This week, I'm going on vacation for 9 days. Right now my pool is perfect, balanced and sparkling. It has been that way all summer (knock on wood)! The pump, filter and SWG are on a timer and come on automatically so the water will be circulating and chlorine will be generated. While away, however, the pool will not be brushed. I'm in Florida and it is hot and rains each day. Prior to departing, should I add polyquat 60 as a precautionary measure? If yes, does polyquat consume chlorine? Are there other recommendations to adequately prepare the pool?
Vacation Prep
- Thread starter jagfan
- Start date
If you have a solar cover, you should put it on the pool.
I wouldn't bother with polyquat. It might help, but probably not. Polyquat does consume some chlorine, but not a dramatic amount.
I wouldn't bother with polyquat. It might help, but probably not. Polyquat does consume some chlorine, but not a dramatic amount.
Thanks, I'll forget about the polyquat. I do have a solar cover. Didn't even think about using it because my pool is screened in. What is the advantage to using the cover - retain FC?
A solar cover will reduce the amount of chlorine lost to sunlight. Some are better at this than others, but any cover will help.
I'm thrilled. Returned after being gone 9 days and my pool was still sparkling. I didn't have a chance to put the solar cover on before departing but I did bump up the SWG output %age about 5 points. The neighbor said we had a lot of rain and the water line was almost to the top of the skimmer. But no cloudiness or algae. I took my reading early morning on the 10th day:
FC = 9
CC = 0
PH = 5
TA = 80
I believe I've found the source and overcome the algae problems I had prior to this year. The culprits were the underside of the steps on the ladder in the deep end. Although I couldn't see it, the area was harboring green algae. Once I realized this and scrubbed it all off, I haven't had a problem. I'm not able to remove the ladder from the pool anymore (it is stuck in very tight), so I use a toilet scrub brush and brush them every day while I'm in the pool. Don't know what I'm going to do after swimming season because I can't reach the underside of the steps from outside the pool.
FC = 9
CC = 0
PH = 5
TA = 80
I believe I've found the source and overcome the algae problems I had prior to this year. The culprits were the underside of the steps on the ladder in the deep end. Although I couldn't see it, the area was harboring green algae. Once I realized this and scrubbed it all off, I haven't had a problem. I'm not able to remove the ladder from the pool anymore (it is stuck in very tight), so I use a toilet scrub brush and brush them every day while I'm in the pool. Don't know what I'm going to do after swimming season because I can't reach the underside of the steps from outside the pool.
You can try getting a pump up garden sprayer and mix a 50-50 water and bleach solution and spray it under the steps once a week or you could pour straight bleach around the ladder and use a brush or leaf rake to stir it around the steps until the water drops below 60 degrees.
Time to get inventive!jagfan said:
Browse the housewares departments at a few stores. See if someone doesn't have a ceiling fan duster that might work, upside down. Check what's available for cleaning out raingutters. Or just look for a suitable brush, something you can bend in a U, then saw the handle off a worn-out pool brush and epoxy things together. Voila! You have a shepherd's crook ladder brush attachment!
I've got the perfect round-ish pool brush and am thinking of making the handle and U out of PVC and gluing the brush into it.
Or, you could get a huge bottle brush from a hardware store (they may have them) or a brewery supply store (they definitely will). Those can be bent every which way, and may work for you.
Melt In The Sun said:
Never heard of them, but will check it out. Thanks for the tip.