Please help clueless mom who cannot clear pool water!

Hi there- We are new to pool ownership and have opened our pool on 5/21/11 and the water is till cloudy. We have a Sand Filter and about a 38k gallon pool white plaster. I have been reading and I know everyone here likes numbers so here are the ones from Sunday from the pool store.

CYA-27
Chlorine: 10
Free Chlorine:7.8
PH 8
Total Alk 110
Adj. Alk 102
Hardiness 227

From the start we have shocked it and added algae killer. The morning we opened the pool my husband power washed the decking with asphalt and concrete cleaner - he did not know that this was a bad idea. Could this be the problem? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks so much. Christy

Hi Christy;

Given the information you've provided, several things stand out as possibilities. You may have excessively high pH or your filter may not be working. Follow the list below to determine if those are causes ((or to rule them out).

#1 - Make sure your pump is on 24/7.
#2 - Get a cheap OTO / phenol red testkit, and begin testing with it.
#3 - Get a couple of gallons of muriatic acid (Lowes, hardware stores, etc.) and add them (gloves, glasses, watch the fumes), 1/2 gallon at a time to your pool. Wait 1 - 2 hours before testing. Continue adding till your pH is below 7.8.
#4 - Get the smallest container or bag of DE powder you can -- don't worry if you have to get a larger bag then you need; just save it in a bucket for use later -- and add 2 - 4 cups into the skimmer. Then, watch the return in the pool. If white DE powder shoots back into the pool . . . your filter needs work, and is a likely contributor to your problems.
#5 - Add 1 - 2 gallons of 6% household bleach each evening to maintain your chlorine levels.

Report back, once you've worked through the list.

Ben