Can't get a reading for CH level.

[aylad]

If by CH you mean Chlorine, you're probably not getting a reading because you have no stabilizer in your water, and the "goo" in the water and the sun are just eating up all your chlorine. Get a drop-based kit, run a set of test numbers for Cl, pH, TA, CA, and CYA, and post them here along with info on what type of finish your pool has and what exactly (ingredient names, not just "shock") your pool opening service added to your pool. Then we can get you headed in the direction of clear water.

Welcome to the forum!

Janet

[Winwillie]

Thank you Janet, will get a kit as soon as I leave work today and send you the numbers.

Winwillie

[Winwillie]

One more thing Janet, what is stabilizer? And yes, by CH I meant chlorine.
I do have a bottle of "clarifier" left from the pool opening kit, would that be it?

It is still very cool in NY. We live out on the East end of L.I. so I'm hoping to get the water clear and warmed up before mid June when the warm weather rolls in!
Winwillie

[mbar]

Stabilizer is also called conditioner - it is used to raise the cya in your water which keeps the chlorine from breaking down in sunshine.

Clarifier is not stabilizer.

You will have to post your numbers, don't put anything else in the pool until you see where the water is chemically.

Welcome to the forum!

[Simmons99]

Stabilizer is another name for CYA (or conditioner). It basically keeps the sun from burning off all of the clorine during the day. You want to be between 30-50ppm.

No, the clarifier is not the same thing. A clarifier helps to bind really fine particles into larger ones so your filter can catch them. From what I have been reading on the forum the clarifiers are generally not necessary for normal pool maintenance - but I am no expert