Please Help.. Persistent Green Pool.

[Jeannie]

Thank you!

I have a 21' /5' ABG.

I finally have had some success in getting the chlorine WAY up (I use a Taylor Kit). It's at a little over 15ppm since yesterday afternoon. I added some soda ash .. but the Ph is stubbornly hovering around 7.2. Oddly... my alkalinity actually increased even though we added nothing for that? It's around 70ppm now.

In the interim, the pool HAS gotten more green and my ridiculous husband poured in "IMPERIAL BLACK OUT" because he SWEARS that the chlorine levels alone won't kill our algae. I am frustrated and wondering if I should just wait it out or continue my plan of maintaining shock levels (despite the algaecide) and just vacuuming as needed..

[PoolDoc]

Adding soda ash will increase your alkalinity. That's one reason we recommend borax instead of soda ash.

Green -- clear green with no slippery sides -- can be iron and/or alkalinity and/or pH. I've seen it, but I don't fully understand it.

1. Maintain chlorine.
2. Check the sides: on a vinyl pool, if there's no slime, it's not green algae!
3. Filter 24/7
4. Be VERY cautious about raising your pH. You need to do, but not too rapidly. If it IS iron, and you DO raise the pH rapidly, you can make a big brownish orange mess.
5. Get your OWN testkits. Links below.

Good luck, Ben

+ Here are links to the kits we recommend:

HTH 6-Way Test Kit @ Walmart
Taylor K2006A (3/4 oz bottles) @ Amazon
Taylor K2006C (2 oz bottles) @ Amazon