Vacation Strategy

[adesalvo]

I have a vacation coming up and would like a consensus opinion on the best strategy for a 10 day vacation. I have an 25,000 IG vinyl liner with no cover in northeastern Ohio. We have had an exceptionally warm and sunny summer to date. My daily chlorine loss has been in the 3 ppm this summer. We do not cover for various reasons, none of which look very good when actually written down, but suffice it to say that my wife does not want one...

Typical numbers this year with no problems

pH 7.6 to 7.4
FC 4 to 7
CC 0
CYA 30
ALK 100

No consistent poly60 used
Borates at 30 to 50 using guess strips (there needs to be a drop test for this)

1. Should I super-chlorinate to 30 (or so) and add some polyquat and hope for the best?

2. Do number 1 and have somebody add some bleach once or twice during the week?

3. Do number 1 and throw some tri-chlor in skimmer?

Or do you have some other strategy for dealing with a pool vacation?

[CarlD]

Here's what I do:

I just leave about 6 jugs of chlorine and ask someone (usually my father-in-law) to pour one gallon in the skimmer every other day. I even leave a written schedule of days to add. So if we are leaving Saturday, I start the schedule on Monday for him.

That's all I ask him to do, and, for up to two weeks it's very effective. I never have a problem.

Of course, I do cover my pool while I'm away, which helps, and the pump is on a timer.

[Watermom]

With a cya of 30, I certainly would not shock it up to 30. That would not be too good for your liner. I would probably shock it up to about 10 and then have somebody throw in some bleach every few days like Carl said.

[Phillbo]

I let my salt system take care of the chlorine while on vacation ;)

just this reason was one of the driving factors in me deciding to go salt.

[Spensar]

I do as has was posted and leave jugs for someone to pour in. You can write the day or date on the jug to help them keep it straight too.

[adesalvo]

Well with universal agreement, I will take my free CL to 10 the evening before and add bleach every other day (approximately 4 ppm).

I think I will add some poly60 as by the end of the week I may be on the low end of free CL

I do agree that a SWG is the way to go, it just was not in the cards for this season. Hopefully next year!!:)

Thanks to everyone for the prompt reply.

[KurtV]

With a cya of 30, I certainly would not shock it up to 30. That would not be too good for your liner. I would probably shock it up to about 10 and then have somebody throw in some bleach every few days like Carl said.
If I'm reading it right, this chart (http://richardfalk.home.comcast.net/pool/FC.htm) from chemgeek says that 30 ppm FC with 30 ppm CYA is equivalent to about 3 ppm with no CYA. If that's the case, I would guess that 30 ppm FC would not hurt the liner.

[chem geek]

30 ppm FC with 30 ppm CYA is about equivalent to 5.5 ppm FC with no CYA, but I wouldn't put the FC that high since indoor pools with no CYA and with liners aren't something I've heard of. The 5.5 (instead of "about 3") is because the chart columns are disinfecting chlorine and FC level is roughly double that (at a pH of 7.5).

I think the typical "shock" level of 0.3 ppm disinfecting chlorine is more than sufficient. That is, about 12 ppm FC with 30 ppm CYA should be fine.

Richard

[KurtV]

Richard,
Thanks for correcting my error.

I'm still a bit confused as to what the HOCl (ppm Cl2) label at the top of the chart means.

[SUNNYDAYS]

If you do put poly quat in it will lower your FC. You may want to put the poly quat in 1 day or 2 before you leave then bring up the chlorine levels and shock.

[chem geek]

I'm still a bit confused as to what the HOCl (ppm Cl2) label at the top of the chart means.
The "HOCl (ppm Cl2)" is the concentration of hypochlorous acid, what I've been calling "disinfecting chlorine", and the "ppm Cl2" just says that all chlorine measurements are measured in part-per-million as weight of chlorine gas (that's just the convention).

With no CYA and at a pH of 7.5, the Free Chlorine (FC) concentration is double the disinfecting chlorine (hypochlorous acid) concentration because the FC (with no CYA) measures both the hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and the hypochlorite ion (OCl-) and these are roughly equal in concentration at a pH of 7.5. So that's why I doubled the disinfecting chlorine (hypochlorous acid) concentration to get the FC level when there was no CYA.

Richard

[KurtV]

Got it; thanks.

[adesalvo]

Well I am back from a wonderful 10 day vacation. I had somebody add 1.4 gal of 6% bleach Sun/Tues/Thurs. I do not use a pool cover. I turned off the heater.

I left on a Friday morning with the following numbers..

FC = 10
CC = 0
pH = 7.4 - 7.6
TA = 100
CYA = 30
Temp = 86

Returned on the following Saturday night to a perfectly clear pool...sparking actually

FC = 8
CC = 0
pH = 7.8 to 8.0
CYA = 30
Temp = 105 the temp was set at 110!!

Fortunately the person adding bleach noticed the pool was getting low and added some water.

We are still in the investigating stages...but have a few leads...

[CarlD]

Sounds like your strategy was a success! Congratulations!