Pool Filter is Green, could I have algae?

[PoolDoc]

You pretty much have to know what your CYA -- chlorine stabilizer -- levels are, to operate successfully. And, unfortunately, the CYA test is the very test where 'guess-strips', including those read by a dealer, are least accurate.

Check out the Walmart 6-way, linked above in my earlier post, if you are on a tight budget. Otherwise, please get a K2006.

[ac1007]

It is not carry at any Walmart around here. I checked a 100 mile radius. :-( I would have to wait till Sept 1st to get the K2006.

[PoolDoc]

Ok. We'll have to go at it another way.

Do this:

1. Add 2 gallons of PLAIN 6% bleach to your pool this evening.
2. Test with OTO drops tomorrow evening; if the OTO is ORANGE, skip the dose. Otherwise, add 2 more gallons.
3. Tell me what the pool looks like after 2 doses (4 gallons)

[ac1007]

I did the 2 gallons of bleach that night, next night was not orange so added the other 2 gallons. The water was clear the morning after the first 2 gallons. But yest my filter was tinged a little green again. And on my Drop test, my PH is up to almost up to the 8.2. I haven't put anything in beside bleach, why did it go so high?

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

When the chlorine is dark yellow or beyond, your pH test is NOT reliable. Only test the pH when the chlorine is lower. If you have a non-Taylor pH test, you can only test up to chlorine = 3.0 or so. With Taylor, you can test up to 10 ppm. There are exceptions, but I'm not going to cover them here. The bottom line is, if your pH was OK before you started adding bleach, it's still OK, as long as bleach is all you added.