Going away for a week...

[dschribs]

We are going away for a week in August....yes - I know it's March....

The longest I have been away in the Summer in the 2 years that we have owned our pool is a long weekend. I just normally bump up the chlorine level a bit w more bleach.

What would I do if I'm not around for 7 days to test the water and add bleach?

Would I just use a few pucks? How many? I've never done anything BUT the BBB method on my pool. I don't even own a "puck floater"!

is there some sort of a pre-loaded puck floater that I could use for the week? I'd hate to have to buy an entire barrel of pucks only to use two or three...

Thanks!!
Dan

 

[Texas Splash]

Dan, leaving for a week should not be a problem. Most folks will simply take their pool up to SLAM/shock level just to help keep the FC up for an extra day or two. They might also use their in-line chlorinator or a floater to augment some FC production. As long as your CYA is not too high before you leave, adding a puck or two won't have devastating effects on your CYA. Flow rate and type of tablet will have an impact, so I usually refer poeple to the Poolmath calculator for good estimates. Look near the bottom where it says, "Effects of adding chemicals". Let us know if you have any more questions.

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Of course if you have anyone you trust to simply add a little bleach each day and check your skimmer, that's ideal.

 

[Richard320]

Many pool stores sell individually-wrapped trichlor pucks. If not, you've got plenty of time to hunt down a pool service guy and ask to buy three or four. Add a five dollar floater and your problem is solved.

 

[dschribs]

Thanks Richard.. How many 3" tabs do you think will be adequate for the week??

 

[Richard320]

Thanks Richard.. How many 3" tabs do you think will be adequate for the week??

When I've left town, I've stuffed 4 pucks into the floater. They were still dissolving three weeks later. I'd think that three would carry you through with plenty to spare. That will add 8 FC and 5 CYA to your pool. So boost the FC up an extra 5 or so with bleach before you go, ensure the water level is high enough to cover evaporative losses, and drop the puck floater in. Done.

Even if the FC drops way low, it won't do it for a couple days, and it's unlikely your pool will turn green in the remaining interval. Relax and enjoy the time away.

By the way, it is normal for people here to rush to look at the pool the instant they get home from a lengthy trip.

 

[zea3]

If you have your pump on a timer and there is the potential for a lot of debris to collect in the skimmer, just run the pump for an hour or two a day while you are gone. If debris accumulation has not been a problem at that time of year in the past then you may run your pump for as long as you wish. How much you run the pump will determine how fast your chlorine pucks will dissolve.

 

[kcindc]

If you have a a lot a tree/shrub/dust debris that falls in your pool, you might want to turn off suction from the skimmers and just use the main drain. I have way too much debris to leave my pool unattended for more than 12 hours when using the skimmers, so I know I have an extreme amount of debris, but worth noting for anyone who has big trees overhanging or near their pool.