The tools and guides on PoolCalc are provided for general information. They are estimates, not instructions for your specific pool.
Calculations are estimates
Every result depends on the numbers you enter. If your pool volume is out by a quarter, every chemical dose will be out by a quarter. Test kits drift, products lose strength in storage, and pools have steps, benches and ledges that displace water. Treat any figure here as a well-reasoned starting point, then test and adjust.
Your product label always wins
Chemical doses are calculated from the strength you select. If the instructions on your container disagree with a figure on this site, follow the container. The manufacturer knows what is in the product; this website does not.
Pool chemicals are hazardous
Several of the products discussed here are corrosive or oxidising, and some react dangerously with each other. Never mix pool chemicals — combining chlorine products with acid releases chlorine gas. Always add chemical to water rather than water to chemical, store products dry and separated, and keep them out of reach of children and pets.
Not professional advice
Nothing on this site is professional, medical, legal or financial advice. Pool construction, plumbing and electrical work are regulated in most places and should be carried out by qualified people. Local rules on drainage, water restrictions, fencing and pool safety vary, and it is your responsibility to follow the ones that apply to you.
Health and safety
If anyone has become unwell after swimming, if the water is cloudy enough that the bottom is not clearly visible, or if a reading is far outside its normal range, keep people out of the pool and get the water checked properly. No calculator can tell you whether water is safe to swim in.
Liability
We take accuracy seriously and correct mistakes promptly when they are reported. That said, PoolCalc accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from the use of the information on this site. You use it at your own discretion.
External links
Where this site links elsewhere, we have no control over that content and are not responsible for it.
In short: use these tools to work out roughly what your pool needs, then verify with a reliable test kit and follow your product labels. When in doubt, ask a pool professional.