Hi Ben - so all has been well with our pool these last few weeks. I went ahead and added a total of 8 boxes of borax with muriatic acid to neutralize per your instructions last week over several days so that I have a semipermanent algistat in the water. ( in preparation for going away) I now have a few questions:

1. my cya is now up to 60-70; a while ago you told me to switch to liquid bleach from the trichlor tabs I have been using once I hit a cya of 60. But, because of my pool's tenuous history, you had also told me at one point not to use liquid bleach.
-So, I was just wondering what I should do at this point.
-And, if I use the liquid do I add it through skimmer?
-And I think you once said that the cya would decrease by backwashing my sand filter - is that right? and so should I do it and continue with the trichlor tabs since they have worked so well.

2. we are planning to go away sunday through thursday - I have someone who can come a couple times to test and put bleach into the pool while we are away. Do I have to do anything to prep the pool to leave it now that it has been up and running almost a month and the borax is in. would your advice be different if friends will swim in it while we are away?

Thank you! aciam