How many gallons of water are in my pool?

First, calculate average depth: Depth 1 + Depth 2 = #/2 = Average Depth
To calculate the total gallons in a rectangular pool:
Length x Width x Average Depth x 7.5 = Total gallons

To calculate the total gallons in a round pool:
Diameter x Diameter x Average Depth x 5.9 = Total gallons

To calculate the total gallons in an oval pool:
Length x Width x Average Depth x 6.7 = Total gallons

Why do I need chemicals?

.

Remember to always wait 4 hours between each chemical treatment, and wait 4 hours after adding chemicals before you enter your pool.
Start-up & Maintenance Chart (pdf)

Click here for Troubleshooting Chart

 How come there is no chlorine in my pool?

In a Baquacil pool, why can't I keep up s hock and sanitizer levels?

 Do you test water?

What chemical levels are ideal for my pool?

Ideal pH is between 7.4 and 7.6. 7.2 to 7.8 is acceptable. If it’s too low, add pH increase. If it’s too high, add pH decrease. Click here for pH Chart (pdf)

Never add more than 2 lbs of chemical per 10,000 gallons in a single treatment. Run the filter and allow at least 4 hours before re-testing to determine if more is needed. 
Ideal alkalinity is 80-150 ppm. If alkalinity is too low, add Alkalinity Plus. If alkalinity is too high, add muriatic acid.
Ideal calcium hardness is 175-400 ppm. If calcium levels are low, the water is likely to draw out calcium from plaster. Calcium protects metal components in heaters from scaling and corrosion. If calcium is low, add calcium chloride crystals. Dissolve them in a watering can. It’s normal for them to generate heat. Sprinkle the solution into the pool. Never put crystals into the skimmer, even with the pump running. If calcium is high, add water to your pool.
Ideal biguanide levels are 30-50 ppm. Be sure to use compatible chemicals. Certain chemicals cannot be mixed.
Ideal salt levels if you have a salt system is 2500 – 3000 ppm. Salt is only lost through dilution, backwash, and splash-out and should be adjusted 1-2 times per year on average.

Why are my eyes and skin irritated?

What is shock?

What is flocculant?

Why should I use the POOL FROG® System?

What are the four parts to the POOL FROG® System?

For in ground pools, the Chlorine Bac Pac should last 7 to 10 days. For above ground pools, 2-3 weeks. Actual times will vary depending on pool size, pump size and run time, number of swimmers, water and air temperatures.

What is the correct setting for my Pool Frog control dial?

How should my  Pool Frog product be winterized?

Test kits are susceptible to bleaching in high concentrations of chlorine such as after shocking. Wait 24 hours after shocking and test again.

pH is the abbreviation for “potential hydrogen” and the reading indicates the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. Basically, it is the measure of how acidic or basic (alkaline) the water is.
Total alkalinity is the measure of how stable the pH is. It measures the pool water’s buffering capacity to resist pH changes. Without control of the total alkalinity, the pH will rise and fall abruptly.

Weather affects the chlorine level in the pool as well as the pH. Hot weather will increase the water temperature, which causes the chlorine to be consumed more quickly. Cool weather will result in no chlorine demand. Your sanitizing unit may need to be turned down to avoid too much chlorine entering the pool when very little is needed. Rain is often acidic which can drive your pH down. Always check the water balance after it rains.

Calcium Hardness (or Total Hardness), as the name implies, refers to the hardness of the water, measuring the amount of mainly calcium and also other minerals. Swimming pools require hard water – defined as water with more than 100 ppm of hardness ions. Like pH and alkalinity, calcium hardness affects the tendency of pool water to be corrosive when it is low and scale forming when it is high. Generally, calcium hardness levels should be kept between 200 and 400 ppm.

The filter not only removes impurities from the water but it is responsible for proper water flow throughout the pool. If the filter is dirty, it cannot do it’s job. If the pressure gauge on the filter is more than 10 pounds above its normal operating pressure or if water flow out of the return jets is sluggish (i.e. two-thirds of its normal force), your filter is probably dirty and should be cleaned.
Other filter issues to watch for include:
Channeling in sand filters caused by dirty sand contaminated with oils.
Backwash valves not operating properly; leaking cloudy water through the returns after backwashing the pool.
Rips in the DE support fabric, which results in DE being put into the pool water.
If the cartridge is torn, debris particles are not stopped by the filter and reenter the pool.
The hair and lint strainer is filled debris, reducing circulation rate.
The skimmer basket is filled with leaves or other debris, reducing circulation.
A suction side leak causes air to enter the pump and filter, resulting in poor circulation that could result in cloudy water.

Yes. Landscaping chemicals often contain nitrates that consume chlorine and make it difficult to maintain the proper sanitation levels. Try to cover the pool when using fertilizers and keep trees or shrubs that lose their leaves as far from the pool as possible.

Algae is one of the most persistent forms of plant life. Algae common to pools include green, yellow, black or pink slime. It can be free floating in the water or it can cling to walls, floor and equipment. Nourished by sunlight and heat, algae thrives in water with a high pH level and water with a high nitrogen or phosphate level.

Insufficient sanitizer levels are the main cause but improper water balance and poor circulation can attribute to algae as well.

Colored water results either from algae blooming or the oxidation of minerals in the water. Algae comes in a variety of colors and can be found on the surface of the water or the pool itself. The more likely reason occurs after shocking a freshly filled pool that is full of natural minerals like iron, copper or magnesium. The shock oxidizes the metals causing the discoloration of brown, green or red.

No, there is no need to duplicate the mineral content in the water (especially silver). The potential for over-dosing could lead to problems.

The POOL FROG, when used as a complete system with periodic shocking, offers complete pool care in one complete unit. Some builders promote the addition of other systems to compliment the POOL FROG, such as Ozone Systems or Salt Chlorine Generators. Both of these systems are compatible with the POOL FROG. Ozone acts as a shocking mechanism reducing the need for shock. We still require a low-level chlorine residual in the pool at all times. Salt Chlorine Generators would eliminate the need for POOL FROG Chlorine Bac Pacs. The Salt Chlorine Generator should be adjusted down to maintain a lower level of chlorine in the pool.  

The most common cause is that the chlorine tablets have not fallen down into the area where the water flows through. Shake the pac to make the tablets fall into place. Low back pressure may also be the reason. By reducing the size of the eyeball fitting in the return will correct this. Please visit Under-Chlorination if problem persists.

In our pool products the minerals will last six months. Once activated by water, the minerals are effective for only six months and may not be reused the following season.

This is typically attributable to lack of or poor filtration, since E-Z Pool™ contains its own sustaining clarifier. If your “E-Z” pool is cloudy, perform the following steps:
1. Check the filter. The filter media should be cleaned, backwashed or replaced. Filter continuously when trouble shooting for cloudy water. Frequent filter clearing helps clean the water faster.
2. Check the pump timer. The pump should be circulating a minimum of 12 hours per day during the swim season or 6 hours per day during the off-season.
3. Check the oxidizer level. If the DPD TC level is too low (below 1.0 ppm), there is not sufficient chemical available to oxidize the matter that is suspended in the pool. If the oxidizer level is low; you may adjust by adding E-Z Pool™, monopersulphate oxidizer, or ½ dose of granular shock. 4. Check the balance. The pH, TA or calcium being out of balance may cause cloudiness. Adjust balance, if needed, prior to re-application of E-Z Pool™.

Sanitation: Killing micro-organisms
Sterilization: Killing ALL micro-organisms
Oxidation: Chemical reaction where oxygen atoms react with another molecule forming an "oxide". Oxidation of the cell wall of a microbe is the method by which ozone Sanitizes.

What are the differences between chlorine, bromine, biguanide (Baquacil), and salt systems?