4 days away -- use pucks or just raise FC before leaving?

[Eva]

Today my pool is 2 months old. I discontinued the Trichlor pucks pretty quick and started using the TFPC method, using liquid 12% chlorine because I found a source that is cheap and reuses the bottles. I like being careful and precise so I'm measuring every day using the FAS DPD test and adding 12 -16 oz of chlorine every day to maintain about 3.5 FC (with an ozonator).

Anyway -- I'm about to go out of town for 4 days and don't want to make my parrot-sitter also be my pool-sitter. So should I use a puck while I'm gone, or just raise FC before I go? If the later, how high should I go? I'd like to keep it swimable in case friends drop by and swim while I'm gone.

My CYA is about 30 (remember I have a roof and an auto cover). Also my pH creeps up all the time so today I got it down to 7.2 so it hopefully won't get above 8 while I'm away.

Thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

First, the use of an ozonator has no impact on the FC levels we recommend in the FC/CYA Chart

Second, a CYA of 30ppm is too low given our sun level, unless you have a LOT of shade (which maybe you do given the picture). So, I would just load up a floater with pucks while you are gone to maintain FC levels and to raise the CYA some.

Use PoolMath to calculate how much each puck will add.

 

[Eva]

Hey thanks for your quick answer. A couple of moderators previously recommended CYA of 20 or 30. The pool is in complete shade most of the day and is covered almost all the time with a vinyl cover. Do I understand that the ozonator destroys or inactivates CL?

Have to use up those stinky trichlor tabs at some point, so I'll probably do that.

 

[jblizzle]

The ozone will in fact increase the amount of a FC that you lose each day.

Yea, I noticed the picture after I wrote my post.

Each tablet will add 5.6 ppm of FC and 3.4ppm of CYA, I would just put 2 in and that should get you by for 4 days.

 

[jeffbrig]

Eva, when I went out of town for 5 days a couple of weeks ago, I just raised my FC to the higher end of the recommended range and threw a few tabs in a floater. Came back to perfect FC level, and it only dissolved about one puck, so CYA increase was minimal. Pucks have the added benefit of moderating pH rise, so you should be fine.

 

[RickW2007]

when I left town for 4 days for a bike rally I just dumped a gallon of 10% bleach before I left. Started at 5ppm chlorine added a gallon left for 4 days, when i came back FC was 4ppm. Mine is full sunlight and the horrible cover that came with the pool didn't stay on over those 4 days so i assume it came off the same day I put it on because it stormed that night.

edit: my sig says SWG it wasn't working when i left(it has only worked a week total since installation first high salt then low salt i gave up on it)

 

[gtemkin]

I'm in a different climate but I have an auto cover and I've been away for 2 weeks with no problem just leaving with the FC level at the high end for my CYA, and kept the cover closed. No pucks.

Not sure where you'd put pucks with an auto cover since trapping a floater in one place under an auto cover might subject the cover to some high localized chlorine levels, and for the skimmer alternative we've all been cautioned not to put them in the skimmer. Maybe the total harm from placing them in the skimmer for such a one time, short period is minuscule.