Hi Ciaran. Welcome to the Forum. The very first thing to do is to have your water tested for Salt level BEFORE YOU ADD ANY SALT. Any Pool Store can do this for you. Next is to determine the requirements of your SWCG. Please post your Make and Model number of your unit and we can help you find your specific needs. Your SWCG will not produce chlorine efficiently without the proper salt level. Please provide more information when you say "Last year was a Battle". Your post indicates that your water is not clear, please be more specific, is it green, or just cloudy, how are you addressing this?