How to maintain chlorine levels during 5-day absence

[Tom RI]

This past winter, we bought a vacation home with a pool. It's about 70 miles from our permanent residence. Most weeks, we'll only be at the vacation house weekends (from Friday evening till Sunday evening). So far, I have not been able to find a pool support person who can do mid-week adjustments. I need some advice about how to keep the chlorine level OK from Sunday night till Friday.

With help from people at TFP, the pool looks great right now. FC 5, pH 7.2, TH 120, CYA 35. It is 20,000 gallons, vinyl, with a Hayward chlorinator. I also have a solar cover.

Until I get the timer repaired, I have been running the pump 24/7. So, if I use the chlorinator, it's also running 24/7. I've only had the pool open for two weeks, but I find that the 3-inch Tri-chlor tabs are gone by the time I get to the house on Friday, and the chlorine level is <1. I use bleach to get the chlorine up fast and I've gotten away with that so far. But I'm concerned that having a low chlorine level for part of the week will be a problem as the water gets warmer.

Once I get the timer working, I can run the pump/chlorinator maybe 8 hours per day. Maybe at that rate, the Tri-chlor won't get used up before Friday. So that might provide a partial solution. But I'm also concerned about what my CYA levels will be if I have to rely on Tri-Chlor all summer.

What do you recommend? Would I be better of using a floating basket so the chlorination rate doesn't depend on the pump? Is there some slow-release chlorine source that won't add CYA at the same time?

Please don't suggest that I should just retire and live there full time so I could take proper care of the pool. I might take you up on it. But my creditors would have a problem with that...

Thanks for your advice.

 

[RobbieH]

Use the floater, your CYA level isn't high.

There is no slow-release chlorine source, at least not in a solid form, that won't add CYA. Other forms are chlorine injection systems, Liquidator, or salt water chlorine generator. I travel a lot, that's why I switched to salt.

 

[JohnT]

SWCG would seem to be the best option IMO.

Reducing the run time might reduce puck consumption, but you only have 1ppm left at the end of the week, which means you need all of those pucks and more to maintain your chlorine. Not to mention you'll eventually get to a CYA level that won't allow continued puck use.

 

[Tom RI]

These are excellent suggestions. Thanks to everyone.

Mostly for simplicity and upfront costs reasons, a liquid chlorine feeder interests me. I don't know how much bleach I need per day to maintain Cl levels. With a 20,000 gallon pool in Rhode Island, would the larger size Liquidator hold enough 6% bleach to chlorinate the pool for a 5-day period?

 

[JohnT]

Each gallon of 6% will add 3ppm to your pool, which would be a typical daily consumption. Since the C-201 holds about 8 gallons, you'd be okay. I'd go with 10 or 12.5% if you can. That way you have some spare capacity if you can't go. The SWCG would be the best at covering you if you can't make it one weekend, but of course the cost is higher initially. Either way, it can take some experimentation to get things adjusted, and the weather can determine how much chlorine you actually use.

A solar cover would reduce your chlorine usage as well.

 

[Tom RI]

Thanks Robbie and John T. I am encouraged that the Liquidator might solve my problem. I looked at the "manual" for the Liquidator and it doesn't say much about delivery rates. To deliver the 1 gallon of 6% bleach I'd need per day, do you have any idea how many hours I'd need to run my pump with the Liquidator at full open?

If I wanted to cut down on pump hours, I guess I could always go to 12% bleach. But I have no idea where I would buy that around here.

Thanks again for all your help.