Welcome to TFP! Good to have you here
What they said ^^^ is right. The TFPC system totally works, unlike the dartboard chemical sales you're experiencing. That silliness has been seen here at TFP 1000s of times.
There's some very well written and concise explanations in Pool School (buttons above). Start with the ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.
Order the TF100 or K-2006 test kit right away. The TF100 is better configured for TFPC. You'll pay for it before summer is over in savings vs. what you're doing now.
You should definitely adjust pH to between 7.2 and 7.8 to protect your pool. You can use a HTH 6in1 kit for that, around $25 from Walmart, but that kit will seem like a waste of money once you have a proper test kit. No one can advise you how to adjust the pH without reliable numbers you've done yourself.
If you get the HTH kit for the meantime, post the numbers here as follows:
FC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
You will also need to fill out your signature. Follow the link in my signature "Read this before you post" for instructions how to do this.
Marian, Kim and mgmoore are right. Without good numbers we can't guarantee a trouble free pool. I'm a never-say-never kinda guy, and with some numbers it's possible for you to get lucky. These are the criteria you have to meet for using the pool:
1. You have to be able to clearly see the bottom. This is a safety issue and is a deal-breaker.
- we need a picture posted to get a sense of this. Take one looking down at your stairs, or with a pool brush or cleaner in the deep end
2. You have to get pH between 7.2 and 7.8 (this is the reliably measureable range within which the FC will work predictably, and is safe and comfortable for swimmers)
3. You need enough free chlorine so that the pool is safe for people. With zero CYA, that would be around 1-2 PPM FC, but you would need to test and top up possibly every hour, and the HTH test is not easy to read.
So for example, if you ran your pump and filtration 24/7, and your pool doesn't have too bad a problem (be aware that this is unlikely), and we get things corrected right away, you might get lucky.
You might be considering a pool service and their magic ways. What they will do
might clear your pool, but it will take years off the life of your plaster, if that's the type of pool you have. And it can also damage your pool equipment.