Clear water, less guesswork
Swimming Pool Maintenance
Keep your pool clear with free calculators, step-by-step maintenance guides, and practical advice based on years of hands-on pool care.
Pool Calculators & Tools
Enter your pool size and water test results — get exact chemical dosages instantly. Browse all 15 pool calculators →
Pool Chemical Calculator
All-in-one dosing for chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium & CYA.
Pool Volume Calculator
Calculate gallons for any pool shape — rectangular, round, oval & more.
Pool Shock Calculator
How much shock to add based on pool size and chlorine type.
SLAM Pool Calculator
Match the algae-cleanup chlorine target to CYA and calculate each dose.
Pool pH Calculator
Raise or lower pH with the exact amount of acid or soda ash.
Pool Acid Calculator
Muriatic acid & dry acid dosing for pH and alkalinity.
Pool Alkalinity Calculator
Baking soda to raise or acid to lower total alkalinity.
Pool Calcium Hardness Calculator
Calcium chloride to raise CH, or how much water to swap to lower it.
Pool LSI Calculator
Check whether your water tends to etch surfaces or form scale.
Pool Salt Calculator
How many bags of salt your saltwater pool needs.
Pool Stabilizer (CYA) Calculator
Exact stabilizer dose to raise CYA, or how much water to replace to lower it.
Pool Pump Size Calculator
Find the right HP, GPM, and pump type for your pool.
Pool Loan Calculator
Estimate monthly payments and total financing cost.
Water Chemistry & Balancing
Dial in pH, alkalinity, chlorine, and CYA the right way.
Shocking & Algae
When to shock, how to SLAM, and how to beat algae for good.
Cleaning & Water Clarity
Clear cloudy water and keep debris out of your pool.
Routine & Seasonal Care
Weekly upkeep and opening your pool for the season.
Pool Types & Conversions
Saltwater, chlorine, and gunite — plus how to switch between them.
Equipment & Robots
Get the most out of your pool robot, pump, and cleaners.
Cost & Buying
What a pool really costs and how to spend smarter.
More Guides
More pool maintenance guides and answers.
Pool Product Reviews
Explore hands-on reviews of pool equipment our team has used and evaluated in our swimming pools.
Quick Links
Jump straight to the guides and reviews you're looking for.
Independent, Hands-On Reviews
Why Pool Owners Trust The Pool Nerd
We're not a big media company. We're a small, independent team that gets in the water and tests the products we cover.
Tested in Our Pool
Every robot, pump, and skimmer runs through repeated cycles in our test pool with dirt, leaves, algae, and other everyday debris—not a lab or demo tank.
Side-by-Side Comparisons
We don't review products in isolation. We test them head-to-head so you can see exactly how they stack up against the competition.
5+ Years of Experience
We've been testing pool products since 2020 — through every season, firmware update, and product launch. That depth of experience means we know what holds up and what doesn't.
Our Testing Process
We run each product through multiple cleaning cycles in our test pool — floors, walls, waterlines, and filtration all get evaluated.
Products go up against their direct competitors so you can see the performance differences, not just marketing specs.
We publish what we find — good and bad. If a $500 robot beats a $2,000 one, we'll tell you.