cloudy water

Here is the only thing I can find on the pump. It's very difficult or me to make out. It looks like SP2610X13.

http://i570.photobucket.com.KILLED/a...s/0ffcc196.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O...0/0ffcc196.jpg

1.5 HP Hayward Super Pump => SP2610x15 (Hayward site page)

Unless you've got a lot of other gear on the pool, that pump is oversize for the filter -- however, the CL200 restricts flow so much that you may NOT have excess flow, but ARE wasting a bunch of electricity. If THIS:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-h...200%2520ed.jpg
is the chlorinator you have, then THIS is the hole you're trying to push ALL your pool water through:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u...t%25208813.jpg

. . . NOT my favorite piece of Hayward equipment!

Here's the entire system. The person who opened the pool left the valve all the way to the left in the closed position which I believe controls the drain in the bottom of the pool. The valve next to it is the skimmer I think and I'm not really sure what the two valves are on the right. I just added two more gallons of bleach a little earlier and I'll report back in the morning with results.
http://i570.photobucket.com.KILLED/a...s/a25dc236.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w...0/a25dc236.jpg

Free chlorine - 1.5
Combined - 3.0
pH - 7.8

So what should I do next to it?

I went by one pool place today but They only had the large 25lb bags of the DE powder and I didnt want to buy such a large amount since you said I only needed a few pounds. I went to tractor supply store next and they had a small 4lb bag of DE powerder used to treat bed bugs and other pest. Here is the brand they had. Would this be OK to use to test my filter? If not I guess I'll just buy the 25lb bag.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/safer-r...asedPricingCmd

Get the 25# bag. It will keep forever, if you have a place to store it.

The problem with the bug-grade of DE is that it may be too fine -- I don't know. But if you use it, and it blows back into the pool, we won't know if it's because it's really, really fine DE, or because your filter has problems.

Alright. What about vacuuming it? Should I start doing that? I have a blue diamond robotic vacuum that I bought last year right after I bought the house and moved in towards the end of summer but that's the only vacuum I've got.

You'd be better off with a manual vacuum. But, you sorta have to get a whole package. I looked on Amazon, and they have PoolMaster which I think is OK residential quality stuff. I'm not sure, because I've always used commercial grade products which are considerably more expensive. Anyhow:

Poolmaster 27514 Classic Full View Triangular Vinyl Liner Vacuum @ Amazon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o...c%2520head.jpg


Poolmaster 33430 Premium Vacuum Hose with Swivel Cuff, 30ft x 1-1/2in @ Amazon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...c%2520hose.jpg


Poolmaster 20172 18in Nylon Aluminum Back Pool Brush @ Amazon
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M...%2520brush.jpg


Poolmaster 21191 Premier Aluminum Pool Leaf Skimmer, Black/Silver @ Amazon
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...00/skimmer.jpg


Hydro Tools 8365 8- to 16-Foot Adjustable Fluted Premium Fluted Telescopic Pool Pole, White @ Amazon
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7...l%2520pole.jpg

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Needed mostly for spring and fall clean-up:
Poolmaster 21196 Premier Aluminum Pool Leaf Rake
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-w...af%2520net.jpg

You can look around locally. The stuff I've seen personally in Lowes, Walmart, etc. is junk. I'd guess pool stores have a higher grade of gear, but I haven't been in a pool store in 20 years. You can find higher grade stuff at some of the only retailers. Rainbow (now a Pentair brand) has some decent poles and an excellent (but expensive) commercial vac head. Nycon makes commercial grade skimmers, brushes, and leaf rakes.

CC - 0
FC - 0
pH - 7.4
CYA - 0. Was able to easily see the black dot with the tube all the way full.

I also tested the filter and It looked like a VERY small amount may have came out. It was hard to see though. It rained the past 2 days and really hard yesterday and the water is very very cloudy now.

Where do from here?? Id like to have it cleared up by Saturday or Sunday since it's been so hot here if possible but if not, oh well.

Thanks for all your help.

The only way to get this pool cleared up is to consistently keep chlorine in it. You may also have some filter issues since you think some of the DE came out. I'll let Ben address those. But, even if you have to have filter work done, you'll still need to keep chlorine in there or else you aren't going to have a cloudy pool, you'll have a green pool!

You can either use bleach for your chlorine and then add some CYA separately. If you go this route, you'll need about 5 or 6 lbs. of CYA, often called stabilizer or conditioner. The ingredient will be cyanuric or isocyanuric acid.

OR you can chlorinate with dichlor for awhile which will add chlorine and CYA at the same time. You can buy it at a good price at Sam's --- PoolBrand. Some other places are selling blends which have unwanted stuff in there, so be careful what you buy. (Once your CYA level gets to 40-50, you'll want to switch to an unstabilized form of chlorine, though.)

No guarantees about Saturday or Sunday though..........