algea and vacation

[tara15]

Hello,
Im going on vacation this sat to next wednesday. I wont have anyone to put bleach in while im away, so what should i do? My cya is 30 so should I just get some floaties for while im away? I also thought i read somewhere that you can poke very small holes in bleach bottles and tie them up in the pool so bleach trickles out. would this work? Any suggestions are appreciated
Thanks
Tara

 

[TizMe]

If you have a pool cover I would shock it right before you leave put the cover on and have a good time !!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I agree, shock before you go, and covering it will cut back on evaporation and CL loss. If you can't cover it, depending on how long you'll be gone, a floater with pucks might be okay....Is your pool a liner pool? If so, be sure to tie it off so it doesn't get stuck behind the ladder or something, if your pump is off and it sits in one place that can be bad for the liner in that area....Also be sure your TA is above 100 and your PH is about 7.8 before you go, that way the PH won't drop too low from the pucks which are acidic...

 

[cubbybeave08]

How long are you going away for. I just got back from 13 days away. and all I did was shock before I left, and put two pucks in the floater and then I ran my pump. I had someone who could empty my skimmer basket every other day. However, if you don't have someone...don't run it. it could get full of leaves and then burn pump...If you go with a floater Pool Mom is right you don't want to let it sit in one spot...You might want to put in inside a big innertube and let it get blown around by what ever breeze you might have. Also to keep the floater from getting stuck behind ladder...I put a pool noodle in between the steps and the rail of the ladder and the other end between the ladder and the pool wall. This creates a nice curved bumper and it kind of sends it along on it's way on a nother lap around the pool. It actually works well...

 

[cubbybeave08]

Also Tara, I would think that using pucks even if they are stablized pucks that only being gone for a short period of time will not raise your CYA that much...it did not raise mine that much while I was gone. Anyone disagree...please jump in...I am just one person and that was my experience...by the way make sure the lid is on tight...you don't want to spill a puck like I did...Kinda bleached the liner a little...

 

[jugger2500]

Do you already have borates in your water? If you don't then that would be another step that you can take to help prevent algae.

See this post from waterbear regarding his vacation and the lack of algae due to borates in his pool.

If you need help doing it this post gives you the step by step instructions on adding borates.

Also, as others have already said using a puck or two should be fine since your CYA was only 30 to start just remember to check your CYA when you return and adjust your target FC levels accordingly.

 

[tara15]

ok thanks.
So if someone can check to see if I did my calculations correctly...I have a 10000 agp with a liner, doughboy silica 2 sand pump. Based on jasons pool calcuator it tells me i need 589 oz of borax, which converts to 7.75 boxes of borax right? and 280 oz of muriatic acid which converts to 2.19 gallons correct? So, reading the sticky, is it too late for me to start this since im leaving on Saturday? If i decide to just get the chemicals, do I still have to get my ph and Ta in range or just put that in?
Also, i have wedding cake stairs, so the stairs are up against the pool so nothing can get stuck, but putting it in a float sounds like a good idea. I MIGHT be able to convince my sister to come over once while im gone, so she can add bleach and check and make sure everything is ok. I have the filter on a timer, so that shouldnt be a problem...hopefully.

Thanks again
Tara

 

[jugger2500]

If you are comfortable with where your TA and Ph are, then yes you should have enough time to do it all. I wouldnt dump it all at once tho, I would do it in a few steps and wait an hour in between to let everything mix real good. Also, I would add quite as much as much acid as the pool calculator calls for, maybe 10 ounces short. Then I would test the PH and make sure it is still a little on the high side before adding those last few ounces to bring it back to your target PH. This will help ensure that you don't overshoot it and end up with the PH being too low.

Also, if you've never worked with Muriatic acid before you should be using gloves, safety glasses, and a respirator. Also, stand up wind while pouring, you don't want to inhale the fumes from the acid.

ETA.... and your calculations look right.

 

[Swimgirl]

I used pucks in a floatie - with low CYA you can get away with it. Ph and TA can be raised before you go and / or lowered when you get back. If you keep your filter on a timer, the floatie will move. I myself kept it off, but out here we have a lot of wind, so I knew it wouldn't stay in one place. Have fun, and don't worry about the pool. :-D

 

[tara15]

Hi everyone!

Im back from my vacation and guess what....NO ALGEA.

The pool is blue and clear. There is debris on the bottom, but Ill take care of that tomorrow. I never got around to adding the borax/muriatic acid(packing for whole family including 1 year old) so I just put 3 1/2 of the big bottles of bleach you get at bjs and left. Thanks for the advice as I will definatley use it next time.

Tara