SWG Crapped Out, Can I Use Tabs Temporarily???

[jobondur]

So right before I go away on vacation, my SWG decides to Crud out. I took it to the pool store just to make sure and they ran diagnostics and told me it was coming back with multiple bad readings and was at the end of it's useful life (~ 5 years old) anyways. So my question is, can I just disconnect the SWG from the power supply and use tabs while I'm on vacation? If so, how many of the 3" jumbo tri-chlor tabs do I need to put in each skimmer basket? I have two skimmer baskets and my current chemistry levels are shown below. The FC is high because I had an algae bloom due to the SWG dieing, I am currently shocking. There's not enough time to get a new SWG and I'm going away for 9 days so I need something that will last. I do have a buddy coming over halfway through to check out the pool so I can get him to add more then if necessary. Please advise how I should do this because I don't want to come back from vacation to a big green mess. Also, I'm leaving around noon tomorrow so I won't have time to do a bunch of stuff, just hoping I can get by with tabs for the time being if possible. Please advise. Thanks.

FC - 18.5
CC - 0.5
TC - 19.0
TA - 100
CH - 160
CYA - 45 on its way up, currently adding more CYA (sock in skimmer)
Ph - 7.8
Salt - 3330

 

[Richard320]

Unless you're leaving the pump on 24/7, the skimmer is a bad choice for pucks. They're acidic, and it will concentrate in your plumbing when the pump is off.

My 16,000 gallon pool did just fine when I was gone for 11 days with 4 3" trichlor pucks in a floater that was tethered out in the middle of the pool. Your pool is twice the size, you can probably do the math.

If you don't have a floater, you could probably improvise with an old tube sock. Tie it to an empty bleach bottle that will be your float.

 

[jobondur]

I like the way you think...and it just so happens I have three empty bleach bottles from shocking today, how'd ya know??

Another quick question, when I put the CYA in a sock it takes FOREVER to dissolve, like days. I switched over to one of the wife's nylons figuring it would work quicker and it does but do you guys just leave them there for days or go out and agitate them? I did that for about 10 minutes or so and got a great deal of it to dissolve...just curious.

Thanks.

 

[Richard320]

I have read that it works faster if you give it a squeeze whenever you pass by. I've never done it that way. I add CYA via trichlor pucks when I leave town.

 

[jobondur]

So the tri-chlor pucks that i'm using have CYA in them as well?? Do I need to not add CYA via the sock/nylon method as well???

 

[Richard320]

So the tri-chlor pucks that i'm using have CYA in them as well?? Do I need to not add CYA via the sock/nylon method as well???

Every 10 ppm FC you add via pucks also adds 6 ppm CYA, roughly.

A little secret: down at the bottom of Pool Calculator, there is a section called "Effects of adding chemicals." Assuming you entered the right volume (There's a volume calculator down the page somewhere, too) it will show you.

 

[jobondur]

Ok, so I needed to add rougly 7.5 lbs of stabilizer and I put roughly 5-6 in there today. I'm adding 6-8 pucks tomorrow in a floater and then I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'll check everything when I get back and hopefully everything will turn out well. Thanks for your help Richard...