Pool chemical dose chart per 10,000 gallons
The amounts below are for 10,000 US gallons, the size most labels use. Find the product and the change you want, then scale it to your pool. Every number is worked from the product’s strength and the chemistry, the same way the calculators on this site do it, so it may differ a little from a bag’s own chart. When they disagree, follow the label.
Chlorine: amount to raise free chlorine
| Product | +1 ppm | +3 ppm | +5 ppm | +10 ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid chlorine 12.5% | 10.2 fl oz (1.3 cups) | 30.7 fl oz (3.8 cups) | 51.2 fl oz (1.6 qt) | 102.4 fl oz (3.2 qt) |
| Liquid chlorine 10% | 12.8 fl oz (1.6 cups) | 38.4 fl oz (1.2 qt) | 64 fl oz (2 qt) | 1 gal (4 qt) |
| Household bleach 8.25% | 15.5 fl oz (1.9 cups) | 46.5 fl oz (1.5 qt) | 77.6 fl oz (2.4 qt) | 1.21 gal (4.8 qt) |
| Household bleach 6% | 21.3 fl oz (2.7 cups) | 64 fl oz (2 qt) | 106.7 fl oz (3.3 qt) | 1.67 gal (6.7 qt) |
| Cal-hypo 73% | 1.8 oz | 5.5 oz | 9.1 oz | 1.14 lb (18.3 oz) |
| Cal-hypo 65% | 2.1 oz | 6.2 oz | 10.3 oz | 1.28 lb (20.5 oz) |
| Dichlor 56% | 2.4 oz | 7.2 oz | 11.9 oz | 1.49 lb (23.8 oz) |
| Trichlor 90% (granular or tablets) | 1.5 oz | 4.5 oz | 7.4 oz | 14.8 oz |
For a daily top-up, most pools with stabilizer need 1–3 ppm; 10 ppm is a common superchlorination level, and algae needs more (see the pool chemistry levels chart for the level that matches your stabilizer). Worked pages: how much liquid chlorine to raise 1 ppm in 10,000 gallons, how much bleach for a 10,000 gallon pool and how much liquid chlorine to shock a 10,000 gallon pool. Trichlor is a slow-dissolving maintenance product, not a shock — how many chlorine tablets for a 10,000 gallon pool covers it.
Each product leaves something behind as well. Per 1 ppm of chlorine, dichlor adds about 0.9 ppm of stabilizer, trichlor about 0.6 ppm, cal-hypo about 0.7 ppm of calcium hardness, and liquid chlorine or bleach about 1.65 ppm of salt. The chlorine types compared guide explains where those come from.
Acid: to lower alkalinity and pH
Lowering total alkalinity (TA) is straight arithmetic: 10 ppm of TA is a fixed amount of acid in a fixed amount of water.
| Acid | To lower TA by 10 ppm |
|---|---|
| Muriatic acid 31.45% (20° Baumé) | 25.7 fl oz (3.2 cups) |
| Low-fume muriatic acid 14.5% | 60 fl oz (1.9 qt) |
| Dry acid (sodium bisulfate 93.2%) | 2.15 lb (34.4 oz) |
Lowering pH is not linear. How much acid a pH drop takes depends on the alkalinity, because alkalinity is the buffer the acid has to work through. These are typical amounts:
| pH change | 31.45% acid, TA 80 | 31.45% acid, TA 100 | 31.45% acid, TA 120 | Dry acid, TA 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.6 → 7.4 | 6.8 fl oz | 8.1 fl oz (1 cup) | 9.5 fl oz (1.2 cups) | 10.9 oz |
| 7.8 → 7.4 | 11.4 fl oz (1.4 cups) | 13.7 fl oz (1.7 cups) | 15.9 fl oz (2 cups) | 1.14 lb (18.3 oz) |
| 7.8 → 7.5 | 7.8 fl oz | 9.3 fl oz (1.2 cups) | 10.9 fl oz (1.4 cups) | 12.5 oz |
| 8.0 → 7.5 | 11.1 fl oz (1.4 cups) | 13.3 fl oz (1.7 cups) | 15.5 fl oz (1.9 cups) | 1.11 lb (17.8 oz) |
| 8.2 → 7.6 | 10.7 fl oz (1.3 cups) | 12.9 fl oz (1.6 cups) | 15.1 fl oz (1.9 cups) | 1.08 lb (17.2 oz) |
Labels cap a single addition. Leslie’s muriatic acid says never more than 16 oz per 10,000 gallons at one time; HASA’s label says no more than one quart per 20,000 gallons in 24 hours; ProPools’ dry acid says no more than 1.5 lb per 10,000 gallons at once. Bigger corrections are done in steps. Worked pages: how much muriatic acid to lower pH in 10,000 gallons and how much muriatic acid to lower alkalinity.
Soda ash: to raise pH
| pH change | TA 60 | TA 80 | TA 100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.8 → 7.4 | 2.46 lb (39.3 oz) | 3.15 lb (50.4 oz) | 3.84 lb (61.4 oz) |
| 7.0 → 7.4 | 1.3 lb (20.7 oz) | 1.65 lb (26.4 oz) | 2 lb (32 oz) |
| 7.1 → 7.5 | 1.09 lb (17.5 oz) | 1.38 lb (22.1 oz) | 1.67 lb (26.7 oz) |
| 7.2 → 7.5 | 11.7 oz | 14.8 oz | 1.11 lb (17.8 oz) |
For comparison, the Haviland pH Up label gives 1 lb per 10,000 gallons when pH is 6.8–7.1. Labels also cap each addition — 1 lb per 10,000 gallons on ProPools’, up to 4 lb on Leslie’s — because too much at once clouds the water. See how much soda ash to raise pH in 10,000 gallons.
Baking soda: to raise alkalinity
| Rise | Worked from chemistry | Leslie’s label rate |
|---|---|---|
| +10 ppm | 1.4 lb (22.4 oz) | 1.5 lb |
| +20 ppm | 2.8 lb (44.8 oz) | 3 lb |
| +30 ppm | 4.2 lb (67.2 oz) | 4.5 lb |
Baking soda moves pH only a little, which is why it is the tool for alkalinity. Grocery-store baking soda is the same chemical. Worked page: how much baking soda to raise alkalinity in 10,000 gallons.
Calcium chloride: to raise calcium hardness
| Rise | Anhydrous 94–97% | Flake 83–87% | Leslie’s Hardness Plus label |
|---|---|---|---|
| +10 ppm | 15.5 oz | 1.09 lb (17.4 oz) | 1.25 lb |
| +50 ppm | 4.84 lb (77.5 oz) | 5.44 lb (87.1 oz) | 6.25 lb |
| +100 ppm | 9.69 lb (155 oz) | 10.89 lb (174 oz) | 12.5 lb |
Calcium chloride gets hot as it dissolves; pre-dissolve it in a bucket of pool water, chemical into water. Worked page: how much calcium chloride to add to a pool.
Stabilizer (cyanuric acid)
| Rise | Granular (100% CYA) | Liquid conditioner (Leslie’s, 4 oz per ppm) |
|---|---|---|
| +10 ppm | 13.4 oz | 40 fl oz (1.3 qt) |
| +30 ppm | 2.5 lb (40.1 oz) | 120 fl oz (3.8 qt) |
| +50 ppm | 4.17 lb (66.8 oz) | 1.56 gal (6.3 qt) |
Granular stabilizer can take days to dissolve and read on a test, so add it once and wait. Worked pages: how much stabilizer for a 10,000 gallon pool and how much stabilizer for a 20,000 gallon pool.
Salt
| Change | Salt | 40 lb bags |
|---|---|---|
| +1,000 ppm | 83 lb (38 kg) | 3 |
| 0 → 3,200 ppm (Hayward’s optimum) | 267 lb (121 kg) | 7 |
| 0 → 3,600 ppm (Pentair’s ideal) | 300 lb (136 kg) | 8 |
Worked pages: how much salt for a 15,000 gallon pool and how much salt for a 20,000 gallon pool. Overshot? Salt only comes out with water — how much to drain to lower salt.
Scale the chart to your pool
your dose = chart dose × (your gallons ÷ 10,000)
| Pool | Multiply by | 12.5% chlorine, +1 ppm | Stabilizer, +10 ppm | Salt, 0 → 3,200 ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 gal | × 0.5 | 5.1 fl oz | 6.7 oz | 134 lb |
| 15,000 gal | × 1.5 | 15.4 fl oz (1.9 cups) | 1.25 lb (20 oz) | 401 lb |
| 20,000 gal | × 2 | 20.5 fl oz (2.6 cups) | 1.67 lb (26.7 oz) | 534 lb |
| 25,000 gal | × 2.5 | 25.6 fl oz (3.2 cups) | 2.09 lb (33.4 oz) | 668 lb |
| 30,000 gal | × 3 | 30.7 fl oz (3.8 cups) | 2.5 lb (40.1 oz) | 801 lb |
Every dose here scales in a straight line with volume, so a 15,000 gallon pool takes one and a half times the chart. The volume is the weak link: a pool that is 20% bigger than you think gets 20% too little of everything. Work it out once with the pool volume calculator or the above-ground pool gallons calculator. For whole-pool doses already scaled, see how much chlorine for a 15,000 gallon pool or how much chlorine for a 20,000 gallon pool.
Per 10,000 litres
| Product | Change | Per 10,000 L |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid chlorine 12.5% | +1 ppm FC | 80 ml |
| Household bleach 6% | +1 ppm FC | 167 ml |
| Cal-hypo 65% | +1 ppm FC | 15 g |
| Dichlor 56% | +1 ppm FC | 18 g |
| Liquid chlorine 12.5% | +10 ppm (shock) | 800 ml |
| Muriatic acid 31.45% | −10 ppm TA | 201 ml |
| Dry acid 93.2% | −10 ppm TA | 257 g |
| Baking soda | +10 ppm TA | 168 g |
| Calcium chloride 94–97% | +10 ppm CH | 116 g |
| Stabilizer (granular CYA) | +10 ppm CYA | 100 g |
| Pool salt | +1,000 ppm | 10 kg |
Metric is easier: multiply the ppm change by your cubic metres to get grams of the pure chemical, then divide by the product’s strength. A 40,000 litre pool takes four times the figures above.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the chemical dose chart differ from the bag’s instructions?
The chart is worked from the product’s strength and the chemistry; labels often round up or assume a different strength. Both are estimates — follow the label, add part of the dose, and retest.
Can I add several pool chemicals on the same day?
Yes, one at a time: add one, let the pump circulate it for a few hours, retest, then add the next in a different spot. Never mix chemicals together, especially chlorine and acid.
How do I convert a per-10,000-gallon dose to my pool size?
Multiply by your gallons divided by 10,000. For 18,000 gallons that is × 1.8; for 6,500 gallons, × 0.65.
Sources
- OxyChem — Soda Bleach Solutions Handbook (re-hosted copy) (opens in a new tab) — Trade percent = grams per litre of available chlorine ÷ 10; weight % NaOCl ≈ 1.05 × weight % available chlorine; strength and specific gravity table.
- HASA — Hasachlor sodium hypochlorite SDS (2026) (opens in a new tab) — Pool liquid chlorine: sodium hypochlorite 12.5% by weight, about 1.2 g/ml.
- Hill Brothers — Sodium hypochlorite 12.5% specifications (opens in a new tab) — 12.5% by weight = 142 g/L available chlorine (14.2 trade percent), 11.9% available chlorine by weight.
- US EPA label 57787-18 — calcium hypochlorite 65% (opens in a new tab) — 65% available chlorine; 2 oz per 10,000 gallons raises chlorine about 1 ppm; superchlorinate with 10 oz per 10,000 gallons.
- US EPA label 1258-161 — HTH calcium hypochlorite 73% (opens in a new tab) — Calcium hypochlorite 73% (70% minimum available chlorine); a 1 lb bag shock-treats 15,000 gallons.
- US EPA reg. 42177-80 — sodium dichlor label (ProPools copy) (opens in a new tab) — Dihydrate, 56% available chlorine; 2–3 oz per 10,000 gallons daily; 1 lb per 10,000 gallons to superchlorinate.
- ICC Building Safety Journal (PHTA Recreational Water Quality Committee) — Trichlor: the dependable pool performer (opens in a new tab) — Trichlor is 90% available chlorine and adds 0.6 ppm cyanuric acid for each ppm of chlorine.
- US EPA label 36284-5 — 3 in trichlor tablet (7 oz) (opens in a new tab) — 90% available chlorine; one tablet gives 4.7 ppm in 10,000 gallons; 1 tablet per 8,000 gallons every 7–14 days to maintain.
- INEOS — Hydrochloric acid 20° Bé product sheet (opens in a new tab) — 20° Baumé hydrochloric acid is 31.45–32.56% HCl, specific gravity about 1.16.
- HASA / Orenda — Muriatic acid product page (opens in a new tab) — 31.45% hydrogen chloride; no more than one quart per 20,000 gallons per 24 hours to reduce pH.
- HASA — Acid 15 SDS (opens in a new tab) — A lower-strength pool acid: 14.5% hydrochloric acid, specific gravity 1.072.
- Leslie’s — Muriatic acid (label directions) (opens in a new tab) — “Never add more than 16 oz per 10,000 gallons at one time.”
- ProPools / Alliance — pH Down (sodium bisulfate) label (opens in a new tab) — Sodium bisulfate 93.2%; never more than 1.5 lb per 10,000 gallons at one time.
- Leslie’s — Dry Acid pH Down (opens in a new tab) — 2 lb lowers total alkalinity by 10 ppm in 10,000 gallons.
- Haviland — pH Up label (Poolweb) (opens in a new tab) — pH 6.8–7.1: 1 lb per 10,000 gallons.
- ProPools / Alliance — pH Up (sodium carbonate) label (opens in a new tab) — A maximum of 1 lb per 10,000 gallons per addition.
- Leslie’s — Alkalinity Up (sodium bicarbonate) label (opens in a new tab) — 1-1/2 lb per 10,000 gallons raises total alkalinity about 10 ppm.
- OxyChem — Calcium chloride for pools and spas (opens in a new tab) — “One pound of calcium chloride raises the hardness of 10,000 gallons of water by approximately 10 ppm”; grades 94–97% and 83–87%.
- Leslie’s — Hardness Plus label (opens in a new tab) — 1.25 lb per 10,000 gallons raises calcium hardness 10 ppm.
- Leslie’s — Pool Stabilizer (cyanuric acid) label (opens in a new tab) — 2-1/2 lb per 10,000 gallons raises CYA by 30 ppm.
- Leslie’s — Instant Pool Water Conditioner Plus (liquid) label (opens in a new tab) — 4 oz in 10,000 gallons raises CYA 1 ppm.
- Pentair — IntelliChlor Plus / LT owner’s manual (opens in a new tab) — 300 lb of salt per 10,000 gallons from 0 to 3,600 ppm.
- USGS — Alkalinity calculator: methods (opens in a new tab) — Temperature-dependent equilibrium constants for water and carbonic acid (after Stumm & Morgan), with activity corrections.
- CDC — Pool chemical injuries press release (2014) (opens in a new tab) — Never mix pool chemicals, especially chlorine products with acid; add chemical to water, never water to chemical.
- US EPA — Introduction to pesticide labels (opens in a new tab) — Pool sanitizers are registered pesticides; the label is the law.