How many gallons in pool?

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H

HeatherH

Active member
May 16, 2022
41
Virginia
Pool Size
14000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-3)
Good morning!

I'm not a first time owner, but I really didn't know where else to post this. We have lived in our house with pool for about 5 years. They did not leave us ANY information about the pool, so it's kind of been educated guessing from the beginning. I have been trying to understand more about the chemistry since two years ago when we began having issues. I also have the app to track and calculate chemicals.

There is a local pool store that the previous owners had an account on and the pool is listed as 17,000 gallons and we have a Hayward T-3 SWG. However, I'm not confident in that gallon count. When I use the app, calculate the amount of liquid chlorine (or anything else), and add it to the pool, the next reading is way higher than the app suggests it will be. All of that leads me to believe that the pool is actually below 17,000 gallons. Since we have a peanut(?) shaped pool with a ledge and seats, calculating it is way beyond my abilities. I'm attaching a picture of the shape from when we opened last year.

Is there any way to get a more accurate gallon count? I'm concerned that the T-3 cell is too small and may be contributing to some of the problems we are having with algae. Thank you!
 

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How long is the pool? How wide is the pool? Guess an average depth. That will give you a ball park.

The T3 is 15K rated. So if you run it 24 hours per day, at 100%, it will add just over 4 ppm FC per day to 15000 gallons. So unless you were running it 24/7 at 100%, it is unlikely you were adding enough chlorine per day in mid summer.
 
Hey Heather, welcome to tfp 😊
Theres a volume calculator at the bottom of this page

PoolMath

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A swg, cannot overcome an algae problem, undersized or oversized.
For that you need to do the
SLAM Process first to eradicate the algae.
to do so & to properly manage your pool you need a Taylor k2006 c +salt or tf100/pro +salt.
Test Kits Compared
Your cell is too small & needs to be run 24/7 @100% to adequately maintain your pool’s fc for its volume when the pool is algae free.
it is recommended that you have a cell rated for at least 2x’s your pools volume. A T15 cell would be a better fit.
 
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At one point I knew the length and width, but I can't remember it now. I'll have to remeasure. I'm thinking if it's based on my estimate, it won't be crazy different from the 17,000 number we have now. But who knows.

I was SLAMing multiple times last summer to deal with algae, but I know we didn't go through with the process as thoroughly as necessary so it never completely worked. When we open this year, I'm going to SLAM upon opening to hopefully nip the issue in the bud. I do have the Taylor k2006 to test.

So I definitely need a bigger cell next time I buy one. We do have to run ours 24/7, but when a "pool school" person came out our first summer to teach us how to use everything, they said to never use it above like 30%. Will having that bigger cell help keep the algae problem in check once we get it under control? Thanks you both your help!
 
HeatherH said:
they said to never use it above like 30%
Click to expand...
Right. Why? That is ridiculous.
You need to run yours close to 100% 24/7.
HeatherH said:
Will having that bigger cell help keep the algae problem in check once we get it under control?
Click to expand...
Adding sufficient chlorine each day to maintain the target level FC based on your CYA level is what prevents algae. How you add the chlorine, be it with SWCG or liquid chlorine does not matter. So you need to set whatever SWCG cell you have to make the chlorine needed.
 
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First things first, forget nearly everything the so-called pool expert told you. Unfortunately, very few people in the industry have a grasp on water chemistry, and the overwhelming majority don't follow the methodology we use here.

As described above, the T-3 cell was a bad specification by the original builder and should have not have been used in your installation. It is very likely not able to keep up in the summer, even if it was run 24 hours a day. You want a much bigger cell, rated for at least double of your pool size. You can run a big cell at lower output and get better cell life and have the ability to increase output when you need it. Telling you to run the T-3 at 30% was extremely poor advice.

I am certainly not the expert on Hayward equipment, so I'll let someone else chime in about how your cell can be upgraded.
 
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Heather,

It appears to me your pool is about 10 to 12K gallons. Unless is is very deep.

Just a guess, of course.

Very nice view BTW. Just like mine except where you have trees, I have neighbors... :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
mknauss said:
Right. Why? That is ridiculous.
You need to run yours close to 100% 24/7.

Adding sufficient chlorine each day to maintain the target level FC based on your CYA level is what prevents algae. How you add the chlorine, be it with SWCG or liquid chlorine does not matter. So you need to set whatever SWCG cell you have to make the chlorine needed.
Click to expand...
No clue! This was back when we knew absolutely nothing and just took people at their word that they knew what they were doing. To be fair, there have been plenty of times where the pool has been fine, no algae or known issues, while running the T-3 at 30%.

Do you suggest immediately swapping the T-3 for a T-15 when we start the season or just run the other at 100% until it dies? We are in VA so we don't open until the beginning of May usually. I'm looking at this Optimum Simple Cell as a replacement since cells are SO expensive now.
 
Jimrahbe said:
Heather,

It appears to me your pool is about 10 to 12K gallons. Unless is is very deep.

Just a guess, of course.

Very nice view BTW. Just like mine except where you have trees, I have neighbors... :mrgreen:

Thanks,

Jim R.
Click to expand...
It's not very deep. About 3ft in shallow and 5.5 in deep end. We do love the view! Our neighbors are on the sides rather the back, but we have landscaped for privacy. It's a little wooded oasis!
 
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HeatherH said:
no algae or known issues, while running the T-3 at 30%.
Click to expand...
Sure. At that time, you only needed that amount of chlorine each day. But when you needed more, you got algae.
HeatherH said:
Do you suggest immediately swapping the T-3 for a T-15 when we start the season or just run the other at 100% until it dies?
Click to expand...
I would use what you have if you are able to run the pump 24 hours per day or close to it. Just test your FC based on your CYA and adjust the SWCG to create the chlorine you need.
HeatherH said:
as a replacement since cells are SO expensive now.
Click to expand...
Remember, you get what you pay for. Be very aware that many generic cells have short live spans due to less rare earth metals that make the chlorine.
 
JamesW said:
Ask your local building department for the permits issued to the property.

The permits might be available online.
Click to expand...
That's a great idea. I actually have someone in that office that I reached out to a minute ago. The permit only said the year it was put in and the owner's info...definitely not as helpful as I had hoped!
 
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