If you are looking to understand the number of chemicals that need to be poured into your pool, then it is safe to assume that you are testing your water yourself and using a reliable pool testing kit to accurately see your pool levels.
Make sure your water level numbers are accurate or you risk wasting money on chemicals you might not even need!
Calculate Pool Water Volume
When it comes to how many chemicals we need, the most important question that needs to be answered is how many gallons or liters does your pool hold?
Remember, we want to be as accurate as possible and not over (or under) dose our pool so knowing how many gallons your pool can hold is critical.
One way to find out the pool volume is to look at your pool schematics/build notes or ask the builder if they still have that information. If you don’t know who the builder is, then we can calculate and get a rough estimation that is “good enough”.
*Note that when you measure the shallow and deep ends, you want to measure to the water level and not necessarily to the coping/decking.
Once we have a good idea of our volume, now we can get a better understanding of how many chemicals need to be added.
Using the PoolMath App
By far and away the best method of understanding the number of chemicals that need to be added is using the PoolMath app by the folks at TroubleFreePool*. The app allows you to make logs of all your testing and even allows you to note what chemicals you poured in giving you a tally of total used and money spent during the swim season.
There is a $7.99 yearly subscription fee if you want to keep logs, but it is well worth it to see the test results throughout the weeks. It will give you a really good understanding of how your pool operates during the year and will give you a better idea of what to expect for the next season.
They do have a desktop version of the actual math behind the number of chemicals to add, but the app makes everything much easier to follow and understand.
On Your Way to Clear Water!
After a season of testing, pouring chemicals in, then re-testing, you will most definitely know amounts by memory. For example, you’ll know the amount of chlorine you need to increase your FC by 1, which makes it that much easier to maintain. Time, patience, and a willingness to understand your pool are all you need to do all the pool maintenance yourself!
*TroubleFreePool has its own methods of pool care and maintenance. This is not an endorsement of any kind.