Maintaining pool while out of town

[JeffSlaton12]

I will be out of town for 10 days this July (live in Oklahoma, so full sun and alot of heat). I have not been using any trichlor tablets, just liquid chlorine and everything is fine. What should I do before I leave? I have someone coming over to clean skimmer basket but it is a young kid and I dont want him messing with the liquid chloring.
Questions:
1. Should I over chlorinate before I leave?
2. Should I fill a floater with trichlor tablets? How many?
3. Pump on timer or run 24/7?

Just trying to eliminate a mess once I get back the best I can. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Bperry]

I will be out of town for 10 days this July (live in Oklahoma, so full sun and alot of heat). I have not been using any trichlor tablets, just liquid chlorine and everything is fine. What should I do before I leave? I have someone coming over to clean skimmer basket but it is a young kid and I dont want him messing with the liquid chloring.
Questions:
1. Should I over chlorinate before I leave?
2. Should I fill a floater with trichlor tablets? How many?
3. Pump on timer or run 24/7?

Just trying to eliminate a mess once I get back the best I can. Any help is appreciated.

Your logs says there’s a few days where FC got below the minimum so when you get back you may need to adjust something to keep it above 4ppm at all times.

I’d raise it up to SLAM level, put a floater in with a couple pucks and leave the pump running 24x7. Should be fine when you get back. Your CYA is only 60 so adding a couple ppm of CYA isn’t going to hurt anything.

 

[Mdragger88]

In general the advice is to raise fc to slam level for your cya
FC/CYA Levels
& load up a floater with pucks.
I tether my floater to my hand rail so it can’t get stuck somewhere against the liner.
That said, looking at your logs you have fallen below minimum for your cya a number of times so you want to remedy that going forward.
your cya is currently 60.(the top of the recommended range for manually chlorinated pools). If things go awry while you’re away you will need to exchange some water to lower the cya so you can slam anyway. Otherwise backwashing & such will eventually lower the cya again after your short use of pucks.
Here’s what each dissolved puck will do

Fwiw- When I return after a week all the pucks are usually not dissolved.
I leave my pump on the same schedule whether i am at home or away via a timer.

 

[JeffSlaton12]

Your logs says there’s a few days where FC got below the minimum so when you get back you may need to adjust something to keep it above 4ppm at all times.

I’d raise it up to SLAM level, put a floater in with a couple pucks and leave the pump running 24x7. Should be fine when you get back. Your CYA is only 60 so adding a couple ppm of CYA isn’t going to hurt anything.

Thanks!

 

[JeffSlaton12]

In general the advice is to raise fc to slam level for your cya
FC/CYA Levels
& load up a floater with pucks.
I tether my floater to my hand rail so it can’t get stuck somewhere against the liner.
That said, looking at your logs you have fallen below minimum for your cya a number of times so you want to remedy that going forward.
your cya is currently 60.(the top of the recommended range for manually chlorinated pools). If things go awry while you’re away you will need to exchange some water to lower the cya so you can slam anyway. Otherwise backwashing & such will eventually lower the cya again after your short use of pucks.
Here’s what each dissolved puck will do
View attachment 507909
Fwiw- When I return after a week all the pucks are usually not dissolved.
I leave my pump on the same schedule whether i am at home or away via a timer.

Should I fill the floater with pucks, as many as it will hold?

 

[Mdragger88]

Should I fill the floater with pucks, as many as it will hold?

Yeah- i think mine holds 3 or 4. & open the slits all the way if it’s adjustable.
The slam level fc will get you through the first part of the week & the tabs will help on the back end. I usually always return to find only about 1/2 - 3/4 of the tabs dissolved.
When you get back you can set them out somewhere safe to dry for a few days before storing them again in an old plastic container for later use.

 

[Mdragger88]

One other thought- I have wifi cameras on my pool so I can see that the pump & the robot are running on schedule, if there’s a limb/debris, unwanted guests or whatever. They send motion alerts. One on the pool with the skimmer in view & one on the equipment so I can deploy help if needed from afar.
Its nice to be able to check on things. Best $20 ever spent on the pool.
I usually have my in-laws check the skimmer about mid week of my vacation unless a storm comes or something.

 

[JeffSlaton12]

Yeah- i think mine holds 3 or 4. & open the slits all the way if it’s adjustable.
The slam level fc will get you through the first part of the week & the tabs will help on the back end. I usually always return to find only about 1/2 - 3/4 of the tabs dissolved.
When you get back you can set them out somewhere safe to dry for a few days before storing them again in an old plastic container for later use.

Thanks, really appreciate it.

 

[JeffSlaton12]

One other thought- I have wifi cameras on my pool so I can see that the pump & the robot are running on schedule, if there’s a limb/debris, unwanted guests or whatever. They send motion alerts. One on the pool with the skimmer in view & one on the equipment so I can deploy help if needed from afar.
Its nice to be able to check on things. Best $20 ever spent on the pool.
I usually have my in-laws check the skimmer about mid week of my vacation unless a storm comes or something.

Great idea for the camera, thanks!