getting started, first summer

[nolensville]

We moved last year to a house with a 30,000 gal gunite (with fiber glass sides) pool. I had a pool guy keep it up for us last year while we got settled, but am going to try to do it myself this year to save $. I am starting from knowing nothing, and have been reading through the forum and website quite a bit this week.

We left our pool uncovered and running all winter (middle TN area) because that is what the lady before us did for 25 years. I put a few trichlor tabs in periodically in late winter, vacuumed once, but not much else. It was crystal clear and beautiful all winter. We have had unseasonably warm weather lately, and now I have some (I presume) yellow algae growing in the deep end.

I tested today with the recommended K-2006 test kit that just arrived in the mail.
Free Cl: 2ppm
combined Cl: zero
pH: 7.6
Alk: 80
Calc: 180
CYA: 45

I brushed the sides today. I am guessing that I need to shock. Either hypo-cal or bleach to 15ppm. I have a bucket of trichlor tabs that I think I can keep using since my CYA is on the low end. Thought I would try shock first before trying polyquat.

Any further thoughts or instructions would be great. Also, I am leaving town for a week in about 5 days. Anything extra to do since I will be away to not come home to a green/yellow pool?

Thanks.

[BigDave]

I agree with you, shock with unstabilized chlorine (bleach or cal-hypo), keep FC at 15 by testing / dosing two or more times a day. When it's time to leave, tbas in a floater wil help you lose less ground while your gone. Unless, of course, you're completely clean, have less that 0.5 CC and lose no FC between sunset and sunup - then you're done. Well, still maybe a tab while your gone to keep up with the sun.

[Watermom]

Are you planning on leaving your pump running while you are gone or on a timer? I know right now, my trees are dropping so much stuff in the pool that it would be risky to do so for fear of my skimmer basket plugging up. Do you have a neighbor who you could get to pour some bleach in and run the pump for a few hours a couple times while you are gone?

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

[nolensville]

Thanks for the help. Other than places I missed brushing the pool already looks great.

I was planning on leaving the pump running. Our trees dropped everything a few weeks back and my skimmers are staying clear now. If I leave it on a timer, how often should it run every day? Does the amount of time change depending on season, temperature, etc?

[Watermom]

Since it is still cool and your pool temps are probably not very warm yet, I'd probably do 4-6 hours on the timer. Do you have somebody that can come by and dump in a bottle of bleach for you after a couple of days while you are gone?

Do you still have visible algae? Run another set of numbers. When are you leaving? If it were my pool, I think I'd shock the pool right before I left and then maybe leave some trichlor in there for residual. Or, just leave the trichlor out and let a neighbor come by and pour a bottle of bleach in there mid-week. Make sure they know to do it while the pump is running.