Pool Volume

• 1). Determine how many gallons of water your pool holds by measuring the length and the width of the pool. Write these numbers down on a sheet of paper.
  
  
• 2). Determine the average depth of the pool by measuring the depth of the shallow end and the depth of the deep end. Add the two numbers together and divide the total by 2; the answer is the average depth of the pool. Write this number down on your sheet of paper.
  
  
• 3). Determine which multiplier to use for your pool. If the pool is round or oval, the multiplier will be 5.9 and if the pool is rectangular, square or a free form shape, the multiplier will be 7.5. Write the multiplier number for your pool down on your sheet of paper.
  
  
• 4). Complete the calculations for total pool volume by taking the length of the pool and multiplying it by the width. Multiply this number by the average depth of your pool and multiply your answer using the multiplier from the previous step.
  
  

Water Testing

• 1). Check the chemical balance of the pool using a 4 or 5-way pool test strip to check the pH, "free chlorine" and alkalinity levels of the water by inserting a test strip into the pool water while making sure not to totally submerge it.
  
  
• 2). Hold the test strip in the water for about 3 to 4 minutes and remove.
  
  
• 3). Read the test results on the pool test strip to determine the current level of each of the chemicals.
  
  

Chemicals

• 1). Determine which chemicals need to be added to the pool water by referring back to the test strip used to check the current level of each chemical. Make a note of which chemicals are low and which chemicals are too high.
  
  
• 2). Use the calculation that you came up with for the total water volume, in gallons, of your pool and convert that number to liters by simply typing the number into an online conversion calculator.
  
  
• 3). Use the chemical dosage calculator in the Resource section to determine the exact amount of each chemical to use for your individual pool by typing in the total volume of your pool, in liters, along with the amount of increase needed for each chemical.