Thanks Carl,

I do use bleach as a general rule, but I have a nice simple system going on here that requires me to use a puck now and again, and I have two vacations coming up I have to deal with. I actually can't get a neighbor to put chlorine in for me because they think it would be too much trouble.

There are two pool stores within a 50 mile drive, and the one I usually use for parts and odds and ends is the one that thinks it is cool that they switched over to the copper additive because it is an algecide and "all the commercial pools use it". I think the new brand name of the trichlor they're using is "pool life".

I'll take a look at the other place and see if they are carrying something else. I only spend about $20 bucks a year there, so they don't take me very seriously when I ask for something :-) You're right; I can add CYA and I will if I have to... but I've been doing this for so many years that it is second nature and it just aggravates me that they are messing with my routine!

Jean