I am a long-time BBB follower with a Taylor K-2006 kit & a Rainbow 2n1 daily kit (with new Hydrotools reagents). Taylor reagents are from 2 years ago, never stored in extreme heat or cold, religiously tightly capped.

I apologize in advance for the length of this post - I am trying to provide a chemistry history.

Pool is 18x36 vinyl IG, 1 hp hayward Super pump, Hayward EC-65 DE filter, 2 returns, 2 skimmers, 1 wall vac line.

At opening 5/12/06, water was clear, ahd a minor patch of algae on floor under site of mesh panel on solid safety cover.

My initial numbers with Taylor kit at opening 5/12/06 were:
FC=0.5
CC=0
pH=7.1
Alk=75
Calc=100
CYA<30 (couldn't tell exact)

I added 3 pucks of trichlor ea to my 3 Rainbow floaters fully open and a 4 lb box Borax.

Test results 5/18:
FC=0
CC=0
pH=7.2
Alk=75
Calc=75
CYA<30

Then we were away the weekend of 5/20, so no serious work done to it.

On 5/28 I pulled out the big guns: Added sixteen 3-quart bottles of bleach, plus two 1-gal/46 oz bottles bleach.

Test results next morning on 5/29:
FC=24.5
CC=1
TC=25.5
pH=7 (base demand=1 drop=18.5 oz borax)
Alk=100
Calc=80
CYA<30

However, my Taylor kit was saying my pH was 7, Rainbow 8.5. So as a test, I had 2 pool stores do their testing. Store #1 with a test strip agreed with my Taylor #s, Store #2 with their "computer" testing got:
FC=5
CC=0
TC=5
pH=7.7
Alk=61
Calc=88
CYA=8
TDS=400
Sat Index= -0.45 = corrosive (Isn't a "high" pH basic, not corrosive??)

I went home, added nothing, then in the afternoon I retested and got:
FC=13.5
CC=.5
TC=14
pH=7.1
(I didn't bother w/ Alk, Calc or CYA)

That evening I added 1 lb. of Borax. Filters been running constantly, water is very clear, vacing-brushing-regenerating EC-65 filter.

This morning 5/30/06, my mom - who runs a water treatment lab - tested the water and got these #s (she can't test for alk, calc or cya). She said the pool & sample smelled very strong of chlorine (I cannot smell it - I am having problems with my sense of smell & taste):

FC=9.6
CC=10.8
TC=20.4
pH=7.5

I tested as well and got:
FC=10
CC= 0.5
TC=10.5
pH=7.3 (Taylor kit has a yellow cast - hard to tell if 7 or 7.4; Mini kit = 7.7 - much more red looking)
Alk=80
Calc=70
CYA = less than 30 (filled to the very top of the tube the dot is not visible - don't know what the number is - it is above the 30 line)

Which results do I go by?
I have no more algae, do I still keep shocking?
Should I replace the reagents before I do anything else to the pool?
I am embarrassed that I am asking all this, as I have been a loyal follower of this site for years and never questioned the chemistry before. I am a little frustrated. Pool is clean, needs a final vac of dead algae (minimal).

I'd like to post photos, but don't know how.

THANK YOU for all your patience and in advance for your advice!