Knowing how much water your pool holds is an important piece of information for overall pool maintenance and chemistry.
Without it, you will not know how much of each chemical to add after testing.
Luckily, we have a handy pool volume calculator that should give you a pretty good estimate of how much water is in the pool.
Using the Pool Volume Calculator
The calculator itself is pretty straightforward.
For a rectangular pool, you will need its length and width to measure its overall surface area. Then, add the depths of both the shallow and deep ends for actual volume calculations.
When you measure the shallow and deep ends, only go to the water level, not the coping or decking.
For round pools, all you’ll need is the diameter and depth to get a volume measurement.
Keep in mind that these are rough estimates and not exact. All pools are made differently: some have gradual dropoffs to the deep end, while others have an immediate drop. Also, kidney-shaped pools are measured differently with varying widths.
The best way to know your actual volume is to look at your pool schematics/build notes or ask the builder if they still have that information.
Why Knowing Your Pool Volume is Important
As mentioned above, pool volume is the only way to know how much of each chemical you must add to balance the pool. For example, adding five pounds of CYA might make sense for a 25,000-gallon pool, but it is way too much for 5,000-gallons.
Also, it’s good to know when buying and installing new equipment, like pool filters and pumps.