Vacation what to do with pool?

[DareDog]

Going away for 8 days. What to do with the pool? Bring it up to shock level before?

 

[Dimchik]

I would close all skimmers and only use main drain...this way if water levels drop, you want be pulling in air into your pump.

 

[DareDog]

I would close all skimmers and only use main drain...this way if water levels drop, you want be pulling in air into your pump.

It’s AG. Only one skimmer.

 

[Richard320]

I stuff a floater full of pucks and add a couple extra inches of water.

If you use the search box on the term "Vacation" you'll get about 4,270 results

 

[rhb4321]

I trade off with friends and neighbors to keep an eye on each others' pool when we're away........

 

[Dimchik]

That’s one of the best methods

 

[JimMarshall]

When I go on vacation the day before I leave I drop off a case of beer and LC jugs labeled “Monday/Thursday”, or whatever days depending on the strength of LC I have at the time to the retired guy that lives next door. On the designated days, he grabs a gallon of LC, dumps it in the pool, empties my skimmer basket, and sits on one of my lounge chairs drinking beer and reading a book because “he needs to make sure the chlorine mixes in” - that’s what he told me he tells his wife

 

[Dirk]

When I go on vacation the day before I leave I drop off a case of beer and LC jugs labeled “Monday/Thursday”, or whatever days depending on the strength of LC I have at the time to the retired guy that lives next door. On the designated days, he grabs a gallon of LC, dumps it in the pool, empties my skimmer basket, and sits on one of my lounge chairs drinking beer and reading a book because “he needs to make sure the chlorine mixes in” - that’s what he told me he tells his wife

I know the FC/CYA relationship is important. Does TFP offer any sort of FC/Beer ratio instructions, or chart? I'm assuming that ratio would also be important to monitor!
::

 

[DareDog]

is chlorine tabs and floater a good idea?

 

[Lilypad]

Sure! You can use tabs/floater for times when you're away and have no one to add liquid chlorine. The important thing is to know exactly what's in your pool. I let my CYA edge down to accomodate vacation puck use. Or you can do a small drain when you get back if it's more than you want in your pool. The beauty of TFP is knowing how to manage it!

 

[Dirk]

is chlorine tabs and floater a good idea?

I don't like tabs and am currently trying out automation and mechanical devices to address the issue of leaving a pool unattended for x-number of days (SWG and acid injector system). But that's a bit scary given all that can go wrong. There is something to be said for a simple puck. It can address both FC loss and pH-rise. It's a known commodity. Predictable and reliable. Nothing to breakdown. Unaffected by power fluctuations or cheap foreign parts and circuits. Whatever they do to your chemistry, that can be managed when you get home! I tend to go overboard with gizmos. I regret that sometimes. Nothing wrong with the KISS method of doing things (that is, after all, the foundation of TFPC)!!

 

[DareDog]

how many 3" tablets to add? how much does it increase CYA by? should i still bring pool up to shock level right before I leave?

 

[mknauss]

how many 3" tablets to add? how much does it increase CYA by? should i still bring pool up to shock level right before I leave?

PoolMath. Effects of Adding Chemicals

If you are using pucks for your time away I would not aggressively raise your FC.

 

[DareDog]

Should I extra LC to what I am going to add since it will be warm? Looking like 6 days of 95 degrees.

 

[mknauss]

As you have the SWCG I would say just using some tablets to supplement should be fine.

Is someone going to add water if needed? At elevated temperatures you will get more evaporation.

 

[DareDog]

As you have the SWCG I would say just using some tablets to supplement should be fine.

Is someone going to add water if needed? At elevated temperatures you will get more evaporation.

how long till it turns to a green swamp? lol I wont have the SWG on or pump on. I do not have it wired to a timer yet.

 

[mknauss]

Raise your FC to SLAM level and see what you come home to. Without circulation at all the pucks are not a good idea.

 

[JasonJoel]

If you can't run your pump while you're gone than your kind of out of luck. Pucks in a floater will barely do anything with no circulation.

As others have said, bring your chlorine up to shock level. And you get what you get.

The alternative is to find someone who can run your pump and or take care of your pool while you're on vacation.

Just remember if you end up getting algae, it'll probably be more expensive in chemical usage to slam than it would have been to pay someone to take care of your pool while you're gone...

 

[Dirk]

Yikes, six days at 95° with no pump? I think you left the pump part out! Yah, that's not going to be pretty. You need someone to come every day, I would think, and pour in the right amount of chlorine for your daily FC loss, and then brush it in. Daily brushing will be your circulation.

Either pay to have someone do that while you're gone, or expect to be doing that yourself when you get back and have to perform a SLAM for a few weeks to rid yourself of this very potential algae outbreak you're risking. Even if you get the pump going when you get back, which will be essential for a proper SLAM, you're going to have to brush several times a day to help with the SLAM process.

Do you have time to arrange this now?

 

[JasonJoel]

To be fair, he could get really lucky and not have a problem. But I wouldn't bet MY money in it. [emoji3]

The good part is that even if it does get ugly, it is fixable and not the end of the world. Just a bunch of work, some cost, and the annoyance of having to do it.