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

[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.