Holidays away from the pool: how to come back to clean water

Two or three days before you leave

Do not leave the preparation for the morning you leave. If something is not right, you need time to spot it and fix it.

• Clean thoroughly: leaf net, brushing, vacuuming, skimmer baskets and pump pre-filter.
• Wash the filter, so it starts your absence clean.
• Balance the chemistry: pH at 7.2–7.6 and free chlorine towards the upper end of the 1–3 mg/l range. If the water looks tired, do a shock chlorination at least one day before you leave, so you can see the result.
• Fill the floating dispenser or the chlorinator with slow-dissolving tablets, enough for the time you will be away, according to the pack. Never tablets thrown onto the floor or resting on the liner.
• Raise the water level slightly towards the top of the skimmer opening, without going above it, to allow for evaporation.
• Take inflatables and toys out of the water, because they shade parts of the floor and collect dirt.

Timer and equipment

The most common temptation is to switch the pump off “since nobody is swimming”. In summer, though, the water needs filtration and circulation regardless of swimmers, because the sun, the heat, the dust and the leaves do not take holidays. Keep a schedule similar to your usual one, as we explain in how many hours the pump should run.

• Heating, if you have it, can be switched off: you do not need warm water while you are away.
• If you have automatic pH and chlorine control or salt electrolysis, check that the probes are clean and calibrated and that the chemical containers are full.
• If your robot cleaner has a weekly programme, it can run a few times while you are away; otherwise, take it out of the water.

A cover: yes, but which one?

A cover keeps out leaves and dust, reduces evaporation and protects the chlorine from the sun, so it lasts longer. A summer solar cover left on the water for days during a heatwave, however, can raise the temperature considerably, which favours algae. For long absences a roller or safety cover is more suitable. You will find the differences in pool covers.

Who checks on it

For summer absences of more than two weeks, ask a neighbour, a relative or a pool maintenance technician to stop by once or twice a week. Leave them written instructions: empty the baskets, check the water level and the pressure gauge, test with a strip and send a photo of the pool to your phone. If this is a permanent need, for example at a holiday home, see remote pool maintenance.

When you get back

1. Look at the water and the water level. If it has dropped a lot, tell evaporation apart from a possible leak, as we explain in pool water evaporation.
2. Empty the baskets and the pre-filter and check the filter pressure.
3. Test pH and chlorine before anyone gets in the water.
4. Brush, vacuum and, if the water looks dull, shock it and let the circulation run for a day.

Questions

See also