Puck question???

Mikedomme · Feb 5, 2015

Hi,
I am a new pool owner using the tfp method and have had zero problems so far (only 3 months). I recently went on vacation for a week and put 4 pucks in a floater with the bottom windows open half way. when I returned I had not dissolved any tabs. my reading was 12 ppm when I left and 10 when I returned. I dumped a 121 oz bleach before I left to get the 12ppm. my question is do the tabs have a binding agent that will not allow them to dissolve with high chlorine? or did I not have the "window" open enough?
I'm not to worried about it because I never dropped below 4 ppm which is what I was afraid of. just curious at this point.
I do not plan on using the tabs except for long 5+ days vacations. about 3 per year.

Thanks for all the help thus far.
Mike

duraleigh · Feb 5, 2015

The tabs, when immersed, produce chlorine continuously......there is no "binding agent"

Usually, lack of water circulation will slow the tab erosion considerably.......and your thought that the window wasn't open enough may well be the case.

Like you, I would not be too concerned....just tweak it next time.

kris77 · Feb 10, 2015

I needed a little more CYA in my pool so I put 2 or 3 tabs in the skimmer basket as a test. I wanted to simulate a week long vacation. They were gone in 3 days. Lots of water movement there. It raised my FC from 7 to around 10 in those 3 days. Then it slowly dropped to about 3.5 over the next 3 days. So, in my case, I'm going to raise my FC to about 10 before I leave and drop tabs in there. Then when I get home, I should be close to 4 or 5 on the FC chart. You could do a similar test and then you would know exactly what to set everything to when you leave.

jblizzle · Feb 10, 2015

kris77 said:
I needed a little more CYA in my pool so I put 2 or 3 tabs in the skimmer basket as a test. I wanted to simulate a week long vacation. They were gone in 3 days. Lots of water movement there. It raised my FC from 7 to around 10 in those 3 days. Then it slowly dropped to about 3.5 over the next 3 days. So, in my case, I'm going to raise my FC to about 10 before I leave and drop tabs in there. Then when I get home, I should be close to 4 or 5 on the FC chart. You could do a similar test and then you would know exactly what to set everything to when you leave.

We do not recommend putting chlorine tablets into your skimmer ... with the caveat that if you leave the pump on 24/7, then any damage to the equipment from the acidic water will be minimized.

kris77 · Feb 10, 2015

yes, the pump was on the whole time. I remembered you guys saying not to put them in the skimmer and leave them there with the pump not on or on a timer. Would a floater be best for this then?

jblizzle · Feb 10, 2015

If the pump is not on 24/7, then a floater or inline chlorinator should be used. Even with the pump on all the time, I would recommend useing one of the other methods also.

Patrick_B · Feb 10, 2015

Welcome to TFP Mike,

Even if your Chlorine was high, it would become higher by adding a puck. Having high Chlorine would not slow the process of more Chlorine being added to the water. :goodjob:

pragmatic · Feb 12, 2015

Good advice already provided here. FWIW-I agree with your idea of supplementing with pucks when going away. I do the same thing and it works beautifully.