The previous sample tested at 16.5 ppm free chlor. I raised the ALK. Ph was 7.2

I never use anything except borax (ph was quite low when opened) and the 5-gallon liquid chlor. Aside from that, some granular shock from Walmart or Home Depot.

The water was brown/green lake water when opened, and I shock/add liquid chlor right away. So there is no way to tell if this added to the metals problem. Same routine I follow every year except that about half of the water was trucked in last season (the rest from the muni - garden hose).

The pool has been doused with chlorine for weeks.

I can't tell if the color is due to staining, as the first few inches of the liner are normal (no water level changes over the winter). Although I can easily see my aquabot in the deep end, it is a bit murky.

I'll take another test tonight and post. The pool store has a fancy new test rig, so I mainly ignore the suggestions to add $50 of "ph up" and whatnot, except for the Metal Away bottle which is Latin for "twenty bucks away".