CERTIFIED POOL OPERATOR STANDARDS⚡ Exact Volume Dosing Formula

Pool Chemical Standards & Dosage Matrix

Field-tested chemical dosing per 10,000 gallons, target ppm equilibrium windows, and safety protocols calibrated by Certified Pool Operators.

MaBALANCERS

🧪

Muriatic Acid (31.45% Hydrochloric Acid)

pH & Alkalinity Reducer

IDEAL TARGETTarget pH 7.4 - 7.6

STANDARD DOSE10-16 fl oz to drop pH by 0.2

Muriatic acid is the most potent, cost-effective chemical to lower high pool pH and total alkalinity. Diluted hydrochloric acid (31.45% / 20° Baumé) neutralizes alkaline carbonate ions without clouding plaster or adding unwanted sulfates.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

ALWAYS add acid to water, NEVER water to acid. Pour in the deep end return jet stream.

💡 Never pour around the skimmer or steps. Walk the perimeter of the deep end while pouring close to the water surface right in front of a return jet with the pump running on high.

LcSANITIZERS

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Liquid Chlorine (12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite)

Primary Sanitizer

IDEAL TARGET3.0 - 5.0 ppm Free Chlorine (FC)

STANDARD DOSE32 fl oz (1 quart) raises FC by ~3.0 ppm

Liquid chlorine (12.5% sodium hypochlorite) is the gold standard for clean sanitization. Unlike pucks or shock powders, it adds pure chlorine and water with zero cyanuric acid (CYA) or calcium hardness.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Wear eye protection; store upright in a cool dark space to prevent UV degradation.

💡 Buy fresh yellow liquid chlorine from dedicated pool supply stores or farm supply centers rather than dusty big-box shelves, as hypochlorite degrades by 50% every 90 days at room temperature.

CySTABILIZERS

🛡️

Cyanuric Acid (CYA Pool Stabilizer)

UV Chlorine Shield

IDEAL TARGET30 - 50 ppm (Standard) / 60 - 80 ppm (Saltwater)

STANDARD DOSE13 oz granular CYA raises CYA by 10 ppm

Cyanuric Acid (CYA), commonly called pool stabilizer or conditioner, acts as a chemical sunscreen for free chlorine. Without CYA, midday sunlight wipes out your sanitizing power within 120 minutes.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Dissolves very slowly. Never dump directly into skimmer without a filter sock.

💡 Place granular stabilizer inside a clean tube sock and tie it off in front of a return jet or hang it inside the skimmer basket. Squeeze the sock every few hours to dissolve it safely without clogging pump impellers.

SbBALANCERS

⚖️

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Total Alkalinity Buffer

IDEAL TARGET80 - 120 ppm Total Alkalinity (TA)

STANDARD DOSE1.5 lbs raises TA by 10 ppm

Sodium bicarbonate is identical to commercial 'Alkalinity Increaser' sold at 4x the price in pool stores. It buffers your pool water, preventing rapid pH drops from acidic rainfall or swimmer load.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Safe to handle with bare hands. Broadcast evenly across the pool surface.

💡 Buy 50 lb bags of feed-grade sodium bicarbonate at local agricultural supply stores or wholesale clubs for under $20 instead of $60 pool-branded tubs.

ChSANITIZERS

⚡

Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal-Hypo 68-73%)

Granular Chlorine Shock

IDEAL TARGETShock level: 10 - 20 ppm FC

STANDARD DOSE1 lb raises FC by ~8 ppm & Calcium by ~6 ppm

Cal-Hypo is the most concentrated, dry granular chlorine available. It delivers intense oxidative shock power to eradicate algae blooms and oxidize irritating chloramines overnight.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Pre-dissolve in a bucket of water before pouring. NEVER mix with trichlor pucks.

💡 Pre-dissolve in a 5-gallon bucket of warm pool water and let the insoluble calcium binder settle for 5 minutes. Pour off the clear chlorinated liquid and discard the sludge at the bottom to prevent water cloudiness.

SaBALANCERS

📈

Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash / Washing Soda)

pH Increaser

IDEAL TARGETTarget pH 7.4 - 7.6

STANDARD DOSE6 oz raises pH by ~0.2 in low alkalinity water

Sodium carbonate (Soda Ash) raises acidic pool water fast. If your pH drops below 7.0, acidic water attacks pool heaters, copper plumbing, and etches plaster surfaces within days.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Dissolve in a bucket of clean water before adding. Broadcast across surface.

💡 If your Total Alkalinity is already high (>120 ppm) and you only need to raise pH, do not add Soda Ash; instead, aerate the water with return jets or deck fountains to gas off CO2 naturally.

CaSTABILIZERS

🧱

Calcium Chloride (Hardness Increaser)

Plaster & Equipment Defense

IDEAL TARGET250 - 350 ppm (Plaster) / 150 - 250 ppm (Vinyl)

STANDARD DOSE1.25 lbs raises Calcium Hardness by 10 ppm

Calcium Chloride satisfies the water's natural thirst for minerals. When water is calcium-deficient, it aggressively leaches calcium hydroxide directly out of plaster walls and grout, causing pitting.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Generates extreme heat when dissolved. Add slowly to large bucket of cool water.

💡 Dissolve in cold water only; as calcium chloride dissolves, it releases rapid exothermic heat that can warp thin plastic buckets if mixed with hot tap water.

TcSANITIZERS

🏒

Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione (3-Inch Trichlor Pucks)

Slow-Release Sanitizer

IDEAL TARGETUse sparingly or for vacations only

STANDARD DOSE1 puck (8 oz) adds 5.5 ppm FC & 3.3 ppm CYA

Trichlor 3-inch tablets are compressed, slow-dissolving chlorine pucks. While convenient for vacations, they are highly acidic (pH 2.9) and continuously pump cyanuric acid into your water.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Use ONLY in floating feeders or inline chlorinators. NEVER place inside skimmer baskets.

💡 For every 10 ppm of free chlorine added by trichlor pucks, your water permanently gains 6 ppm of cyanuric acid. After two seasons, pucks will lock your chlorine completely.

PqSPECIALTY

🌿

Polyquat 60 (Non-Foaming Algaecide)

Algae Preventer

IDEAL TARGETPreventative: 2-4 fl oz weekly / 10k gal

STANDARD DOSE12-16 fl oz for initial opening dose

Polyquat 60 (Polyoxyethylene) is the only lab-recommended chemical algaecide. It contains zero copper and does not foam in spa jets or stain plaster surfaces green.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Use only 60% concentration. Avoid cheaper copper-based algaecides that stain hair.

💡 Use Polyquat 60 when closing the pool for winter or prior to vacations when chlorine levels might dip. It coats algae cell walls, preventing spores from dividing.

CrSPECIALTY

✨

Polymeric Water Clarifier (Chitosan / Synthetic)

Coagulant & Cloudiness Fixer

IDEAL TARGETMaintenance: 2 fl oz / 10k gal bi-weekly

STANDARD DOSE4 fl oz for dull cloudy water

Pool clarifiers act as electrostatic magnets for microscopic particles too small (under 10 microns) for sand or cartridge filters to catch, clumping them together for easy filtration.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Run filter continuously for 24-48 hours after application. Do not overdose.

💡 Crustacean-derived Chitosan clarifiers work across wider pH ranges and remove sunscreen body oils naturally without gumming up filter grids.

NaSANITIZERS

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High-Purity Pool Salt (99.8% Sodium Chloride)

Salt Chlorine Generator Fuel

IDEAL TARGET2,800 - 3,500 ppm Salt

STANDARD DOSE25 lbs raises salt level by ~300 ppm

Pool salt is evaporated food-grade sodium chloride. Inside an electrolytic salt cell, electrical current separates salt and water into hypochlorous acid (liquid chlorine) and hydrogen gas.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Turn off salt chlorinator cell for 24 hours while brushing salt until fully dissolved.

💡 Brush salt around the shallow end with the bottom drain valve open to circulate crystals fast. Do not let heavy salt piles sit unbrushed on colored plaster overnight.

BrSPECIALTY

💎

Sodium Tetraborate (Pool Borates)

Algae Inhibitor & Water Silk Buffer

IDEAL TARGET30 - 50 ppm Borates

STANDARD DOSE33 lbs Boric Acid establishes 50 ppm

Borates are the best-kept secret of luxury pool chemistry. At 50 ppm, borates inhibit algae metabolism, produce shimmering water sparkle, and prevent pH from drifting above 7.8.

⚠️ SAFETY RULE

Add once per season; borates only deplete through splash-out or backwashing.

💡 Use granular Boric Acid rather than Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Borax), because Boric Acid has a neutral pH effect and requires almost zero muriatic acid balance.

Taylor K-2006 Complete DPD-FAS Pool Test Kit

Muriatic Acid (31.45% Hydrochloric Acid)

Liquid Chlorine (12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite)

Cyanuric Acid (CYA Pool Stabilizer)

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal-Hypo 68-73%)

Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash / Washing Soda)

Calcium Chloride (Hardness Increaser)

Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione (3-Inch Trichlor Pucks)

Polyquat 60 (Non-Foaming Algaecide)

Polymeric Water Clarifier (Chitosan / Synthetic)

High-Purity Pool Salt (99.8% Sodium Chloride)

Sodium Tetraborate (Pool Borates)

No chemicals match your filter criteria

Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus Robotic Pool Vacuum