Sources
Where our pool chemistry numbers come from. Every formula in the calculator has a unit test against these published values.
- Taylor Technologies, K-1005 test kit instructions (treatment tables per 10,000 gal)
- Taylor Technologies, "Water Balance Calculators" (Saturation Index method and factors)
- PHTA (formerly APSP) Recreational Water Quality Committee, "Water Balance Indexes"
- LSI factor tables (temperature, calcium, alkalinity), King Technology / Frog
- Orenda, "Langelier Saturation Index" (carbonate alkalinity = TA − CYA/3)
- Trouble Free Pool, "CYA / Chlorine Relationship" (FC as a % of CYA)
- Trouble Free Pool, Pool Math calculator
- CDC, Home pool and hot tub water treatment and testing
- U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder (address lookup used for routes)
- Stumm & Morgan, Aquatic Chemistry (carbonate system constants pK1 6.35, pK2 10.33 at 25 °C), textbook
Where we chose between sources
- pH: we flag outside 7.2–7.8 (Taylor); CDC accepts 7.0–7.8.
- LSI constant: 12.1, and 12.2 for salt pools. PHTA notes the constant really varies with dissolved solids.
- Balanced LSI: we flag outside ±0.3 (Orenda and many pros); Taylor allows up to +0.5.
- pH doses: computed from carbonate chemistry at 25 °C, ignoring borates, so real doses may run a little higher.