Opening Up Pool and Chlorine Issues

[Watermom]

You need to get that pH up ASAP! Readings below 7.0 are acidic and can damage your pool. Add some 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle at Walmart). Add a couple of boxes slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running, breaking up any clumps. Once the ph starts moving, go with smaller additions. Aim for 7.4-7.6 although anywhere 7.2-7.8 is ok.

What is the ingredient in the chlorine concentrate and in the "shock n swim?" Don't add any more algaecides. If you used the the tabs all last season (which are trichlor and are stabilized) then your CYA level was probably high upon closing. What often happens in pools that close with high CYA levels is that it bio-degrade over the winter into ammonia which creates a huge chlorine demand upon opening. I suspect this is what is happening in your pool. The only fix for this is lots and lots of chlorine.

EDIT: Looks like Janet posted while I was typing but as you can see, we have both given you similar advice.

[PoolDoc]

Wow. Yet another case of CYA => ammonia!

We must have had more of this this year, than in the last 4 years combined! If this up-tick that we're seeing is consistent across the country, this has GOT be affecting supplies of granular chlorine, since the quantities required for clean up are so huge.