Keeping pH in check during week long vacation

[voidpointer]

Next month the family and I are heading to Yellowstone for a week. It usually takes 2 days for my pH to go from 7.5 to 8.2. I am definitely testing chlorine, pH, and adding MA every 2 days (you can see this in my logs).

I found a thread here that explains a solution involving turning off the SWG and tossing some trichlor pucks in a floater (which I can do):

pH While on Vacation

We are going to be gone for a week in August, and are a little worried about maintaining the pH of our pool while we are away. It is a new gunite pool with SWG, so the pH has been always heading to the up side. We have usually been adding muriatic acid every other day to keep it where it needs...

www.troublefreepool.com

Is this a recommended solution? Worst case I do have a neighbor I can rely on to add MA to the pool if needed, but they're inexperienced with that and I don't want to expose them to harsh chemicals if I can avoid it...

What precautions should I take?

 

[ajw22]

Don't worry about it. High pH for a few days will do no damage.

When you get home you will lower it back down.

 

[voidpointer]

Just to be clear it would be 8.2+ for at least 5 days... if that counts as "a few". I've never let it go that long. But if that's the understanding you have then I will trust

 

[ajw22]

Just to be clear it would be 8.2+ for at least 5 days... if that counts as "a few". I've never let it go that long. But if that's the understanding you have then I will trust

5 days will be fine. Even a month will be fine.

 

[Katodude]

I would throw the floater in with the pucks and leave the SWG on. What’s the worst that happens, you FC is a little hot. It’s like a belt and suspenders. Something always goes wrong when I leave the house.

 

[newdude]

Just to be clear it would be 8.2+ for at least 5 days

The rise slows down around 8. It may hang at 8 for a couple days, then 8.2 for even longer.

And like Allen said, it's a long term concern if not. Enjoy your trip.

 

[voidpointer]

The rise slows down around 8. It may hang at 8 for a couple days, then 8.2 for even longer.

And like Allen said, it's a long term concern if not. Enjoy your trip.

Usually by 3 days, the purple color of the mixture is a little darker than the 8.2 on the comparator. So I assume that the 8-8.2 for a couple of days isn't true in my case, if the test kit is any indication.

 

[Katodude]

Relax put some tabs in a floater and go on vacation. It’s a pool, not rocket surgery.

Watch out for the Bison and bears. Remember priorities

 

[mgtfp]

...but don't get caught in Bison and Bear Jams. Or any other jams.

 

[voidpointer]

Relax put some tabs in a floater and go on vacation. It’s a pool, not rocket surgery.

Watch out for the Bison and bears. Remember priorities

I totally wasn't secretly expecting some Yellowstone travel tips, I promise!

What priorities?