Winterizing Fire and Water Bowls

There is no single winterizing routine for fire and water bowls, and anyone who hands you one without knowing your bowl, your pool and your climate is guessing. The manufacturers we carry say surprisingly little about winter, but what they do say is clear and worth following. This guide collects those statements, explains the questions your pool professional should answer for your setup, and covers what to check before the first fire of spring.

Why winter is different for a pool bowl

A fire bowl on a patio mostly needs a cover and a dry burner. A fire and water bowl adds two things that care about freezing: a water supply line tied into the pool's plumbing, and a concrete shell that spends the season wet. Water that sits in a line or soaks into a surface and then freezes is the risk, and that risk depends on details only your installer knows, such as how the bowl is plumbed, where its valves are and whether the lines can drain.

That is why the most useful thing we can tell you is who to ask. Your bowl's water line is part of the pool system, so it belongs in your pool's winterizing plan, done by the same professional who closes the pool. The fire side (gas, ignition and burner) belongs to a qualified gas technician. The concrete belongs to you, with a good cover.

What the manufacturers actually say

These are the statements in the manufacturer documents we reviewed that bear on cold weather, covers and water around the fire components. We have kept them close to the original wording.

What you will not find in the documents we reviewed is a step-by-step drain procedure for a fire and water bowl. That gap is exactly why the plumbing side should go to your pool professional, who knows how your particular bowl was connected.

The water side: make it part of the pool closing

Ask your pool builder or service company to treat each bowl line as part of the pool when they winterize. Whether that means draining the line, isolating it with its valve, or something else depends on how the bowl was plumbed, and that is their call. What you can do is make sure it is on their list, and that the valves for each bowl are labeled at the equipment pad so nothing gets missed in a hurry on a cold morning.

If your bowls were plumbed with individual balancing valves, note their settings before anyone touches them. Getting four bowls to spill evenly again in spring is much easier with a photo of where each handle sat. Our guide to pumps and plumbing for water bowls explains what those valves do.

In a climate with hard freezes, ask about the concrete itself when you order. Slick Rock's elastomeric interior sealer is offered for freeze and thaw and other water-related issues, and it is far simpler to specify up front than to add later.

The fire side: ignition, burner and drainage

Water is the enemy of ignition components, and winter brings plenty of it: snowmelt, freezing rain, leaves that hold moisture against the burner pan. Fire by Design builds drainage into its instructions for exactly this reason, and its warning is worth repeating in plain words: if any part of the ignition system has been under water, do not use the appliance until a qualified technician has checked it and replaced any affected control parts.

Fire on water bowls need special care. Their submersible ignition is designed to sit in water, and Fire by Design's manual says running it outside water damages the pilot wiring. If your pool professional drains a fire on water bowl for the season, the fire stays off until the bowl is refilled to the correct level and checked. Our fire on water guide explains how the water level works.

Covers: breathable matters

A cover keeps leaves, snow and ice out of the burner area and off the spillway, and the makers we carry either call for one or say what kind to use. The detail that matters for concrete is breathability. Slick Rock is explicit that rubberized, plastic or non-breathable items should not go over its products, because trapped moisture can cause the sealer and stain to delaminate. American Fyre Designs asks you to let the unit cool completely before covering and to remove the cover before use. Prism points you to the designated cover for your model.

Before winter, check what your cover is made of against your manual. Make sure it fits without trapping water in a sag on top, and brush heavy snow off rather than letting it sit. If you are not sure whether your cover suits your bowl, call us at 888-887-1870, Monday to Saturday, 9 to 5 Eastern, with the model name.

Warm climates and pools that run all year

In much of the Sun Belt the pool never closes, and neither do the bowls. That is the easy case, but winter is still the season for maintenance. Fewer evenings outside means debris sits longer, and insects and spiders can settle in pilot and burner openings. Fire by Design's manuals call for inspecting the pilot and burner openings for debris and insects twice a year, and for a qualified technician to inspect the system annually. A slow month is a good time to book it.

Keep the water running at the level your installer set, clear leaves from spillways before they stain, and keep an eye on the concrete. Our guide to caring for pool bowls covers cleaning and sealing.

Questions to ask before the first freeze

1. Is each bowl line included in the pool's winterizing, and who is responsible for it?
2. Where are the valves for each bowl, and are they labeled?
3. Does the fire area drain freely, and are the drainage holes clear?
4. Is my cover breathable and made for this bowl, according to the manual?
5. For fire on water bowls: will the bowl be drained, and who confirms the water level before the fire is used again?
6. When is the annual technician inspection of the gas and ignition side?

Spring start-up

Treat the first evening of spring as a small commissioning. Take the cover off, let everything dry, and clear the burner area, spillway and media of leaves and nests. Have your pool professional restore the water to each bowl and rebalance the flow. Check that the media is dry before lighting, since Prism warns against lighting with wet media. For fire on water, confirm the water is back at the correct level first. If anything looks as though it sat in water over the winter, or the ignition behaves differently than it did in the fall, stop and call a qualified technician.

Then light it, pull up a chair, and enjoy the first reflection of the season on the pool.

Common questions

Do I need to drain my fire and water bowl for winter?

It depends on how the bowl is plumbed and how cold your winters are, which is why the decision belongs to your pool professional. The manufacturer documents we reviewed do not give a drain procedure for fire and water bowls. Ask your pool builder or service company to include each bowl line in the pool's winterizing plan, and follow your unit's manual for the fire side.

What kind of cover should I use on a concrete bowl in winter?

Use a breathable cover made for the bowl, and check it against your manual. Slick Rock specifically warns against rubberized, plastic or non-breathable items over its products, because trapped moisture can make the sealer and stain delaminate. Let the unit cool completely before covering it, keep water from pooling on top, and brush off heavy snow.

Can I use my fire bowl in the snow?

Check your unit's manual first, because makers treat weather differently. Clear snow and ice from the burner area, make sure the fire area has drained, and never light it with wet media. If any part of the ignition system has been under water, Fire by Design says not to use the appliance until a qualified technician has checked it.

What should I check before using my fire and water bowl in spring?

Remove the cover, clear leaves and nests from the burner, pilot and spillway, and let everything dry. Have your pool professional restore and rebalance the water. For fire on water bowls, confirm the water level before lighting. If anything looks water damaged or the ignition behaves differently than last season, call a qualified technician before using it.

Sources

1. Slick Rock Inc., Care and Maintenance, 2025
2. Slick Rock Inc., Warranty and Liability
3. Slick Rock Concrete, Resources, elastomeric sealing section
4. Fire by Design, FBD-0001 AWEIS Ignition System Instructions, REV 090826, pp. 7 and 13, maintenance section
5. Fire by Design, FBD-0002 SUBEIS Ignition System Instructions, REV 090826, pp. 1, 5 and 13
6. American Fyre Designs, Fire Bowl Installation and Owner's Manual L-H2-064, p. 38, covers
7. American Fyre Designs, Fire Unit Covers instructions L-H2-015
8. American Fyre Designs, Care and Maintenance, freeze and thaw note
9. Prism Hardscapes, Tavola Series Installation Guide, care and maintenance