Pool Chlorine Dosage Calculator
Recommendation:
*Always distribute chemicals evenly around the pool perimeter with the pump running.
How to Use the Pool Chlorine Calculator
Maintaining the perfect chemical balance in your swimming pool is essential for swimmer safety and water clarity. This chlorine dosage calculator helps you determine exactly how much sanitizer to add to reach your target parts per million (ppm) based on your pool's specific volume.
1. Determine Your Pool Volume
The amount of chlorine required depends entirely on how many gallons of water your pool holds. Our calculator automatically estimates volume based on dimensions:
- Rectangular: Length × Width × Average Depth × 7.48
- Round: Radius² × 3.14 × Average Depth × 7.48
- Oval: Length × Width × Average Depth × 5.9
2. Choose Your Chlorine Type
Not all chlorine is created equal. Different products have different concentrations of active chlorine:
- Liquid Chlorine (Sodium Hypochlorite): Typically 10% to 12.5% strength. It's fast-acting and doesn't add cyanuric acid or calcium.
- Cal-Hypo (Calcium Hypochlorite): Granular chlorine often used for "shocking." It adds calcium to the water.
- Dichlor: Granular "stabilized" chlorine. Be careful, as this significantly raises Cyanuric Acid (CYA) levels.
3. Establish Your Target Levels
For most residential pools, the Ideal Free Chlorine range is 2.0 to 4.0 ppm. If you have high levels of Cyanuric Acid, you may need a higher chlorine target to maintain sanitizing effectiveness. Always test your water with a high-quality drop test kit before adding chemicals.
Practical Example
Example: You have a 15,000-gallon rectangular pool. Your current test shows 0.5 ppm chlorine, and you want to reach 3.0 ppm using 10.5% Liquid Chlorine.
Calculation: You need a 2.5 ppm increase. 12.8 oz of liquid chlorine per 10k gallons creates 1 ppm. For 15k gallons, that's 19.2 oz per 1 ppm. Multiply by 2.5 ppm increase = 48 oz (1.5 quarts) of liquid chlorine.
Safety Tips for Adding Chlorine
- Never mix chemicals: Never mix different types of chlorine (like Cal-Hypo and Trichlor) outside of the pool water; it can cause a violent explosion.
- Add to water, not water to chemical: If pre-dissolving granular chlorine, always fill the bucket with water first, then add the granules.
- Circulate: Ensure the pool pump is running when adding chemicals to help with distribution and prevent staining or liner bleaching.
- Wait to swim: Typically, wait at least 30 minutes to 1 hour after adding liquid chlorine before swimming. For shock treatments, wait until chlorine levels drop back to the 1-4 ppm range.