Vacation plan?

[Pepperdinegal]

I’m trying to figure out a good vacation plan. Right now our chemicals are spot on and I’m diligently keeping them in check. We’ll be headed out of town for 10 days and I’m not sure what to do...

- I *might* be able to get a friend to pop over and dump some liquid chlorine in the pool, but most likely only once
- I’ve tossed around the idea of using a floater with tabs just while we’re gone
- Should I just put in a ton of liquid chlorine before we go and just hope for the best?

Temps will range from highs in the 80s and probably even low 90s. I just don’t want to undo all of our hard work.

 

[mknauss]

The best you can do is raise your FC up to near SLAM level and load up a floater with tablets. If the neighbor could dump in chlorine about mid way that would help.

This when SWCG shines. We leave for a few weeks at a time routinely. No issues.

 

[Pepperdinegal]

Yea, our plan is to save up for a SWG and have that installed next spring. When you say “slam” levels, how high are we talking? What are the downsides to super high FC levels?

 

[mknauss]

FC/CYA Levels

SLAM level is shown on the chart based on your CYA level. No issues as long as you stay at or below SLAM level.

 

[magiteck]

In addition - If you have a solar cover, I find it substantially reduces my daily chlorine loss if I leave it on while I’m gone.

 

[Newdude]

+1 to the solar cover. Buy the cheapest one you can find for about $100.

 

[Pepperdinegal]

Interesting about the pool cover. Just a few questions...

1. Does it need to cover the entirety of the pool to work? We have a super odd shaped pool.
2. Is there any down side to using one?
3. Will it actually raise the temp of the pool? This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but does that come with other issues, like algae?

 

[mknauss]

1. Does it need to cover the entirety of the pool to work? We have a super odd shaped pool.

To work best, yes. You order a cover that will fit over the entire pool, then trip it to size.

2. Is there any down side to using one?

In our area, unattended, you can have a wind that will pick it up and make a mess. So your backyard and the wind tendencies it has has to be considered.

3. Will it actually raise the temp of the pool? This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but does that come with other issues, like algae?

Oh yes. It reduces evaporation, and thus, the overnight cooling we get of the pool water. And leaving it on for more than a few days at a time will increase the CC level in the water. Just be prepared to smell chlorine when you remove it (remember, that is chloramines, the bad stuff) and raise the FC back to SLAM level. Especially if left on more than a few days.

 

[Dtkokay]

You might want to test using a floater for a few days. I tried it once, just for grins, when I was using tablets, and they dissolved very slowly. With your size pool, you may need more than 1.

As suggested above though, raise your FC to SLAM level, put some tablets in a floater (or two), and see if you can have a friend drop by half way through your trip to pour in some more liquid chlorine (enough to raise it back to SLAM level). If you do that, I'm pretty confident your pool will be okay when you get back.

 

[giant_donut]

I’m glad you posted this thread as I’ll be heading out for a week as well. I recently went through a SLAM and the pool is looking clear and the numbers are fine though CYA and CH has been high due to use of pucks by our previous pool servicing company.
I’m considering bringing it up to SLAM level (24ppm) before I leave and maybe thinking of leaving two pucks. Question to TFP, my CYA is 60 and CH is 650, should I use dichlor pucks while I’m away or just SLAM it?

 

[mknauss]

should I use dichlor pucks while I’m away or just SLAM it?

Raise your FC to SLAM level before you leave. Pucks are made from Trichlor. Two pucks will add 5 ppm FC and 3 ppm CYA to your pool water. Will you be using a floater or puck chlorinator?

 

[giant_donut]

I’ll just SLAM it then. Don’t want to raise the CYA any further. I have a floater and was thinking of using it in addition to SLAMing it but if two pucks will only add 5ppm it’s not worth it.

 

[mknauss]

Best if a neighbor or friend can add some liquid chlorine mid way during your vacation.

 

[derekm]

I load up the Rainbow 320 chlorinator with pucks (I keep my CYA at the low end so it can handle this), put the 2-speed pump on the timer on low speed, add bleach to the top of the range, put on the solar cover, and always come back after 2 weeks away to a perfect pool, with the chlorine sometimes a bit on the high side.

 

[FlaPoolGuy]

You've likely come and gone by now, but I've had good success with putting 3 triclor pucks into a float dispensor in my 10-15k pool. Lasts well over a week.

My only additional comment is if you have a spillway or waterfall (which I do), I'd watch the pH. If I don't isolate my pools to stop the spillway from running, the pH goes up up up while I'm gone.

 

[mguzzy]

Yes.. Yo Peppah' what did you end up doing and how did it work out? we are all about the follow up... And while we are at it.. how was your vacation!

 

[Pepperdinegal]

Hey all! Sorry for my absence! Vacation was wonderful. What we did mostly worked...I had my mom pop around mid way through to add what I calculated to be the “correct” amount of chlorine. We were gone for 12 days and I calculated that out pool ate through about 1.5ppm of chlorine a day so I raised the level up to 14 and then 6 days in (when I guessed our level would be about 5) and had her add enough to get us back to 14. When I returned home, I checked the levels and we were at 3, so I was off but didn’t err bad enough to make a difference lol.

Looking forward, I think I’m the future, I’ll put a few pucks in the floater as an insurance policy, since our CYA is only 40.