My test will do Chlorine up to 5ppm, Bromine, Total alkalinity, Acid Demand and PH. I am looking to order one of the big kits, I think it is like 89.99 on Amazon.
Here is my confusion - I had a great year with the pool. The Chlorine Level stayed at 2ppm all summer long and the pool stayed clear. Even when we had massive dust storms, I didn't have water quality issues. About a week ago I put the solar cover back on because it is getting cold at night. Now I had this algae issue. I used the solar cover at the beginning of the season with no problems, but now at the end of the season I'm having issues.
The solar cover is not the issue, the issue is that your FC has gone too low to properly sanitize the pool.
What we need to understand is why. This is why it is important that you own a proper test kit. The kit you have lacks a CH test, will only test FC to 5ppm, and does not measure CYA, or stabilizer, which is very important to know as you proper FC level depends on it.
Also, most pool $tore testing is unreliable. I don't know if it's lack of calibration, going too fast, cross contamination, lack of interest, etc, but time and time again we see store testing that is incorrect.
If you have visible algae you need to SLAM the pool to kill it all or you will just continue to chase your tail as the algae wins the fight.
During a SLAM it is important to maintain your shock FC level (again based on CYA) for the duration. This will require multiple tests throughout the day for the first couple of days, and the lowest FC shock level is 12ppm with CYA at 30ppm (
CYA / FC Chart) things you can't measure with your current test kit, or accurately with multiple pool store trips.
Please consider one of the recommended test kits.
Test Kits Compared
These kits contain a FAS/DPD chlorine test, which is accurate up to 50ppm, with 0.2ppm & 0.5ppm resolution. They also measure CC, CYA, pH, TA & CH.
Can you also please tell us about your pool. Is it inground, above ground, vinyl, plaster, fiberglass, etc. Tell us your pump & filter info also if you can. Put this info into your signature, this way it shows up in your posts.
Pool School - Read This BEFORE You Post
Welcome to TFP. We can help you get your pool sparkling, but you need to decide if your willing to invest in a proper test kit, and a few minutes of your time throughout the week. Ditch the pool $tore and take control of the care of your pool, nobody will do it as carefully as you.