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Pool care while away


Piddy
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we have an intex above ground frame pool 7.32m x 3.66m x 1.22m (26 cubic metres) with a type 52 crystal filter.

We are going away for 3 weeks in august and only have an elderly neighbour who we can ask to look after the pool. I think that testing would be beyond him.

Can we load the floating skimmer up with chlorine tablets and put aload of PH- and anti-algae in before we go and hope that it will last for 3 weeks? Or is this likely to damage the liner and filter?

Can we get neighbour to put a set amount in each week and not bother him with testing?

Over to you Pool guy or others with experience of this, if you are there.

Piddy.

 

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Hi Piddy

Yes there are two answers that occur to me amongst the multitude of possibilities.

The first and best is to install and Automatic chlorinator/ph controller. Then you can go away for as long as you like or as often as you like without a thought for the health of the pool.

The second, and I am presuming that you are unable to engage someone to look after it in the usual way, is to put it in a mini hibernation. That is, pool cover on, chlorine and PH topped up, pump on 2hr in the morning and 2 hours at night. Hope that the water balance can cope.

The later is going to be a 50/50 bet that you'll get caught with a green pool on the return. However, I have seen some ideas for time release of chlorine tabs for those who cannot be in attendance. On of the simplest ideas was a medium bucket with a very small hole in it floating in the pool. Inside the bucket is a chlorine tab or two perched up around the top. The bucket naturally sank over a period of a week and released its precious load.

I like the first solution best.

Where are you incidentally. Perhaps I can help you more.

Andrew

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Piddy

This is probably the hottest part of the year (with the exception of this weekend which isn't). This means that chlorine is evaporating from your pool water at the highest rate.

Getting your pool water balanced should be a daily or every other day style exercise when in use. However if its not in use and covered then the rate of 'consumption' of chlorine is far less. I do not recommend however that you 'stock up' on tablets as this will not help you. The extra chlorine will evaporate along with the regular dose leaving you with next to nothing at the end. (green pool). But that's not the worst of it - you have added extra doses of cyanuric acid (stabiliser) to your water which will not disperse and eventually leave you with pool water which cannot support active chlorine even though the total chlorine levels might be normal.(disaster)

You need to add chlorine gradually 'as needs', so failing any other method being available, ask a voisin to add another tablet after about 6 days if its really hot or 10 days if its overcast and cooler. (and repeat) Naturally if you can show your voisin how to test for chlorine and ph that would be better. He/she can then add if its low and leave it if its normal.

These are very crude estimations and do not represent best practice, but rather a 'getting by' type of idea. By far the better plan is to install an automatic chlorine/ph controller and your pool water will be free of stabiliser and further you will always have hygienic water whether you are there or not.

Andrew

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I had better send you the answer by email so I don't cross the rules of the forum.

If you could both send me your email addresses, I'll respond directly.

The Desjoyeau is very difficult because the technique is right beside the pool but as I often hear "there is always a solution".

Most other types of pool there is no real problem.

Andrew

 

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"If you could both send me your email addresses, I'll respond directly."

Andrew,

You may not be aware that if you click on the posters name that one of the options is Send Email To Member. This email is sent via LF so individuals who do not want to display their addesses still will receive them. Hope this is of help.

Baz

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