Hayward says the valves alternate between them every 30 minutes during freeze protection, with the filter pump pausing while the valves turn.
Jandy's owner's manual is the most direct of the four. Go to MENU/HELP, then SYSTEM SETUP, then FREEZE PROTECT. The activation temperature can be set anywhere from 34°F to 42°F, the default is 38°F, and freeze protection switches off within 2°F of the setting. The main filter pump is protected by default; other equipment — a cleaner, a booster pump, the spa — is added on the next screen.
It also has the most important caution of any manual here. Jandy says freeze protection is intended to protect equipment and plumbing for short periods of freezing only, and that it doesn't guarantee against damage from extended periods of freezing temperatures or power outages. And if you use the spa during freezing conditions, it overrides freeze protection for non-spa equipment you've protected, such as a cleaner or booster pump.
None of this is a reason to skip freeze protection — it's exactly what you want on a typical Houston cold night. It's a reason to check it before the first front rather than discover a gap the morning after.
On a pre-freeze visit we check the water level, compare the panel's air reading with a real thermometer, confirm freeze protection is on, look at which circuits it actually covers and what speed a variable-speed pump will run at, and make sure nothing is sitting in Off or Service mode. On a Hayward, that includes the locked Configuration menu.
If your panel is old enough that its settings are hard to reach or it no longer talks to your pump, that's often the moment to look at an upgrade — see our pool automation upgrades. If a freeze has already done damage, our pool equipment repair team handles pumps, filters and plumbing, and our pool heater repair page covers the heater side.
It depends on the system. Hayward's ProLogic and Jandy's AquaLink RS both default to 38°F (adjustable 33–42°F on the Hayward and 34–42°F on the Jandy). Pentair's EasyTouch guide says the pump comes on when the outdoor air sensor falls below 36°F, and gives 35°F elsewhere in the same guide. Pentair's IntelliCenter quick reference doesn't list a trigger temperature.
In the Settings menu, open Circuit Function. Each circuit has a Freeze line you set to Yes or No. Pentair's guide says the pool and spa circuits have freeze protection on by default, and when both are assigned, the pool and spa valves alternate every 15 minutes so water keeps moving in both.
In the Configuration menu, under Filter Pump Config, where Freeze Protect is enabled by default and Freeze Temp defaults to 38°F. Hayward's manual says the Configuration menu is normally locked and meant for a pool professional. It also warns that pressing SYSTEM OFF overrides freeze protection.
On an AquaLink RS, go to MENU/HELP, then SYSTEM SETUP, then FREEZE PROTECT. Set the activation temperature anywhere from 34°F to 42°F (38°F is the default), then assign the equipment you want protected; the main filter pump is protected by default. Jandy notes that using the spa during freezing conditions overrides freeze protection for non-spa equipment.
Because it's designed not to. Pentair's EasyTouch guide says IntelliChlor doesn't produce chlorine while freeze protection is running the pump, and Hayward's ProLogic manual says the chlorinator won't operate if freeze protection is the only reason the pump is on. Pentair's IntelliChlor also switches itself off when the water falls below about 52°F, and Hayward and Jandy cells have similar cutoffs (see salt cells in cold water). Check chlorine and add it by hand during a long cold spell.
No. It works by running the pump, and the pump needs electricity. Jandy's manual states that freeze protection is intended for short periods of freezing only and doesn't guarantee against damage from extended freezing temperatures or power outages. Plan for an outage before a hard freeze rather than during one; how to drain the equipment is in our guide to freeze protection without power.
Tell us which panel you have — Pentair, Hayward or Jandy — and we'll check the water level, the air sensor, the trigger temperature and which equipment is actually protected, before the first cold front rather than after it. Licensed, insured, serving Cypress and Greater Houston.