It feels like 75% of people travel in the summer. Among pool owners and in pool specialty stores, the question of how to make a pool vacation-proof comes up frequently.
As a pool owner, you have a maintenance plan that includes regular steps and control tasks. Still, pool owners want to take summer vacations, too.
After all, can you take a pool on vacation?
Well, sure!
Like most pool owners, we like to take vacations – and there are no problems.
With the right “vacation pool care,” that’s OK, too. To that end, we’ve put together some important steps and tips you can take to make a pool vacation-proof.
Table of Contents
1. find someone to take care of the pool
The very best thing would be to have a neighbor or friend take care of the pool maintenance.
An ideal candidate is a pool owner themselves and is very familiar with the process. You will have the most success if you provide your helper with a checklist for the daily routine.
While you are away, the following tasks should be completed:
- Clean the surface of the water with the pool skimmer
- Empty the container of the skimmer
- Check filter pressure (and backwash the sand filter system if necessary)
- Test water quality with a test kit or test strips.
- Add chemicals to the water to adjust if necessary
2. connect your pump to a timer
Most pool owners of an in-ground pool already have their pumps set up with an automatic timer. If you haven’t already, we would advise doing so. A timer for your pump will save you a lot of time and is an important part of proper pool maintenance.
Contrary to widely held erroneous tips, the pump should keep running. Use the timer to set the pump to run for 8 to 12 hours a day. Running the pump (and filter) is important to keep the pool clear.
The timer is your insurance policy. With this timer, your pump will reliably start at set times. So you don’t have to rely on neighbors or friends to check the pool regularly for this important task.
If you are out of town and therefore won’t be swimming in the pool, human-caused contamination is less. Skin cells, remains of personal care and hair products, hair and sweat do not get into the pool. Contamination from leaves, animals, and washouts from rainfall, on the other hand, is always there – whether you’re at home or not.
Many people travel precisely in the middle of summer. This time is very crucial in pool maintenance because the high temperatures of the air and pool water encourage the growth of algae and the proliferation of bacteria. In the hot summer months, you can even run the pump 24 hours a day. If you don’t have a timer on the pump, you should just leave it on.
This will cause higher electricity costs, but who wants to come back from vacation relaxed and find a green broth. The hassle and expense of replacing the water or using concentrated chemicals is not only much more expensive, but also creates a lot of stress.
3. test the water quality before your vacation
Before your vacation, you should thoroughly check the pool. Test the pool water with test strips, test kits or have it done by a professional.
Any problems you find should be corrected by you before your trip. The most important values of your pool water include pH, alkalinity, and disinfectant levels.
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Check the pool water for these guideline values:
- pH: 7.4 to 7.6
- Alkalinity: 100 to 150 ppm
- Chlorine content: 3 mg / liter
- Calcium hardness: 175 to 225 ppm (for plaster pools 225 to 275 ppm)
- for bromine pools: 3 to 5 ppm
- for PHMB pools: 30 to 50 ppm
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4. make all the necessary preparations
In addition to water quality, you can make your pool vacation-proof by making some important preparations to keep the clean water clear and healthy while you’re away.
With the following steps, you can care for your pool remotely by taking important steps ahead of time:
- Clean the pool and filter thoroughly. A backwash will also reduce filter pressure.
- Perform shock chlorination. Use the highly concentrated chlorine-based or chlorine-free pool shocker to kill any foreign matter in the pool and rebalance the pool chemistry.
- Place slow-dissolving chlorine tablets in the skimmer.
- Apply flocculant: Use two flocculant tablets or an appropriate amount of liquid flocculant to get smaller foreign particles out of the pool water.
- Raise the water level. In the summer, your pool loses a lot of water through evaporation. The higher water level will keep your pump from running dry.
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5. Get a pool cover
Before a trip, you should get a pool cover. While you are away, the pool cover will protect the pool from all sorts of foreign objects. Wild animals, insects and leaves will no longer get into the water with a pool tarp. The tarp prevents evaporation. This reduces water and chemical consumption.
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(6.) Check the entry requirements for your destination
Before leaving, you should check if you need a visa or other travel authorization for your destination. For example, to enter the US, you will need to apply for a US visa or an ESTA.
Make these arrangements. Then you can leave your pool behind with a clear conscience, knowing that a swimming pool with clear water awaits you when you return home.
