Vacation Advice - Feeder or floater

[Triumph65]

Hi,

I’m a TFP rookie. I have been taking care of my new plaster with TFP Pool School methods and testing for FC & PH everyday.

My pool specifics are in the signature and my CYA is currently at 50.

I’m in Houston and currently my pump is running 8 hours per day. 1 hour for every 10 degrees in water temp.

When leaving on vacation should i just put 5 chlorine tablets in a floater or put them in the automatic feeder? Will be gone for a weekend but also curious about 10
day vacation. I’ve not been using any powder or tablets at all but realize I may need to when I leave.

Currently losing about 2-3ppm of FC daily, due to sunlight. Just finished a SLAM two weeks ago.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Dirk]

I think others here can advise you about how to use tabs to sneak away. I did it with automation. Have you considered converting your pool to salt and installing as SWG? Really cuts down on daily maintenance, and once you get it dialed in you can sneak away for a good stretch. It's easy to do, and the cost over time pretty much breaks even with the cost of liquid chlorine...

 

[mknauss]

Use PoolMath to see what FC and CYA each tablet will add to your pool.

For the weekend, this time of year, just raise your FC to near shock level for your CYA and do not worry.

For a 10 day, use your current FC loss (at the time of the vacation) and put enough tablets in your feeder to make up that FC for the time gone (or max number of tablets, if necessary). The problem will be you will not know what setting to put the feeder on. So you will just have to guess.

There is no validity to running a pump based on temperature of water.

See Pool School - Determine Pump Run Time

 

[Triumph65]

I think others here can advise you about how to use tabs to sneak away. I did it with automation. Have you considered converting your pool to salt and installing as SWG? Really cuts down on daily maintenance, and once you get it dialed in you can sneak away for a good stretch. It's easy to do, and the cost over time pretty much breaks even with the cost of liquid chlorine...

@Dirk, thanks for the reply. I originally had an SWG. It broke and I did not buy another. It seemed to me that the expense of the unit and the required maintenance wasn’t worth it.
I seem to remember them telling me you had to break down the unit and soak in acid every two month. But I could be wrong.

- - - Updated - - -

Use PoolMath to see what FC and CYA each tablet will add to your pool.

For the weekend, this time of year, just raise your FC to near shock level for your CYA and do not worry.

For a 10 day, use your current FC loss (at the time of the vacation) and put enough tablets in your feeder to make up that FC for the time gone (or max number of tablets, if necessary). The problem will be you will not know what setting to put the feeder on. So you will just have to guess.

There is no validity to running a pump based on temperature of water.

See Pool School - Determine Pump Run Time

Thanks for the advice. The weekend idea is great.
As far as the feeder for the 10 day vacation. I agree on not knowing which setting & will Hereford use a floater. Great news on the pump run time, not sure where I picked that up. I’ll make that adjustment

 

[mknauss]

On your SWCG comment. It is by far the easiest method of adding chlorine to your pool. If the water chemistry is managed properly, there should rarely be a need to clean the cell. You might want to reconsider that decision.

 

[Dirk]

@Dirk, thanks for the reply. I originally had an SWG. It broke and I did not buy another. It seemed to me that the expense of the unit and the required maintenance wasn’t worth it.

Well, I'm getting ready to make another warranty call about mine. This it the second failure, both new units, neither lasted a year. So I cannot give a resounding thumbs up for their reliability. I'm still under warranty, so this hasn't cost me any extra, so far. It has yet to be determined how many of these I will buy, and how often, before the expense of premature failure outweighs the convenience...

I suggested it because I believe most here have had better experiences with them, and I'm still hoping I will, too.

 

[Triumph65]

Well, I'm getting ready to make another warranty call about mine. This it the second failure, both new units, neither lasted a year. So I cannot give a resounding thumbs up for their reliability. I'm still under warranty, so this hasn't cost me any extra, so far. It has yet to be determined how many of these I will buy, and how often, before the expense of premature failure outweighs the convenience...

I suggested it because I believe most here have had better experiences with them, and I'm still hoping I will, too.

I’m not completerly against it. When I bought this house the pool was relatively new & the SWG did not last long. I then just converted to Chlorine.

The SWG would have to almost nullify the need to add chlorine. So far, since starting TFP, I don’t mind pouring a little chlorine in everyday.

 

[mknauss]

If you are home all the time then adding chlorine is no big deal. If you leave for long periods (longest so far of 75 days) then a SWCG is invaluable.

 

[Triumph65]

If you are home all the time then adding chlorine is no big deal. If you leave for long periods (longest so far of 75 days) then a SWCG is invaluable.

Thanks! I may still do it, just need to look at the pro’s & con’s.