Pool care guides
Short, practical guides for the parts of pool care that are not a single number: what to buy, how to test, what order to add things, and how to open and close the pool. The order in one line: chlorine first if it is low, then alkalinity, then pH, then calcium and stabilizer, one product at a time with the pump running.
New pool owner? Start here
Read pool chemicals for beginners first. It narrows the store shelf down to six products, explains what each test number means, and walks you through your first week with real amounts. Then keep the order for adding chemicals open the first few times you dose: chlorine first when it is low, then alkalinity, pH, calcium, and stabilizer, with a pause between each. All target numbers are in one table on the pool chemical chart, and the pool chemical calculator turns your test into doses in that order.
Testing
Every dose starts with a test. How to read pool test strips covers timing, light, in-between colors, and when a drop kit is worth it. If your kit shows two chlorine numbers, free chlorine vs total chlorine explains which one to dose by and what the gap between them means.
Routine
The pool maintenance schedule lists daily, weekly, and monthly jobs and shows how to find your own chlorine loss per day, so you add the right amount instead of a fixed "cup a day". Salt pool? The salt water pool care guide covers the cell, salt level, and the higher stabilizer target.
Seasonal: opening and closing
Spring start-up has its own order: cover, water level, equipment, then chemistry. Follow the pool opening checklist. In fall, how to close an inground pool covers final chemistry, water level by cover type, blowing out lines, and what to do in warm climates where you can keep the pool running. Above-ground pool? See how to close an above-ground pool.
Safety
Most pool chemical injuries happen at home, according to CDC emergency room data. Pool chemical safety covers the pairs you must never mix, storage, protective gear, and what to do after a splash or breathing fumes. Read it before you open your first bottle of acid; it takes five minutes.
Apps and tools
Comparing apps? Our pool chemistry app comparison checks the big brand apps and the independent calculators on what matters: account, test entry, hot tub support, history, and price, with dates. If you use Pool Math today and want something different, see the Pool Math alternative page for a feature-by-feature look.
In this section
Guides
- Pool chemicals for beginnersNew pool?
- How to read pool test stripsRead pool test strips correctly: timing, lighting, in-between colors, and what each pad means.
- What order to add pool chemicalsThe right order to add pool chemicals: chlorine first if it's low, then alkalinity, pH, calcium, stabilizer.
- Pool maintenance scheduleHow often to add chlorine, test pH, shock, clean the filter, and check stabilizer.
- Pool opening checklistOpen your pool for summer: cover, equipment, water level, first test, and start-up chemical doses for your…
- How to close an inground poolClose an inground pool: balance the water, shock by the label, lower it for your cover, blow out and plug…
- Pool chemical safetyNever mix chlorine and acid.
- Best pool chemistry apps (honest comparison)Pool chemistry apps compared on what matters: account required, any test strips, hot tub support, history…
- A Pool Math alternativeWhat Pool Math does well, where users struggle (log limits, sync, canceling) and how our app compares,…