How do I prep my pool for vacation?

[JimK]

Normally since I have a SWCG I wouldn't be asking this, but I've noticed lately I'm having to run my SWCG at a higher setting than usual; right now it's set at 80% with the pump running 12 hours a day to maintain 5-6ppm CL (CYA is at 70-80ppm).

Since I'm entering the 7th season with the same cell, I suspect it's showing it's age and may fail sometime this summer.

I'm concerned that my cell may fail while I'm away for a week and I'll come home to a green pool. Is there something I can do before I leave to assure this won't happen? Unfortunately I don't know anyone who can check on it while I'm gone.

I'm a bit hesitant to go ahead and buy a new cell since the warranty clock will start ticking and it's possible the old cell may hang in there all season.

I thought maybe bring CL up to shock level just before I leave while leaving the SWCG running at normal level while I'm gone? If I do that do I run the risk of coming home to a bleached out liner?

Another thought was to just add a quart of 60% polyquat before I leave and leave the CL level at normal (5-6ppm).

I appreciate any suggestions. :)

[PoolDoc]

How soon are you going on vacation, and how long will you be gone?

(OK, I see now -- a week.)

[JimK]

Yes, 1 week. I'm going later next month. I posted early to allow plenty of time to come up with a plan. :)

[PoolDoc]

OK:

I just finished a dosing guide: http://pool9.net/chart/vacation-dose/ ; there are links to the products in the chart.

[PoolDoc]

And here is a semi-final list, which I need to expand:

Prep levels for vacation
Chlorine to 20% of CYA
Salt topped off if you have an SWCG
pH maximized if you are using trichlor feeder / floater
Use a feed system: SWCG, trichlor feeder, trichlor floater, etc.
Raise borates to 60+ ppm
Lower phosphates below 0.125 ppm
Dose with 6 ppm polyquat
Cover your pool with any cover that reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the water.
Minimize water temperatures (turn off solar, cool the pool if you can, etc)
Set up pre-measured doses of bleach, dichlor, or polyquat for your *TRAINED* neighbor / friend / relative
Use the HiC2 method (CYA > 100 ppm, FC > 25 ppm)
(Best with low phosphates + 60 ppm borates)
Clean pool, pump, skimmer, filter
Make sure your pump is in self-priming state
(So your pump doesn't burn up or fail while you are a way)
Increase circulation time
(If you're using a feeder, increased circulation help. Also, a pump that runs 24/7 is less likely to lose prime)
Turn your pump off
(If you're using polyquat, it tends to be removed by filtration.)

[kelemvor]

Regarding the tablets in a floater, did you have something in mind other than a trichlor floater?

Nope, just that. Your list is obviously much more thought out ;)

I thought polyquat increased chlorine demand? Wouldn't that be counter productive in this case?

[Watermom]

You add the polyquat, expect the chlorine to plummet, then bring the chlorine back up.

[JimK]

You add the polyquat, expect the chlorine to plummet, then bring the chlorine back up.

How long should I wait after adding the polyquat before bringing chlorine up to the recommended shock level?

[Watermom]

As soon as it gets too low based on your CYA reading. Then, add more chlorine.

[PoolDoc]

I've been talking to Chem_Geek about the chlorine / polyquat relationship. You have to realize that some of what's happening is not known, except maybe in Buckman Lab files that haven't been released. But here we go:

1. Polyquat is partially destroyed by chlorine, possibly with a 1 week half-life.

2. The chlorine consumption by polyquat is roughly 1 ppm per ppm. So if you add 6 ppm of polyquat, add 6 ppm of chlorine 24 - 36 hours later to make it up.

3. Polyquat is ALSO removed by filtration. If bypassing your filter will not cause other problems, then the polyquat will last longer if you put your filter on bypass (often "Recirculate" on multiport valves) or remove your cartridge from the filter.

4. Keep in mind that only pool covering, SWCG use, raising borates and lowering phosphates are a completely durable vacation tactic. Every other approach -- HiC2, feeders & floaters, polyquat, even copper -- depends on chemicals that will tend to disappear from the water (or feeder) in the course of normal operation.

[JimK]

UPDATE

Just got back from vacation (ugh...I did not want to come back!) and thought I'd post an update.

A couple days before leaving I added 1 qt of polyquat. The evening before leaving I added 4 jugs of 8.25% bleach. I left the SWCG on as normal (80%, pump running 12hrs/day). Remember my concern was the salt cell might fail while I was gone (it's showing it's age, hence the higher than normal setting).

I'm glad to report after being gone for a week the pool was perfectly clear...the bottom was covered with a lot of leaves though. FC is still at 12ppm.

Now the bad news. I asked a friend to check the skimmer baskets while I was gone. I figured this was a simple enough task. Well, she didn't seat the skimmer baskets all the way in so leaves got around the baskets. When I got home, both skimmers and the pipe openings below them were completely clogged. The pump basket was also completely clogged and had split down two sides from the pressure. I noticed the pressure gauge on the filter was only reading about half the normal pressure. I didn't think to check the SWCG to see if there was enough water flow for it to operate properly. I got everything cleared and the pump and motor seem OK, and the pressure gauge on the filter is reading normally. I hope the motor wasn't damaged; I had just installed a new motor last season.

So next time I'm going to just have to bite the bullet and drag out the mesh safety cover and cover the pool while we're gone so we won't have to worry about the skimmers clogging.

[PoolDoc]

Thanks for the update.

The best way for us to figure out the OPTIMUM vacation guide is when we can here from folks about what went well, and what didn't.

As long as your pump didn't overheat -- and it would only take a trickle of water flow to prevent hat -- it should be fine. You'll need a new basket of course. The nasty River Birch seeds on the country club pool I service kill the kiddie pool pump basket annually!