Isnt There A Pool App For That
We use our smartphones for just about everything. In the pool service industry, smart phones can help plan efficient routes, help with water chemistry decisions, help with specialized equipment functions and so much more. Here are several of our favorite apps that can help keeps pools sparkly and blue.
Chemistry Calculators
Nimbus Pool Doctor
Adjust the chlorine, bromine, salt, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness and cyanuric acid levels in the pool. Configure the ideal ranges and chemicals used to treat pools. Results are given in pounds, ounces, grams, kilograms, liters, gallons or even in the number of scoops . This app supports regular, salt-water or even bromine pools. iOS only, Free.
NPC LSI Calculator
The LSI is used to predict if pool or spa water is corrosive, balanced or scaling. The NPC LSI Calc uses the original mathematical equations which use logarithms, square roots and interpolated constants for calculations. $4.99.
Pool Acid Dose Calculator
This pH calculator provides the exact amount of acid needed in any pool or spa to lower pH or total alkalinity. $4.99.
Pool Chem Dose Calculator
A pool calculator that will calculate the exact chemical dose needed for 38 chemicals in 11 categories for any size pool in US Imperial or Metric measures. $2.99.
The Pool Drain Percent Calculator
Used to determine the percent or fraction of water to be drained to reach a target for a specific condition in the water. $2.99.
Pooli
PoolMath, by TroubleFreePool
Skimmer
Square
Why Measuring Chemicals Is So Important
There are many reasons why measuring chemicals is an important behavior. In this article, we will focus on the two main ones: the pool chemistry itself, and your wallet.
Adding chemicals correctly to a swimming pool requires knowing a few things:
- The correct volume of the pool
- The current water chemistry of the swimming pool, and its LSI balance value.
- The correct dose of the chemical you need to add
- How to actually add the chemical to water correctly
The one thing missing from that list of bullet points is the focus of this article. Measuring. Once you know the pool volume and the current chemistry of the pool, you can use a reference chart to find an accurate dose for the chemical you need to add to the water.
Measuring that specific amount of chemical is perhaps the most self-explanatory practice, yet it is widely ignored. Instead, pool owners and operators tend to ‘eyeball it’ or guess. And sure, with something like liquid chlorine, a few extra ounces won’t make a huge difference in a backyard pool. But a few extra ounces of muriatic acid can. And many people are unaware of how significant the difference is.
Then, like every dry/granular chemical, it needs to be pre-dissolved in a bucket of water prior to being added to the pool.
Avoid Overcorrections
Here is our video on how to properly add acid to a swimming pool:
The Importance Of Balanced Pool Water
Balanced pool water is clean, safe, healthy, and comfortable to swim in. And it will prevent damage to your pools structure and equipment.
Too much chlorine will cause skin and eye irritation, and potential illness, while too little will not be effective at killing bacteria, algae, and other contaminants.
If pH levels are too high, the water will become cloudy and create scale deposits on your pool walls and equipment. And if the pH levels are too low, the pool surfaces and equipment will become etched and corroded.
Simply put, unbalanced water can lead to plenty of unwanted issues with your pool. So do yourself and your pool a favour and keep your water balanced.
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What Is Breakpoint Oxidation
To reach breakpoint oxidation, the chlorine reading must be 10 ppm over your combined chlorine reading.
Your chlorine has two readings: free chlorine and combined chlorine . Free chlorine refers to the chlorine that is free and available to kill.
NOTE: Pool shock products are made with unstabilized chlorine or no chlorine at all. They will go in, do their job, and get eaten up by the suns UV rays very fast. Thats why its important to shock your pool at night or dusk, and let it work for 8 hours throughout the night.
Pool Calculator Q & A
The Pool Volume Calculator is meant to be an estimate only and is close enough to be used for the Chemical Calculator. The slight difference created by the estimate will be absorbed by the recommended range for each level.
1. What chemicals do I add to my pool ? Alk , Calcium , Salt , acid , Chlorine, Sunscreen and Algaecides
2. How do I add chemicals to my pool ? If in dought, add slowly at the return. The high flow of water returning to the pool will mix the chemicals throughout the pool the fastest.
3. What order do I add chemicals to my pool ?It is not so much the order, but the speed and time between adding each chemical. allow a minute or two between each adition.
4. How do i balance pool water ? Test the water. This gives you the level of each chemical in the water. Then compare to the recommended levels and get the differences. Add each chemical accordingly. Retest
5. Replace this text with your questions? Replace this text with your answer.
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Ph Increaser & Ph Decreaser
Most pools tend to need either pH Up or pH Down more often, but pool owners should have both on hand. Pool pH Decreaser is also used to lower Total Alkalinity, and also for pool stain removal.
Each 1 lb. of pH Up or pH Down will move pH .2 or .3 clicks on pH scale, per 10000 gallons. 7.4-7.6 is the recommended range.
What Is Calcium Hypochlorite And How Does It Work
Calcium hypochlorite, or cal hypo for short, will be an ingredient in a pool shock container, but it is also an effective water sanitizer itself, often used to clean drinking water too. This chemical compound has been utilized since the 19th century, and it is one of the least costly alternatives to shocking your pool.
It gets created by mixing calcium oxide with chlorine gas. The result contains a strong base, and it usually gets sold in stores as a granulated solid. It reacts well with a variety of chemical compounds, and it carries a higher pH level. One of the many reasons why it is a popular product is its availability, price, ease of use, and ability to store for long periods.
So how does calcium hypochlorite work? The component of cal hypo that disinfects your pool is the chlorine. Most commercially sold cal hypo products contain anywhere between 65% and 75% chlorine in the mixture. For every 1ppm of free chlorine in your pool, calcium hypochlorite adds about 0.8 ppm of calcium into the swimming pool water.
When the cal hypo is poured into the pool, the chlorine compounds will encounter the microbes and begin to disturb their functions. It does this by attaching to the enzymes of the microbes cells. Soon it will ultimately kill the bacteria by disrupting all the inner workings and destroying the cell walls. As it continues to hunt down all microbes in the water, your swimming pool will get sanitized.
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How To Calculate Pool Volume
Like a novice cook who needs to know how much of each ingredient to add to a dish, pool owners need to know how much of their maintenance products they need to add to their water. In order to do this properly, pool owners must know their pool volume how much water is actually in their pool.
Calculating your pool volume is essential to correctly balancing the water. Making only rough estimates can result in errors and end up causing issues. Over-estimating is a waste of money under-estimating will result in unsanitary water. If the volume of your pool isn’t in the original documentation, it’s easy to calculate it yourself.
Calcium Hypochlorite Vs Sodium Hypochlorite
Make sure you know the difference between calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite . While both alternatives are proven disinfectants, there are a couple of differences. Calcium hypochlorite contains calcium, and sodium hypochlorite does not have it. Areas that contain higher levels of calcium hardness might not react as well to calcium hypochlorite.
Not only is sodium hypochlorite calcium-free, but it also does have as much available chlorine. Overall, it is a much cheaper product than calcium hypochlorite. If you live in areas with higher calcium hardness levels, this might be a better option for you in the long run.
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Chlorine / Free Chlorine
Chlorine is used to kill germs, algae, bacteria, and organisms like Cryptosporidium. Free Chlorine is the amount available in your water to kill these things. You always want to maintain a free Chlorine level of at least 1. Min Max Range being 1 to 5, with 2-4 being ideal.
There are many different types of Chlorine, with different strengths. Some are liquids, like Sodium Hypochlorite, Some are powders, like Trichlor, Dichlor, and Calcium Hypochlorite. NEVER MIX TYPES. If you pour liquid over solid it could go boom.
If you have a vinyl liner, you may use liquid Chlorine as I recommend, but you may also keep a couple Chlorine tabs/pucks in a floater, or in the skimmer basket. Do not pour liquid chlorine near the skimmer, or floater, with tabs/pucks in either.
The calculator gives you a choice of these four chlorine types. So no matter which type of Chlorine you have, you know how much to use.
Here Is The Method In More Detail:
1. Take a water sample from the pool, test and determine the total alkalinity. For best results, it is important to use a test method that is accurate to within 1 or 2 ppm. However, most test kits have each drop of titrant equal 10 ppm. To account for this, add 10 times the amount of pool water as the normal test sample amount into a small cup. Then each drop of titrant becomes 1 ppm instead of 10 ppm. If the alkalinity is on the low side and could be raised, use sodium bicarbonate to raise the alkalinity.
2. For pools between 15,000 and 30,000 gallons, add precisely 5 pounds of sodium bicarbonate. For larger pools, add 10 pounds.
3. With the circulation system running and after brushing for proper dilution, wait for the chemical to completely blend throughout the water. It should take about 45 minutes for most residential pools.
4. Then take a second water sample from the pool and test the alkalinity again using the same 10 times of pool water volume.
5. Apply the formula in Fig. 1.
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Of course, if lowering a high alkalinity, be careful to not add too much acid at one time. Generally, it is safe to add two quarts of acid per 20,000 gallons of pool water when the TA is 120 ppm or higher, and the pH is 7.8 or above. Two quarts of acid will lower the TA by 12.5 ppm per 20,000 gallons.
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How To Calculate The Volume Of Your Swimming Pool
The volume of your swimming pool is expressed in gallons. Calculating the volume of your swimming pool will give you the information you need to effectively balance and treat your swimming pool water.If your swimming pool has a deep end and varies in depth, youll need to calculate the average depth of your pool to determine volume. This can be done very easily:
Minimum Depth of your pool + Maximum Depth of your pool / 2 = Average Swimming Pool Depth
If your swimming pool is a uniform depth, calculating the volume is simple. Youll simply measure the depth of your pool and use it as part of your calculation.
Youll also need to factor in the size of a gallon to get a measurement you can use. Because there are 7.5 gallons in every cubic foot, factoring this in will tell you exactly how many gallons are in your pool. Once you know the length, width and average depth of your pool, you can calculate your swimming pool volume with a simple calculation:
Length X Width X Average Depth X 7.5 = Volume of your pool
Spreadsheet To Do Pool Calculations
Corban987 said:HiThis is my first post. I have been looking for a spreadsheet to do the calculations, and I found this thread. I decided to create my own based off the website All I did was format the calculations from the website into the spreadsheet for ease of use.I thought I would share it, I prefer to use a spreadsheet.
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Pool Chemicals: How Much Of What Is Needed
How much, and which pool chemicals are needed, for an entire season?
In an ideal world, pool closing would come as you finish the last few tablets, clarifier, algaecide and everything else. But as we all know, thats rarely the case.
So I went to see Dr. Pool, who is friendly with mathematics and always loves a puzzle. I explained my query, as he peered at me over his glasses.
You want to know how a pool owner could calculate the exact amount of chemicals needed, for any given pool, he repeated back to me.
First calculate the number of weeks that the pool will be open. Secondly, you must know your pool size in gallons, give or take a few hundred gallons, he said.
We settled on my pool as an example, a 25,500 gallon inground pool. My pool is open from May 1 October 1, or a typical 20-week season.
What Are The Benefits Of Maintaining Pool Alkalinity
Maintaining a pool alkalinity between 80 and 120 ppm has several key benefits. The most important is that your pool pH level is stabilized. Low pool pH level may result in corrosion of your pool surface and pool tools, such as your pool filter. High pH will dramatically reduce the free chlorines ability to sanitize your pools contaminants.
Balanced pool alkalinity will make it much easier to keep your pool pH level in a tight range, thereby reducing the possibility of corrosion and the ineffectiveness of free chlorine.
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Add Only If Total Alkalinity Is Above 100 Ppm
Lowering or raising pH:
Maintaining proper Total Alkalinity helps maintain the correct pH. Always adjust TA before trying to adjust pH. If your TA level is too high, call us for advice on how to use acid to lower it. This can be a tricky procedure and is best left up to experienced professionals to achieve good results without damaging your plaster.
If pH is too high and alkalinity is correct:
use an acid demand test from your test kit to determine how much acid to add to your pool. If you don’t have this test, you can add 2 cups of muriatic acid per 10,000 for every tenth of a point that you need to lower pH. This is approximate. Retest pH a few hours after adding acid. Always add acid to water – never water to acid.
Pool Chemical Conditions Calculator
Raise Total Alkalinity You should keep your pool or spa’s Total Alkalinity at 60 to 180 PPM. Required Data Entry The volume of water is gallons. The current Total Alkalinity is PPM. I want the Total Alkalinity to be PPM. Calculated Results I need to use Alkalinity Increaser to correct the Total Alkalinity of the water. I need to add pounds
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Testing Your Pool Water
You can not properly adjust your water chemistry unless you know where your at. So you need to test your water. There is a quick, simple, easy, and cheap way to test your water. I recommend Aquacheks #7 Dipping Strips. You can buy them on Amazon for short money, you get 100 strips for like 15 bucks: .
You could always go to your local pool store with a water sample, but they are in the business of selling chemicals, name brand chemicals. With my calculator and Aquachek strips, you can balance your water, and know exactly what you need, and dont need.
How To Calculate The Volume Of A Circular Swimming Pool
Round swimming pools do not have a standard length or width. If you have a round swimming pool at home, youll need to use a different formula to calculate the volume. To make the correct calculation, youll need to determine the radius of your pool . From there, the calculation is simple:
3.14 X radius squared X average depth X 7.5 = Round Swimming Pool Volume in Gallons
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What Should Total Alkalinity Be In Pools And Hot Tubs
Total alkalinity is a measure of the concentration of alkaline materials in pool and spa water. The most common alkaline material is cyanuric acid, commonly referred to as pool stabilizer. Fundamentally, alkaline materials buffer pH levels and combat the acidic effects of many common contaminants found in pool and spa water, such as urine.
It is important to remember that buffers such as cyanuric acid and other alkaline materials also inhibit free chlorine from sanitizing pool water to some extent. This is a much greater concern with hot tubs than it is with swimming pools. Hot tubs experience a higher concentration of swimmers and therefore a higher concentration of contaminants. If hot tub water is buffered too much, free chlorine will be ineffective against folliculitis .
The recommended total alkalinity for swimming pools is between 80 and 120 ppm. Many pool professionals recommend an exact level of 90 ppm. The recommended total alkalinity for hot tubs is 50 to 80 ppm. These ranges ensure stable pH levels while not buffering water too much to render free chlorine ineffective against common contaminants.
