Maintaining pool while away

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M

martink

Well-known member
May 3, 2023
136
Katy, TX
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I will be travelling coming back Saturday. My pool is in good condition but I am afraid I will come back to a green pool. It happened to me before so I am traumatized.

I am planning to change the filter cartridge and soak the old ones in water and dishwasher solution. Is it okay to leave them soaked for a week?

I am also considering adding 6 tabs to the feeder in a effort to keep the pool in good shape.

Any ideas? Also is it safe to keep cartridges soaked in dishwasher solution for a week?
 
We don't recommend dishwasher detergent.

Cartridge Filter Use and Care - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

How are you testing your water? Can you post a full set of results?

If you have your own test, and your CYA isn't too high, I'd raise the pool to SLAM level, and float the pucks. Do you have a solar cover?
 
I don't have a solar cover, CYA is 33. Chlorine is 5ppm. Ph is 8

I will adjust ph today to 7.5. I am out of liquid chlorine and it wasn't available yesterday to buy. I have pucks and cal-hypo. But calcium in my pool is 350 so I avoid using cal-hypo if I can.

Also, Is it okay to soak the cartridges for a week?
 
I can use TSP. I will be away for a week. I need to change the filters as pressure are up and I want to make sure I have enough circulation when I am away. I am want to clean the old one so I can reuse them next time. I am afraid if I leave them out for a week the dirt will be stuck to them and will make it hard to clean them when I am back. So I want to make sure soaking them for a week will not damage them.

Also what is the issue with dishwasher detergent? It is listed as an option
 
martink said:
Also what is the issue with dishwasher detergent? It is listed as an option
Click to expand...
Can you point me to where?

Here is the recommendations
  1. For all spa cartridges and elements used in swimming pools where perspiration, suntan lotions, and other oils are present, soak the element for at least on hour (overnight is most effective) in (1) a commercial filter cleaner; or (2) one cup trisodium phosphate (TSP) to five gallons water.
and

A note on dishwasher detergent chemistry - automatic dishwasher detergent hasn't contained TSP (trisodium phosphate) since the 1970's. The EPA all but banned the use of phosphate-based cleaning formulations as they were, unnecessarily, branded as the main cause of eutrophication of waterways (farm runoff is the real source of phosphate pollution in waters). Most dishwasher detergents utilize carbonates and organic surfactants.

From here: Cartridge Filter Use and Care - Further Reading
 
Chlorine should be your biggest concern, not your filter. I would get your chlorine up to 16 with liquid chlorine, which is SLAM level for you. I know you said it was not available, but there should be a million different places for you to find it including Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Pinch a Penny, heck even some Krogers carry it.

Then for extra insurance, put a few pucks in a floater since your CYA is not high.
 

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JJ_Tex said:
Chlorine should be your biggest concern, not your filter. I would get your chlorine up to 16 with liquid chlorine, which is SLAM level for you. I know you said it was not available, but there should be a million different places for you to find it including Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Pinch a Penny, heck even some Krogers carry it.

Then for extra insurance, put a few pucks in a floater since your CYA is not high.
Click to expand...
My flight is in few hours, can't really buy any now. I think 6 pucks should be enough for the week. I will be back Saturday night so it should be fine
 
Just to update everyone considering doing same thing. It didn't work. I didn't rerun back to a completely green pool but there were green algae starting to form on some of the pool walls
 
Dang. Read up on the SLAM process and get to it. Summer is here and we want you to be able to have a clean and useable pool.
 
I have been shocking it and brushing walls since I came. Not really following the slam but added 2 gallons a day for 2 consecutive days then a gallon per day after that.
 
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