Keeping FC up on Vacation

[houstonguy]

We're going to be gone for a couple days next week. Is it better to use pucks to keep the FC where it needs to be while we're gone, or should I just use bleach to get it up to a point that it will stay above the min. for 48-36 hours.

If pucks are the way to go, is there a formula for how many to use based on pool size, and target FC level?

Thanks,

 

[coloeb]

By now you should have a feel for how much chlorine you add per day in PPM. 2 days is not really that bad so I would just bring it to shock level before you leave and let it drift down. I work 14days on 14 days off in the gulf of mexico so my situation is somewhat different, but it can be done.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Post a set of test results especially your CYA level.

Having said that, usually pucks are the way to go when being away for several days. However if you're only going to be gone a couple of days, raising your FC will work until you get back. Wow, that didn't answer your question did it?

 

[houstonguy]

CYA is about 50. Mostly I was curious about using the pucks and how many would I need to keep the FC up if I went that route since I have them. Also if it is a trial and error formula, I thought it might be a good idea to try now on a shorter trip, so that I know what I need when we are gone longer.

But yeah, I'm pretty comfortable using bleach to keep it up while we're gone.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Do you have a floater or other feeder?
Do you run your pump 24 hours a day?

If you answered yes to either of these questions then by all means give it a try. I agree that it's better to learn in short bursts than to figure out it wasn't working after a week of being gone.

 

[houstonguy]

Yes I have a floater. I don't normally run the pump 24 hours but I can while we are gone. If I fill a floater with 4-5 pucks and run the pump the whole time, should that be enough to keep FC stable?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Do you run the pump on a timer? If so I'd just stay with letting it run normally and put a couple of pucks in the floater. That way you can test and judge how much gets used per day. On a pool your size losing about 3ppm per day FC, you should use about one 7oz tablet per day.