Leaving for 4 day trip Thursday...NEED HELP!!!

[pool_newbie76]

First of all, I want to start by saying I am so excited...I finally got free chlorine to register in my tester Friday!!!

Now I am faced with my next problem!!! Me and my family are leaving this coming Thursday to go to Arkansas and won't be back until Sunday night. We live 25 miles out in the country, so I can't ask anybody to come out and take care of our pool while we are gone.
Is there anything that I can do to keep my pool from getting nasty while we are gone???

[PoolDoc]

Get an Intex pool cover and some algaecide. Clean your pool; add a double dose of algaecide; run the filter for 1 hours with the cartridge removed, and then cover.

If possible use polyquat: http://www.poolsolutions.com/polyquat.html ; if not use regular foamy algaecide with NO copper. You'll have a bit of sudsy mess when you return, but it's much better than algae.

You may not be able to buy an 18' cover -- if not, buy a 20 x 20 tarp at Lowes and some 1/8" nylon rope, and tie the tarp in place over the pool.

[pool_newbie76]

Will the hth algaecide be ok for me to use? I already have a pool cover that came with my pool. And you want me to run my pump without the filter for an hour?

[PoolDoc]

As long as it doesn't have copper. . .

[pool_newbie76]

And you want me to run my pump without the filter for an hour?

[PoolDoc]

Yep. So the algaecide will be mixed without coming out on the filter, which it would otherwise do somewhat.

Just remember, your pool probably WILL be sudsy and somewhat irritating when you get back, and will take a week or so to get to normal. There are other ways, but you don't have time for them now.