4 day vacation plan????

[CaseyandScott]

Hi all,

1st of all, thanks to all on the forum. I am a 1st time pool owner and we purchased a used above ground pool this year. We took it down, prepared our site and installed it and a new liner, mostly with the help of all of you on TFP. I was so scared about the chemistry, but all has been good..and relatively easy with the TFP methods.

Now the next hurdle. We will be away for 4 days, starting about 5 tonight and back late Sunday. Filter is on a timer and I plan on letting that run as I have been. Was going to take chlorine up to shock level, which is about 14 for me. CYA is about 35-40, ph has been holding good at 7.4 and CC has been consistently less than .5, usually 0. I seem to only lose about 2 -2.5 ppm of FC per day.

I also have a solar cover. Should I leave this on or take it off for the days away? I plan on vacuuming today and treating late this afternoon before we leave. I will have a neighbor checking in the pool for us but I am trying to make it easy for them as I can and was trying to avoid them having to add anything.

So, sound ok to people who have done it before. Also trying to avoid dichlor or dichlor if possible.

 

[Mr Bruce]

You'll be fine. Cover on is a good idea, make sure the skimmer won't get clogged, cover helps with that too.

If you can get the neighbor to add bleach with the pump running that would be great, but even without a mid vacation dose I bet you'll be fine.

 

[Richard320]

If you leave it at shock level, you'll be fine the first couple days and then FC will dip a bit below minimum. If the pool is otherwise healthy, a day or two with no FC will not lead to an instant green pool. If you cover it, odds are you'll still be above minimum when you get back.

Your plan sounds good. I'd also raise the water level so there's no danger of evaporation lowering the level to where the pump sucks air.

 

[CaseyandScott]

Thanks all, dosed it and left. Will report results Monday.

 

[CaseyandScott]

Got back about 7 tonight, so gone for a little over 4 whole days. FC WAS 2.5 UPON return. CC was 0. I left the cover off and pump was on a timer to run morning and night cycles. When I left I upped the FC level to 15 with liquid chlorine. Little bit of vacuuming to do in the AM, but besides that, all was good. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Akathisia]

Thanks for sharing the follow up results!