Help! My levels are funky

[726nbuffalo]

Never had any issues until now. I have been using pucks in the automatic thing (keep about 3 in it all times at a level 1 in winter and 2-3 in summer) powder chlorine shock about once a week.

Now last weekend me and my friends swam all day and night and ALLLL of us immediately were itching and it last days. Tested again (pic of test from this past tues and the other pic is from this morning showing the chlorine levels lowered.)

The pool store said to massively lower the chlorine so we did…. Add no phos so we did on Wednesday night…. And now the want me to bring up the alkalinity. I do not want to mess this up. I drained the pool twice this week to about two inches under the skimmer. I also bought liquid chlorine to use instead of the powder and I turned the pucks down to almost off.

 

[726nbuffalo]

Any suggestions?

 

[poolnoobgrandma]

Any suggestions?

The first thing is to get your own test kit ( Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared) and post the results here. Pool store testing is not accurate, and is often used to sell you stuff you don't need.
The folks here are great, and will guide you to maintaining a beautiful pool.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Not that we trust pool store testing, but if we do trust those numbers, your chlorine is too low in both pictures. The pool store person is an idiot since you are almost guaranteed to get algae based on the last set of numbers.

Also don't fall for their phosphate scam... it does nothing but take money from your pocket and move it to yours.

Here is what I would do:

1. Read up on the TFP method and determine if it is right for you. It is way different than what you hear from pool stores, but keep in mind we are truly trying to help you and not sell you anything unlike the pool stores. Start with these articles:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

There are several items things every pool owner should know about swimming pool water. We share details on the basics of Pool Water Chemistry.

www.troublefreepool.com

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

2. If you decide to try the TFP way, the first thing to do is get a quality test kit so you never have to step foot in a pool store again. Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc have all of the supplies you need for cheaper and without the sales/gimmicks of Leslies.