Milky water - nine days and counting!

[heckcj]

My pool turned cloudy after I opened it and added chemicals per my installer/local pool store. I've been there three times with water samples, and each time there's more to do, but the numbers keep fluctuating and the pool remains cloudy.

Here are the results from May 1 (store analysis):
FC: 0.0
TC: 0.1
pH: 8.1
CH: 75
TA: 71
CY: 15
They instructed me to add 5# sodium bisulfate and wait 4+ hours, add 20# sodium bicarbonate and wait 4+ hours, then add 40# calcium chloride... which I did, over the next two days. At that point, the pool was pea green, so the next day I shocked it with 5# chlorine shock. The green color went away, but the water was milky.

On May 5, they tested the water:
FC: 0.5
TC: 4.0
pH: 8.2+
CH: 200
TA: 143
CY: 25
They recommended I vacuum the pool (which was hard, since I couldn't see the bottom!) add #4 sodium bisulfate and then add 15# shock. I vacuumed the pool and added the sodium bisulfate that night, then shocked the pool the following night. The cloudiness remained.

On May 8, they tested the water and obtained these results:
FC: 0.0
TC: 2.6
pH: 7.5
CH: 400
TA: 168
CY: 25
They told me to add 14# of sodium bisulfate, which I did... and the water remained milky. I was really confused by the increase in the water hardness - since I hadn't added any more calcium chloride to the pool since about May 3rd.

On May 9, I pulled apart the DE filter to see if there was a tear in the filter grids; I found a pea-sized hole which I repaired. The filter has run for 36 hours straight now (4+ complete changes) yet the water is still milky, so I don't think it's suspended DE.

In addition to the chemistry results, here's some more information:
My pool: ~22,000 gallons, in-ground, vinyl
Pool chemicals: chlorine sanitizer (others used recently listed on attachment)
Pump and filter: Pentair WhisperFlo WFE-4 (1 hp); Pentair SMBW 4036 DE filter
Other info: no bather load so far (just opened); Polaris 380 autocleaner

Sorry for the length of this tome, but I'm totally frustrated. Any ideas on what I can do? I tested the pool with my own kit tonight and got the following results (the low TA result really confuses me):
FC: 0.0
TC: 0.0
pH: 7.0
CH: 375
TA: 70
CY: 25

Thanks in advance!

[chem geek]

Duplicate to post in this thread that was answered there. Remember that chlorine is a consumable so you need to keep adding it to maintain a chlorine level.

[same problem]

have the same problem. I am ready to put the cover back on. my pool is 18 x36 IG have had 12 years and never has this problem lasted this long!!!!. have spent over $350 in chemicals and nothing.try flocking and get ph level to 8.0 try coral seas products. my name is steven. as you can see I am not a computer person so call and leave message 973-669-1883 or e mail coppedge7@verizon.net