I'm sorry things have been so frustrating.

1. Hang on a little longer. Enter daily test results in the pool history spread sheet. Do NOT test CYA -- it's not going to change, and you'll run out of reagent.

2. Complete the equipment form: http://pool9.net/pf-equip-form/ Try to include your pump and filter models. Once you've got several days results posted, and have have the equipment form completed, I'll go back and re-read this thread from the beginning and see if I can make more sense of things.

3. Keep in mind that draining a vinyl pool is a HUGE issue, and can destroy your liner if done incorrectly.