ORLANDO, Fla. – As winter approaches, the familiar mantra of protecting the four Ps—people, plants, pets, and pipes—gains renewed importance, especially in regions unaccustomed to severe cold snaps.

In Florida, a state known more for its sunshine than its frost, the concern often extends to pool pipes. With temperatures occasionally dipping below freezing, water trapped in pipes can freeze, leading to cracks and ultimately causing the pipes to burst once the ice thaws.

For pool owners in the Sunshine State, this scenario can quickly escalate into costly repairs. As the water temperature plummets, the risk of damage increases, putting a substantial dent in homeowners’ wallets.

Expert Troy Serres, proprietor of the Pinch A Penny Pool Patio and Spa in Apopka, elaborates on this issue. “The PVC is prone to cracking at the point where it connects to the valve, or the valve body itself may crack. These problems arise when the temperature gets too low during a freeze,” Serres explains, emphasizing the vulnerability of these components in cold conditions.

“The PVC is going to crack here, right where it goes into the valve, or the valve body itself can crack. Either of those things can happen when it gets too cold when we experience a freeze,” said Troy Serres, who owns the Pinch A Penny Pool Patio and Spa store in Apopka.

Serres says, whether you have an in-ground pool or an above-ground pool, just to be safe, the best thing to do is turn it on and let it run overnight.

“Water circulating isn’t gonna freeze,” Serres said. “If you don’t want to run it all night long, at least you can change your timer.”

[WATCH: How to prepare pipes for cold weather]

Serres says to set the timer for midnight and run it into the morning. If you don’t want to continue running the pump throughout the next day, you can shut it off.

Serres says this is even more of a concern for people who have solar water heaters, where the water has to run to the solar panels to heat.

“You’re more likely to get water freezing in the pipes because it’s a very small diameter. If you’ve got the water running through it, the temperatures that we’re gonna get to, yeah, that will prevent it from freezing. If we were to get down to zero, then you don’t wanna send any water up there at all,” Serres said.

Serres also says that for pools with automated systems, the pool pumps should turn on if the temperature falls below 40 degrees. Double-check your manuals, and don’t be surprised if your pools turn on overnight.

[WATCH: When do frigid temps arrive, and how low will they go]

According to our News 6 meteorologists, temperatures are expected to experience freezing conditions for several hours overnight in the following counties:

Marion County: between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Sumter County: between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Lake County: between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Below-freezing temperatures are also forecast overnight in Flagler and northern Volusia counties.

Other counties are not forecast to get cold enough for pipe freezing to be as much of an issue, but Serres says it’s better to be safe.

“That way, you don’t have to have me come out and repair something for you,” Serres said.