As I do usually once a month, I go to my pool company (not Leslie's much more knowledgeable or up to this point they have been)and have them test my water. I do have the recommended kit here and use that in between. With all of the rain we are having here in the Northeast, the pool company results were:
.1 for chlorine (I know this is low and have put in bleach already, I normally do not let this ever get this low)
7.8 for ph (a little high, but with rain I am struggling to keep at 7.5)
150 hardness (pool co. recommends add 20 lbs of hardness control
92 alkalinity (I know this is low, so I guess I will use the pool co. recommendation of adding 10 lbs. of alkalinity rise
60 CYA (good)
2500 - phosphate reading (pool co. says it should be 0-500)

In the five years that I have maintained my pool with Bleach method, never have I had this phosphate issue. I have never had an issue with alkalinity either, but makes sense with the rain we have been having. So my question - should I use this phosphate down type product, is this a legitimate problem or just a way for the pool company to make more money?

Thanks for your help!