Algae and now ph issues

[Watermom]

Not only just dose bleach nightly, but you need to check your chlorine nightly. You don't need to test the CYA again until a week after you add it. Also, test pH at least once per week.

[ComeShareACupofTea]

Day three of a crispy clear pool!
Have not had a chance to get to Leslie's for the CYA, checked at local Walmart and True Value, no luck. We'll be over that way tomorrow and will pick some up.
So far, I've added about 4-5 qts of Walmart's Great Value Bleach each night, tested in the am and the Chlorine was still at 5 (highest it will go on the Walmart test kit). Tested again around 4:00 p.m. and the first day zilch, today .5, so that's good huh? Especially considering it's been disgustingly hot and humid in CT the past several days...100 degrees!
Once I get the CYA established that should last longer, right?
Bleach at Walmart was $1.47/3 qts. Hoping I won't need to add one a day once I get the CYA level better.
We're also running the filter constantly. We used to have it on a timer to run four hours at night when electricity is cheaper, perhaps that was our biggest problem...'cuz we've rarely ever had a consistently clear pool. Somewhere hubby heard that a pool our size should be fine on four hours a day, but maybe not.
The best part is we're not waking up to a layer of yellow 'dust' on the pool floor.

[Watermom]

Yes, once you get some CYA in there, the chlorine will last longer. How much CYA did you add a few days back? I wouldn't let the cl drop to zilch or even 0.5 or you may end up with algae. Until you get to the point where you have a CYA reading of around 40ppm, you should be testing and adding bleach at least twice per day and maybe even in the afternoon if you are home, and each time add enough bleach to get back to 5ppm. Each quart of 6% bleach will add 2ppm.

BTW -- until you get a better kit, you can force your kit to read higher by using a dilution method described below. It is not super accurate, and not meant to replace buying a good kit, but it is better than nothing.

Testing Without a Good Kit

4 hours a day of pump time is not enough. Typically, most pools need 8-10 hours per day. You can split into two 4 or 5 hour sessions if you want. When you add the CYA to the filter, though, you'll need to run it 24/7 for at least 4 or 5 days while it is dissolving.