Fighting Algae for months

[jwhouse]

I don't think the bleach amount history is as important as the chlorine ppm readings each night and morning. The key is to make sure you are maintaining a high enough chlorine level in your pool to eradicate the algae. I'd say if the water is still cloudy, you may still have algae growing. Usually, the dead algae will settle to the bottom and need to be vacuumed by hand.
Once your Taylor kit arrives start taking regular readings using that and report those. Once again, the best thing you can do is to keep plenty of chlorine in the pool, get good test results on a regular basis and not let up until your pool is clear.

[sabres07]

Keep adding chlorine.....if you don't, you will be right back to where you started. Like I said, you have to follow to the letter with NO DEVIATION.

[rkrgk]

Appreciate the inputs..
I will post the Cl levels once I get my Taylor kit tomorrow.

[rkrgk]

What would be an ideal amount of CYA to hold the Cl levels relatively stable considering the fact that we live in Phoenix where its 100+ almost everyday throughout the summer?

[sabres07]

You have to add chlorine as often as it takes throughout the day to hold your pool at shock level. For my algae battle, it was every couple of hours on the first day. The next day it was maybe every 4 hours. The day after that, it was maybe every 7-9 hours. If you are adding chlorine only once a day, you are not getting ahead of your problem. In fact, you are probably just wasting time and money. You have to be very persistent.

[jwhouse]

This is not in any way a recommendation but you could probably get your cya levels to somewhere between 70-90. I wouldn't go any higher than that though. Be sure to read the best guess chart here to find out the recommended CL levels for your CYA.

BUT... Get your algae under control before you do anything else. Any effort and money spent otherwise right now would be a waste. Did you receive your kit today? If you have questions regarding how to use it, look here. These videos are great to help you learn about using your kit. Get those test results and then a plan can be more accurately formulated. Also, be sure not to waste your CYA tests. There are only about 6 testings in the K-2006.

[PoolDoc]

Usually, the dead algae will settle to the bottom and need to be vacuumed by hand.

This isn't necessarily so. It depends on circulation patterns, pump run times, and more. What often happens on AG pools is that the water goes from green cloudy to gray cloudy.

What would be an ideal amount of CYA to hold the Cl levels relatively stable considering the fact that we live in Phoenix where its 100+ almost everyday throughout the summer?

As jwhouse notes below, you need to get the algae resolved first. You may not have a lot of choice about CYA levels, unless you drain and refill. 1. Test the water. 2. Kill the algae. 3. Fix any other URGENT chemistry issues. 4. THEN worry about ideal CYA levels.

You have to add chlorine as often as it takes throughout the day to hold your pool at shock level. For my algae battle, it was every couple of hours on the first day.

This isn't completely necessary. Not everyone is at home during the day. Very large chlorine doses added each evening will do the trick, once you get the doses high enough.

You have to be very persistent.

But this IS completely necessary.

BUT... Get your algae under control before you do anything else. Any effort and money spent otherwise right now would be a waste.

Absolutely correct -- unless you have very low pH that could damage your pool, or very high pH that could interfere with killing algae. Then you need to do both at the same time.