pH Yellow Out Baking Soda etc

[graceland]

Boy finding information on pool chemicals is like shopping for laptops. Ask 10 different people for their opinion and you will get 15 different answers.

This is my first year of pool keeping after a divorce. I have a 20 x 40 inground vinyl pool. I converted it to salt water last year and it was easy to keep, though I had a small amount of mustart algae, this year I still have mustard algae, not bad but annoying. I used Yellow Out which eventually will get rid of the algae but it depletes the pH level. I need to raise the pH and can't find soda ash. Bought some baking soda as I read you could use that to raise the pH. Then read conflicting information and am now totally confused. I followed the instructions on Yellow Out but need to shock one more time and need to raise the pH.
I am terrible at math and chemistry, I live in a rural area and so simple is best when it comes to finding pool chemicals and simple is always good when explaining things to me. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, especially if it comes in verbage simple enough for a five year old. Thanks so much!

[PoolDoc]

1. Stop using Yellow Out -- it's a black magic product that works now, but exacts a price later. (Ammonia => monochloramine, etc.)
2. Order a K2006. You will find it daunting to use, but unless you learn to test your own water reliably, you will not be able to get control of your pool. Test strips -- electronically read or not -- are NOT good enough.
3. Get a cheap local OTO / phenol red kit (yellow/red drops) and report chlorine & pH levels.
4. Start dosing with 3 gallons of plain 6% household bleach late each evening (about 6 ppm chlorine on your pool).
5. Read the Best Guess Chlorine page till you understand how to follow it, even if the explanation doesn't make sense.
6. Physically clean your pool -- filter, vacuum, brush -- and remove all debris and algae deposits.

Links are in my signature block.

Explanations about how to care for pools basically fall into 2 categories:
1. Use our "SPECIAL" (and expensive) products till you can't afford them any more.
OR
2. Use ONLY the basics, and ONLY when you need them . . . but test accurately.

The first method is what 'everyone' in the industry recommends; the second is the "BBB Method", originated here, and taught here and at TroubleFreePools.com. The BBB method is also sometimes recommended at some other sites, but as far as I know, not by ANY pool stores or pool chemical companies. (Now, why do you think that might be?)

The first method *seems* to vary, because confusing brand names are used to conceal nearly identical product offerings.