Help Center

After signing up, you'll be guided through a 3-step setup: choose your location and pool type, select your sanitizer system, then enter your pool dimensions or known volume. This information personalizes all your calculations.

Any basic pool test kit or strips will work. We support: Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer), and Salt Level (for saltwater pools). You don't need to enter all readings. Enter whatever your test kit measures.

Not at all. That's the whole point of Pool Clarity. Enter your test results and we'll tell you in plain English what's off and exactly what to do about it. We calculate specific amounts for your pool size.

At minimum, once per week. In hot climates (especially Florida and the southern states), 2-3 times per week is better. Always test after heavy rain, adding chemicals, a pool party, or noticing any changes in water clarity.

Always in this order: 1) Total Alkalinity first (it stabilizes pH), 2) pH, 3) Calcium Hardness, 4) Cyanuric Acid, 5) Chlorine last. Pool Clarity automatically sorts your recommendations in the correct order.

CYA is "sunscreen for chlorine." It protects chlorine from being destroyed by UV sunlight. Without enough CYA, you might be adding chlorine that burns off within hours. Too much CYA, however, actually suppresses chlorine effectiveness. The only way to lower CYA is to partially drain and refill.

Cloudiness usually means high pH (above 7.8), high calcium hardness, or high total alkalinity. It can also indicate poor filtration. Check your filter pressure and clean/backwash if needed. Pool Clarity will flag these issues when you enter your readings.

Free Chlorine (FC) is the "active" chlorine available to kill bacteria and algae. Total Chlorine (TC) is the sum of Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine (used-up chlorine). If TC and FC are equal, there are no chloramines. If TC is more than 0.5 ppm higher than FC, the difference is combined chlorine, which causes the "chlorine smell" and eye irritation. Time to shock your pool.

Yes! Screened pools get less UV exposure, so chlorine lasts longer and you need slightly less CYA. They also collect less debris, but the screen enclosure creates a microclimate that can trap heat and humidity. Pool Clarity accounts for this in your recommendations.

When you test your water right after your pool service company visits, check the "This is a post-service reading" box before hitting Analyze. This tags that reading as a service visit. It feeds into your Service Report Card, which grades how well your pool service is keeping your water balanced. It also shows as a yellow dot on your trend charts so you can visually compare service results to your own.

The Report Card grades your pool service A through F based on how often their post-visit readings land in the ideal range for pH, chlorine, and alkalinity. You need to mark readings as post-service visits using the checkbox on the test form. After 3 or more service visits, you'll also get a written assessment of whether your service is worth the cost.

The Cost Tracker lets you enter your monthly pool service and chemical costs. It calculates your annual spending and compares it to estimated DIY costs to show potential savings. Many pool owners spend $1,500-2,400/year on pool service when DIY maintenance costs around $350/year.

Pro users get a customized maintenance schedule based on their pool type, sanitizer, environment (outdoor, indoor, screened), and state. It includes weekly, biweekly, monthly, and seasonal tasks. Hot climate states get adjusted schedules with more frequent testing recommendations.

Trend charts show your pH, chlorine, alkalinity, calcium, and CYA readings plotted over time with the ideal range highlighted in green. Service visit readings appear as yellow dots so you can compare your service company's results to your own testing. You need at least 2 readings before trends appear.

Yes. In your reading history (Pro tab), click on any reading to expand it. You'll see Edit and Delete buttons at the bottom. Edit lets you change any values you entered incorrectly. Delete permanently removes the reading. You can also delete readings from the sidebar by clicking the X next to any reading. Both free and Pro users can delete readings.

Free includes: pool profile, chemistry calculator with dosing, assessments, basic tips, and last 5 readings. Pro adds: unlimited reading history with edit/delete, chemistry trend charts, service visit tracking with report card grading, personalized maintenance schedule, cost tracker with DIY comparison, and a full advice library customized to your pool.

Click "Install" in the top navigation bar (or "Install App" on mobile). On Chrome and Edge, you'll get a native install prompt. On iOS, tap the share icon at the bottom of Safari and choose "Add to Home Screen." On Mac Safari, go to File > "Add to Dock." Once installed, Pool Clarity opens like a native app without the browser bar.

From your dashboard, click the "Upgrade to Pro" card in the sidebar. It's a one-time payment of $14.99 for lifetime access. No subscriptions or recurring charges.

Yes. Go to Account Settings to see your total readings, readings this month, service visit count, and a feed of your recent activity.

Yes! Go to Pool Setup from your dashboard navigation to update your pool type, size, location, or any other details at any time.

Go to Account Settings and scroll to the bottom. Click "I want to delete my account" and confirm with your password. This permanently deletes all your data.

Yes. We don't sell your data, show ads, or use tracking cookies. Your pool readings and profile are only accessible to you. You can delete everything at any time.

First, verify your pool volume in Pool Setup. An incorrect volume will make all dosing calculations wrong. Second, make sure you're entering readings in the correct units (ppm for most, no units for pH). Third, re-test your water to confirm your readings.

Always wait the recommended time before retesting (usually 4-6 hours with the pump running). Some chemicals like CYA can take 3-5 days to fully dissolve. If levels still haven't changed, your test kit may need fresh reagents or your pump may not be circulating properly.

This is usually caused by high Total Alkalinity. TA acts as a pH buffer and pushes pH upward. Lower your TA first using the acid-and-aerate method (add acid to lower pH to 7.0-7.2, then aerate to raise pH without raising TA). Pool Clarity will guide you through this.