Question:
My aqua check 7 test strips read: total harness- okay total chlorine- 0 free chlorine- 0 ph- on the high side of okay total alkalinity- low cyanuric acid- low. this reading was today.yesterday we put 2 packets of shock in it and it is still as green as a swamp. what do we need to do?
Answer:
First, you need to get the pH into the appropriate range so that the chlorine is effective (ideally 7.2 - 7.8). Then continue adding chlorine until you get to a free and total chlorine level of 1.0 or greater (they will be equal when you have only good chlorine present). An algaecide may also be helpful once you have balanced your water to help the chlorine get rid of the algae.