Quote Originally Posted by GlenKlein
ok... ran my Walmart test kit.

Please note - on Sunday I put 2 cups of the ProCare stuff in.

Chlorine/Bromine test = ORANGE (off the chart - the chart ended at yellow - my color was almost like a peach orange)
That means your chlorine levels are high. That is where you want it if your water is green from algae. You can extend the scale of your kit by diluting the pool water sample with distilled water. If you dilute 1:1 multiply the test results by 2, 1:2 (1 part pool water to two parts distilled) multiply by 3, 1:3 multiply by 4 and 1:4 mulitply by 5. I would not try to dilute any more thant 1 part pool water to 4 parts distilled water but you have just increased the range of this test up to 25 ppm TC with a slight loss in accuracy!
Don't try and use this test for FC readings. It really doesn't work. OTO reagent only accurately measures TC!

 Alkalinity = 330ppm total alklinity as calcium carbonate
This will need to be lowered once you get rid of the green water! When you are ready post a thread on how to lower the TA in the appropriate colomn and read the FAQ on the subject in that forum.

 pH = 7.5
Perfect, you want to stay between 7.2 and 7.6

 Hardness = my water didn't turn red as the test said it should.
This test in this kit has some problems, it might be the high chlorine levels interfering. At any rate you have a vinyl pool so this parameter is not important for you

 CYA = 30ppm - the solution never got cloudy enough to hide the black dot.
Your CYA is below 30 ppm. As you continue to use the dichlor this will rise. Stop using the dichlor and switch to bleach when it hits about 50 ppm and you will be fine.

Hope that tells you guys something - cuz it means nothing to me right now.

Thanks for your help!
The other thing you might want to do is take a sample of water to a pool store and get it tested for metals since you are using well water. If you have metals in the water using a sequestering agent is a good idea. Copper can make the water clear green. I assume your green is from algae but it can be hard to tell without tests for metals and FC. If it is algae then your FC won't be holding and the pool might be cloudy green and have a slimy feel. If it is copper the water can be light green to emerald green. Iron can color the water yellow and if your liner is blue it can make the water look green.

The treatments for these two problems are different and the algae treatment can make the water look worse if it is caused by metals.

If the green is from algae (water might be cloudy and pool will feel slimy) you need to get your chlorine levels to about 10-12 ppm and KEEP THEM THERE until the pool clears while running the pump 23/7 and cleaning the filter as often as necessary. Once the algae dies the pool might have a cloudy look to it from the dead algae. Your filter will take care of it but you might need to be patient.

If the green is from metals (water is very clear but has a color to it, pool has no slimy feel) a treament with a sequestering agent such as Jack's Magic or Proteam Melal Magic will take care of the problem. This is not a 'one time fix' and maintenence doses of the sequesterant will probably be needed on a regular basis and every time you add water so the problem doesn't return.

Next step is to get a sample to the pool store and let them test it for metals but DO NOT BUY ANY PRODUCTS FROM THEM until you post the results!