Most pool owners test too rarely and pay for it with cloudy water, algae, or irritated eyes. This guide covers exactly how often to test, what to test for, and when to bump up your schedule based on what's happening in your pool.
Pool pH should be kept between 7.4 and 7.6 for safe, effective water. Too high and your chlorine stops working. Too low and the water starts eating your equipment. Here's exactly how to test it, raise it, and lower it the right way.
High pH is one of the most common pool problems, and one of the easiest to make worse with a heavy hand. This guide walks through the safest, most precise way to bring pool pH down using muriatic acid or dry acid, with exact dosing numbers and the mistakes to avoid.
The first month with a new above-ground pool is make-or-break. Get the chemistry right from day one and you'll avoid the algae blooms, cloudy water, and equipment headaches that trip up most first-timers. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, week by week.
Phosphates are one of those pool topics that gets way more attention than it usually deserves. They feed algae, but as long as your chlorine is working, they rarely cause visible problems. This post explains when phosphate levels actually matter, when they don't, and whether you need to buy a remover.
Setting up an above-ground pool is more involved than the box makes it look. This guide walks first-timers through site prep, assembly, filling, and that critical first chemical treatment — in the right order, with real numbers.
The wait time after adding pool chemicals depends on which chemical you added. Shock requires the longest wait, typically 8 to 24 hours. pH adjusters and chlorine tablets need as little as 15 to 30 minutes with the pump running. Here are the specific numbers for every common chemical.
Backwashing a sand filter takes about 2-3 minutes and should happen when your filter pressure rises 8-10 PSI above its clean baseline. This guide walks through the exact steps, common mistakes, and what to do after the backwash cycle.
Salt pools are not chlorine-free — they make their own chlorine from salt using a generator cell. Before you convert or buy new, here's what the costs, chemistry, and daily maintenance really look like compared to a traditional chlorine pool.
Starting with an above-ground pool can feel overwhelming when you're staring at a shelf full of chemicals. This guide breaks down exactly which chemicals you need, what order to add them, and what numbers to target — so you can skip the trial-and-error phase most new owners go through.