Maintenance free pool...almost

[Jurate1]

Hello all, we live in Tucson Arizona where almost every home has a pool. I love my pool however now that we are retired we really would like to escape the heat and travel in the summer(1-3 months at time). We do not have family close by and our friends are not keen on checking the pool esp for long periods of time. We cannot drain the pool in the summer. How can I make it as maintenance free as possible. Summer brings lots of debris from the community tree's and also monsoon rains.

1. Invest in a salt water generator- that would eliminate daily chlorine needs... Can it go for months without checking?
2. Invest in a pool cover to keep debris out of the pool. Will the cover remain on surface or sink if covered with debris?
3. Turn off the skimmer..
4. Leave pump running and hope nothing goes wrong.. But not sure what to do about other chemical needs...

forget 1-4 above and just...

5. Hire a pool company. If I did have a SWG they would only need to add the other chemicals. Or just use the pucks and realizing that
at the end of the summer we will likely have to partially drain pool....

Suggestions/Comments? Thanks in advance...

 

[ajw22]

I would do 1, 2 & 4.

@JoyfulNoise is in your area. Let's see what he would do for 3 months away.

Do you have anyone checking on your house while you are away for a long period?

 

[bertschb]

There are two pieces of equipment you can add to your pool that will reduce maintenance if you're gone for extended periods. One is a SWCG. The other (assuming your pool needs acid regularly) is an automated acid injection system like the Pentair IntelliPH. I have both of these systems as well as an in floor cleaning system. I don't clean my pool or add any chemicals but I still wouldn't leave my pool for more than a couple weeks. I'd be worried about the skimmer basket getting full so I'd probably pull 100% of the water from the floor drain while I was gone and just let junk float on the pool.

If I didn't have the IntelliPH, SWCG and in floor cleaning system and I planned to be gone for more than a week, I would hire a pool guy then fix the water that the pool guy messed up when I returned.

 

[duraleigh]

I would suggest #5. Ignoring a pool for that length of time would make you incredibly lucky, indeed if nothing went wrong.

Pools are like pets, they require a lot of attention and even 30 days is asking for problems.

 

[Jurate1]

Thank you. We are not leaving this year but trying to plan for next year's options. Looks like hiring the pool guy is the easiest option. Although many will not do vacation coverage anymore. I appreciate all the feedback

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thank you. We are not leaving this year but trying to plan for next year's options. Looks like hiring the pool guy is the easiest option. Although many will not do vacation coverage anymore. I appreciate all the feedback

Yeah, you won’t find a reputable service for just a summer, they all want annual contracts and you’re currently looking at $195/month for 2-3 visits per month. They will definitely ignore the SWG and simply float pucks in your pool, add soda ash to raise the pH when it crashes and marginally vacuum your pool.

If you wanted to be a snow-bird or semi-snow-bird, you either have to invest in a full blown automation system with remote monitoring (SWG and acid dosing system too) OR hire the pool guy. Not a lot of options unless you can find a highschool kid willing to help you out but that too is fraught with liability issues.

Welcome to Tucson! And remember … it may be hot, but it’s a “dry heat” ….

 

[Jurate1]

Thanks everyone for your comments...