Question - Setting up your pool while you are away on vacation

[vsims2001]

First off.....thanks to this forum I have learned more about pool chemistry and care in 2 weeks than the pool store and friends taught me in 3 years. I actually enjoy maintaining the pool now....except for brushing.

My question is this.....we will be leaving for a week long vacation soon, and i would like to set my pool chem levels to accommodate this 7 day absence. At what levels should pool be when I leave?

A little about my pool....
20 x 40 gunite pool approx 35,000 gallons, built early 80's, recently re-plastered (water added back 4/28)
SWG - Hayward Aqua Rite
Filter - Pentair Clean and Clear 420 sq ft
Pump - A.O. Smith 1 hp....circa 1982

Current readings: (from the forum recommended Taylor kit!!)
Free Chlorine - 6.5 ppm
Combined Chlorine - <0.5
Salt - 3100
Calcium Hardness - 200
CYA - 60
pH - 8.0 (added 1 qt muriatic acid after readings)
Acid Demand - 1
TA - 100

I have been battling to keep my pH down. Per the contractor that re-plastered the pool this is due to the new plaster. He said that I would need to keep a close eye on the pH levels. So my main concern is keeping the pH level correct for the week we will be gone.

Any advice is appreciated.

[Watermom]

How soon are you leaving? Do you have time to watch how quickly your pH is rising? The reason I'm asking is just wondering if you dropped your pH down to around 7.2, how fast it would climb back up higher than 7.9. Perhaps you could leave some trichlor in a couple of floaters. It is acidic and pushes pH down.

[vsims2001]

I will be leaving in 4 days. I can usually get my pH down to 7.5 to 7.6 range with a good dose of acid, but after a couple of days it will start creeping back up. I was thinking the same thing, get it down to 7.2 then I figure I will have 5-7 days before its back to the 8.0 range.

The idea of the trichlor in floaters is a good idea. Does that mean I have to buy a floater and the tabs? Can you get just a few tabs rather than an entire bucket? I can make a float.....Not gonna say it will be pretty.....

[Watermom]

I have no idea if you can buy just a few tabs. I never buy them. Someone who uses them will know and will hopefully chime in here.

[PoolDoc]

Do NOT make your floater; Walmart has better ones for $10. Look for trichlor at Home Depot, Lowes or Ace. See if you can find polyquat, too. Add a large dose of polyquat and put the floaters in. You can also add borates to 60 ppm, which will do 2 things: it will help stabilize your pH *and* it will inhibit algae. But you'll need about 25 boxes of borax and 10 gallons of muriatic acid. Of course, unless your pool leaks, it's a permanent addition.