Pool test kits, chemicals and equipment
Supplies that match the calculators on this site. Check each product’s label for its strength and directions. These are the kinds of products each job needs, not products we have lab-tested; links go to Amazon search results so you can compare brands.
Testing
Every dose on this site starts with a test result. A drop kit is worth more than any chemical in the shed.
- FAS-DPD drop test kit (chlorine, pH, TA, CH, CYA)Mid-range price
A drop-count kit reads free chlorine to 0.5 ppm (or 0.2 ppm), plus pH, alkalinity, calcium and stabilizer. Every dose on this site starts from a test, so this is the one thing worth buying first.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Pool test stripsBudget price
Quick daily checks. Fine for spotting a trend; use a drop kit when you’re about to add a big dose or shock.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Salt test stripsBudget price
Check salt independently of the salt cell’s own reading, which drifts as the cell ages.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hot tub test strips (chlorine or bromine)Budget price
Hot tubs move faster than pools; a strip before each soak tells you whether the sanitizer is still there.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Floating pool thermometerBudget price
You need the real water temperature for heater sizing, heating cost and the saturation index.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Chlorine
All of these add free chlorine; they differ in what else they add — stabilizer, calcium or salt.
- Liquid pool chlorine (sodium hypochlorite)Budget price
Adds chlorine without stabilizer or calcium. Strength is printed on the label — commonly 10% or 12.5% — and it weakens with age and heat, so buy it fresh.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Cal-hypo shock (calcium hypochlorite)Budget price
Granular shock in 1 lb bags, typically 65–73% available chlorine. Adds a little calcium with every dose. Pre-dissolve in a bucket of water if the label says to.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Dichlor granules (sodium dichlor)Budget price
Fast-dissolving stabilized chlorine, the usual hot tub sanitizer. Each dose adds cyanuric acid as well as chlorine.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - 3-inch trichlor tabletsMid-range price
Slow-dissolving stabilized chlorine for a floater or feeder. Convenient, but every tablet adds stabilizer (CYA) and lowers pH.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Floating chlorine dispenserBudget price
Holds 3-inch tablets with an adjustable vent. Keep it away from skimmers, ladders and vinyl it can rest against.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Inline / offline tablet chlorinatorMid-range price
Plumbed after the filter and heater, it meters tablets more evenly than a floater. Never put any other chemical in it.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Non-chlorine shock (MPS)Budget price
Oxidizes swimmer waste without raising chlorine, so you can swim sooner. It does not kill algae and can read as chlorine on some tests.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Balancing chemicals
Store acids away from chlorine, and add one chemical at a time with the pump running.
- Muriatic acid (31.45% HCl)Budget price
Lowers pH and alkalinity. Strong and fuming — use goggles and gloves, add it slowly to the deep end with the pump running, and store it away from chlorine.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Dry acid / pH decreaser (sodium bisulfate)Budget price
A granular alternative to muriatic acid — easier to store, but it adds sulfate and costs more per dose.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - pH increaser (soda ash)Budget price
Raises pH quickly, with some alkalinity. Add small amounts — too much at once clouds the water.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Alkalinity increaser (sodium bicarbonate)Budget price
Raises total alkalinity with little change in pH. Pool-labelled bicarbonate and grocery baking soda are the same compound — compare price per pound.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Calcium hardness increaser (calcium chloride)Budget price
Raises calcium hardness. It heats up as it dissolves — pre-dissolve in a bucket of pool water, adding the chemical to the water.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Stabilizer / conditioner (cyanuric acid)Budget price
Shields chlorine from sunlight. Dissolves slowly — follow the label (many say a skimmer or a sock), and don’t backwash for a few days.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Pool salt (40 lb bags)Budget price
High-purity sodium chloride made for salt chlorine generators. Avoid salt with anti-caking agents or iodine.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Bromine tablets (BCDMH)Budget price
The usual hot tub bromine for a floater or feeder. Bromine holds up better than chlorine in hot water.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Sodium bromide (bromine booster)Budget price
Builds a bromide reserve in fresh hot tub water so an oxidizer can turn it into bromine.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Safe handling
Measure doses, protect your eyes and hands, and keep a separate scoop and bucket for each chemical.
- Chemical splash gogglesBudget price
Muriatic acid and liquid chlorine splash. Indirect-vent goggles cost little next to an eye injury.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Chemical-resistant glovesBudget price
Long-cuff nitrile gloves for handling acid, chlorine and calcium chloride.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Measuring pitcher (marked in oz and ml)Budget price
Measure doses instead of glugging from the jug. Keep one for acid and a separate one for chlorine.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Digital scale (to 5 kg / 11 lb)Budget price
Weighs granular chemicals to the ounce. Use a dedicated scale — never the one you cook with.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - 5-gallon bucket (one per chemical)Budget price
For pre-dissolving granular chemicals in pool water. Label each one so chlorine and acid never share a bucket.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Pumps, filters & heating
- Variable-speed pool pumpPremium price
Runs slower for longer and uses far less electricity for the same turnover. Check it suits your pipe size and filter.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Above-ground pool pumpMid-range price
Sized for above-ground plumbing and filters. Match the flow to the filter’s rated maximum.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Pool pump timerBudget price
Runs a single-speed pump only as long as the water needs, ideally in off-peak hours.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Sand filter (top-mount)Premium price
Simple and durable. Size by flow: the filter’s rated maximum should be at or above your pump’s flow.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Pool filter sand (#20 silica, 50 lb)Budget price
The grade most sand filters are designed for (about 0.45–0.55 mm). Check your filter’s label for the exact amount.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Filter glass mediaMid-range price
Lighter than sand, so a filter takes fewer pounds of it. Only use it where your filter maker allows it, and follow the glass maker’s fill chart.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Gas pool heaterPremium price
Heats fastest and works in any weather, at the highest running cost. Sized in BTU per hour.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Heat pump pool heaterPremium price
Much cheaper to run than gas in mild weather, but slower, and output drops as the air gets cooler.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Solar cover (bubble cover)Mid-range price
The cheapest heating upgrade there is: cuts evaporation and holds heat in overnight. Buy the size up and trim it.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Solar cover reelMid-range price
A cover that is a pain to take off doesn’t go back on. A reel makes it a one-person, two-minute job.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hot tub coverPremium price
A good cover keeps heat in and debris out. A waterlogged cover loses most of its insulation.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Filling & installing
- Hose water flow meterBudget price
Screws onto the hose and counts gallons, so you know exactly how much went in — and your real fill rate.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hose-end pre-filterBudget price
Takes out sediment and some metals when you fill or top up from well or hard city water.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Above-ground pool linerPremium price
Bought by pool size, shape and wall height. Check overlap vs beaded vs J-hook before ordering.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Pre-formed foam pool coveMid-range price
Replaces a hand-shaped sand cove at the base of the wall, which keeps the liner from slipping under.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Above-ground pool floor padMid-range price
A protective pad over the sand base. Stops rocks and roots from poking through the liner.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Cleaning
- Pool brush (18 in)Budget price
Brush walls and floor after shocking or adding chemicals. Stainless bristles are for plaster only — use nylon on vinyl.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Telescopic pool poleBudget price
Holds the brush, net and vacuum head. Fiberglass or thick aluminum flexes less.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Leaf skimmer netBudget price
Leaves and debris use up chlorine as they break down; netting them out first saves chemical.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.