poolcntrl

Knowledge Base

Pool care, explained like a friend would.

Clear answers to what your water is telling you, what to add, and why. Written for first-time owners.

Watch how it works

WalkthroughHow a water test worksA five-step, illustrated walkthrough from scooping a sample to getting your plan.Read →WalkthroughHow to add chemicalsThe safe, simple sequence for adding anything to your pool — animated step by step.Read →WalkthroughProtecting your pool from a freezeWhat to do when a freeze is forecast — four steps, ranked by the damage each one prevents.Read →

Understand the basics

Cloudy, green and what to do about itWhy pools go cloudy or green, what really clears them, clarifier versus flocculant, and how to read a pool store’s printout.Read →What each measurement meansPlain-language explanations of every reading — what it measures and why it matters.Read →What each chemical doesWhat every product does, how it’s added, and why the method matters.Read →Choosing your chemicalsLiquid or powder, tabs or a salt cell, drops or strips — the real options for each job and the honest trade-offs of each.Read →After you add chemicalsThe safety and comfort steps that follow any addition — and the reasoning behind them.Read →Types of poolsPlaster, fiberglass, vinyl, tile, chlorine, saltwater — how each changes your routine.Read →Pool equipment explainedPumps, filters, chlorinators, heaters, timers — what each part does for you.Read →Closing & opening your poolThe two guided checklists that bookend the season — each step with its why.Read →Where our numbers come fromThe methodology behind every target and dose — the ratios, the caps, the rounding, and why AI reads but chemistry decides.Read →

About poolcntrl

Questions about the free calculatorIs it really free, why it asks for stabilizer, how to check the amount, and why it sometimes refuses.Read →“The pool store tests my water for free.”True, and a good deal. Why poolcntrl is for the other six days.Read →

Get the two emails that matter

One when it’s time to open your pool in spring, and one when it’s time to close it in fall. That’s the whole list — no other emails, no product pushes, nothing else.

About this list

We’re building this list now and haven’t sent anything yet — the first email goes out at the next season change. Want off it? Ask us on the contact page any time.