Happy medium? Can it be done

[fkeeley]

I’ve been doing a lot of reading in old threads and articles which have pretty much indicated I shouldn’t be using my trichlor tabs in my automatic feeder.

I‘m reaching out for some thoughts here.

Ive just completed my slam and am letting my FC drift down to 4 (cya is 30).

I work 3 12s occasionally 1 24 Hour shift. When my days are stacked my pool is already off for the evening by the time I get home and my solar cover remains on unless I’m home and using it (pool is unholy cold - hence the two panels and a cover) So testing and adding liquid chlorine on those days just isn’t feasible as the pump isn’t running and my cover is on.

Someone has recommended using my chlorinator on the days I work and turn it off when I’m home and able to treat with liquid chlorine.

So a few questions on that matter

1. My chlorinator is directly in line (pump - filter - solar panels - chlorinator - return). So if I shut it off, I’m not sure how that affects overall pool flow. Or should I leave it “on” and just remove tabs?

2. Should I be setting my chlorinator to 2 or 4 when I can’t treat with liquid ? Pool math says my target is 4, but is that the number I’m using liquid chlorine for?

3. Everyday I’m home I should test and add liquid chlorine to my target of 4? Is this once a day? I’m assuming everyone using the tfp method is testing and treating once a day to their target?

4. Is it safe for me to add liquid chlorine with my solar cover down?

5. If im reading old threads correctly one 8 oz trichlor tab will raise my cya 2.2 ppm for roughly my size pool?

6. Are you just to maintain your target everyday or is there like a weekly “shock” type procedure recommended as well, not a slam, but just an extra jolt of chlorine.

Obviously im gonna have to watch my cya if I go this route, vac to waste whenever possible. Just not sure how else to do it when I’m leaving at 5 am and not getting home until 8pm several days in a row.

Thanks

Sorry for the question bombing
finally grasping what I’ve been doing wrong for so many years

if if I ever get my inground def going swg:fish:

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Have you considered a SWG? I just finished a three PM shift stretch, my pool remained covered yet my SWG toodles along nicely on its own. I'll open the pool and let it breath a bit as soon as all this rain stops.

I've recently gone 2 weeks to Europe and left the pool like this with no problems. Its the only way to go, IMO!

Maddie

 

[fkeeley]

Have you considered a SWG? I just finished a three PM shift stretch, my pool remained covered yet my SWG toodles along nicely on its own. I'll open the pool and let it breath a bit as soon as all this rain stops.

I've recently gone 2 weeks to Europe and left the pool like this with no problems. Its the only way to go, IMO!

Maddie

Unfortunately our above ground is not worth the investment. Deck probably has a solid 3-5 years (5 being generous) and the pool itself is a lambert and likely put in sometime in the 90s - they don’t make parts for it anymore so we’ve got a few extra things on eBay in case of catastrophic failure. There’s tiny holes around the return where you can see the liner (which is 2 y/o). So overall the pool is on borrowed time.

 

[zea3]

As long as you keep a close eye on the CYA, pH and FC you can manage with tabs. Just know that if CYA gets too high you will need to do a partial drain and refill. Also make sure the pH doesn't drop below 7.0 Tabs are acidic and will drop the pH level.