Cover fell in! Water above skimmer and jets!

[angelald]

Just wondering what we are in for. We plugged up the skimmer and the jets with this styrofoam-type tubing (apparently the idea is that it will expand if water gets in and block the pipes from filling) however lo and behold, the tubes just floated out of the skimmer and now the skimmer is full of water (and so are the pipes, I am guessing). Not sure when all of this happened but I am pretty sure that the temps have gone below freezing since it happened. We got a TON of snow this winter so it was just bad luck that the water bags and cover fell in. My questions are:

Is it pretty much a guarantee that if water gets into the pipes that the freezing temps will cause the pipes to crack??

What is the process and cost to fix such a problem?

How will we know if the pipes have cracked once we open the pool?

I guess I am just preparing myself for the worst.

Oh, and in terms of plugging up the jets with this foam tubing, has anyone heard of that? I think most people use regular plugs but I figure if they sell this stuff for that purpose it should work???

Sucks to be me, I know

Thanks!

[muss08]

There is no guarantee that your pipes have cracked but there is a very good chance of it. You'll know almost immediately when you start your pool. You will lose water and have air in your system that you cant get rid of. I have heard of this tubing in the pipes but I didnt think it sounded like a good idea. Plugs are always your best bet and are reusable. If it happened recently you may be okay. One or two nights of freezing temps probably wont crack the pipes unless your are talking low 20s or teens. Fixing broken pipes can be costly, depending on your setup. Pipes and a new skimmer arent the most costly, its having to tear up sections of deck and labor.