Am leaving for 4-5 week vacation and don't know how to prep spa. We don't have anyone to maintain it while we are gone. We are going to dump and refill as soon as we get back (because cya is at 150!...learned cya lesson the hard way. Pool store never told me about cya, but that's another story). I really don't want to come back to a pond. Spa sales guy suggested putting two @ease chlorine refill bottoms only (not mineral top portion) in filter trap, set on lowest setting. Any suggestions or thoughts?
How to prep swim spa for vacation
- Thread starter Villagesilvergirl
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!!!4-5 weeks is WAY too long to be gone to expect the pool/spa to be in good shape when you return without someone adding chlorine.
Since you are just going to drain it anyways when you get back. I would not do anything to it before you leave.
Thanks, Jason. I'm new to spas/pools and when we bought it I thought we'd just empty it every year when we left for vacation. Am now learning emptying is a bad idea (spore growth). If it turns to yuk won't that get into my lines and cause more work when I return? I'm kinda lost on what I'll be facing when we get back. Should I leave the power on to it and let it continue to circulate while we are gone, even if turning to yuk?
I've read other vacation prep threads. It will be covered while gone. Can I use trichlor pucks or would that be too much chlorine for my small spa/ruin cover? Should I add polyquat 60?
The cover will help, but you will not likely be able to keep chlorine in it that long. You will just follow the SLAM process when you get back to clean it up.
Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty anxiuos about all this. Really want to enjoy my vacation and not worry about this water I've nursed for 10 months. I have to say, I switched to BBB about 4 days ago and am amazed at how much better my water already looks! Sooo happy I found you guys! So grateful! Thanks for all you do!
Awesome! That is good news. You can raise FC up to shock level for your CYA, [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] and turn the heater off, or as low as it can go. You'll be able to get it right back into TFP shape.
So according to cya/shock chart, since my cya is 150, I need to bring chlorine to 39...is that right? Would that level of chlorine damage my spa? Corrosion?
No, shock level for your CYA will hot damage anything. Shock level for CYA at 150 is 59. I wouldn't bother with it. I would drain and refill it when you get back from vacation.
Update: just to let others know, I called @Ease today to speak with tech person. They said their product would never work for spa my size (too big). So, still stressing over this spa while we are gone for 5 weeks. I may train the guy who will mow our property while we are gone to throw bleach in one day a week just to keep it from going too far south. I need your expertise on the calculations since I'm new to all this. I typically add 1/2 cup bleach every other day to maintain beautiful, perfect water. I really am not looking to maintain perfect levels because I'm going to dump when we return. Just looking to not have a green pond. So I'm thinking of having him add 1 1/2 cup per week. Would this damage my spa? (Heaters will be off). The temp stays a constant 87 degrees covered. What are your thoughts/advice?
If your CYA is truly 150ppm, then you shock level is a FC of 59ppm (which is perfectly safe BTW due to the high CYA).
A 1/2 cup of 8.25% bleach adds 1.4ppm of FC
A 121oz jug of 8.25% bleach would add 42ppm of FC.
Since it is covered, I would suggest just having him add 3-4 cups once a week and you should be fine.
A 1/2 cup of 8.25% bleach adds 1.4ppm of FC
A 121oz jug of 8.25% bleach would add 42ppm of FC.
Since it is covered, I would suggest just having him add 3-4 cups once a week and you should be fine.
Ok. Thanks for helping me on those calculations! I'm green to all this and really appreciate all the help!
What about hiring a neighbor/teen/pool guy...and purchase enough liquid chlorine to last while you are gone and have them put it in? It takes all of 3 minutes if you know already what your average use is/has been. OR WHAT ABOUT AN AUTOMATIC CHLORINE DISPENSER???
Im leaving for 3-4 weeks as well. This is what I will be doing.
Have a great vaca!!!
Im leaving for 3-4 weeks as well. This is what I will be doing.
Have a great vaca!!!
The dog
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If you are going to dump and refill why worry about it?? Save your money for the water
Am thinking about having guy who will mow property to throw some bleach in once a week. I'm just get kinda anal about anyone else messing with the spa controls,etc. a lot of money in that thing. I just researched the automatic chlorine dispensers and two problems. It will be coverered and supposed to leave uncovered for a while when add chlorine to not damage cover and suppose to add chlorine with all jets on, so not possible to coordinate that if put dispenser on a timer. As for just not doing anything at all, since I will be dumping when I get back...I'm concerned with all that green, growing algae, etc getting in the lines. I've heard it's a nightmare if that stuff gets in the lines. Oh, what to do? All I know is the moment I drive off this farm and head toward northern CA, I don't want to worry about this spa. Thanks for all the ideas!
I have a 17 foot swim spa that is 1800 gallons of water. If it were me, I would just drain it before you leave. Now maybe you have had some advice that I don't know about, but I have had my swim spa drained and winterized the last two winters and had no issues other than some scale in the water when refilling in the spring. They do blow air into it in a couple places somehow to get some of the excess water out from the pipes. I can certainly understand your concern about letting your water just sit and get green and nasty while you are gone. I don't see how that would be good for the swim spa at all. Anyway, just my opinion. Glad to see another swim spa owner posting on here. They are not a hot tub and not a swimming pool, so it's hard to get good advice sometimes.