Backyard Cost Calculators
Plug in your own numbers and get a real answer — what your pool gear actually costs to run, and which option wins for your setup. Same math behind our verdicts. No sign-up.
Pool Tracker (free logbook)
Log every test, get each number judged against the right target for your pool + the exact dose, and watch the trends. No account, nothing uploaded.
A free, on-device pool logbook — no account, and your test history never leaves your browser.
Open the calculator Pool · ChlorineThe Chlorine Showdown
Raising your free chlorine — liquid vs. trichlor vs. cal-hypo vs. dichlor, head to head, judged on the hidden cost each one adds.
Same chlorine, four costs: trichlor piles on CYA, cal-hypo adds calcium, liquid adds almost nothing.
Open the calculator Pool · Salt cellSalt Cell Run-Time & Lifespan
Free chlorine made per day at your output % and pump hours — plus how that setting sets the cell's lifespan, and why sizing up makes it last.
The cell is the expensive part. See what your % is doing to how long it lasts.
Open the calculator Pool · TroubleshootDiagnose My Pool
What's wrong and how to fix it — green, cloudy, chlorine smell, chlorine won't hold, high CYA / 'chlorine lock', mustard algae.
Pick a symptom, enter a couple of numbers, get the diagnosis + exact target + fix.
Open the calculator Pool · Water balanceWater Balance Calculator (LSI/CSI)
Is your water corrosive, balanced, or scaling? The one index that ties your five numbers together.
Every number can read "in range" while the water still etches plaster or scales your heater.
Open the calculator Pool · SizingPool Volume Calculator
How many gallons is your pool? Every shape — including both kinds of oval and a real diving-pool depth mode.
The (shallow+deep)÷2 shortcut overstates a diving pool 10–15% — and every chemical dose with it.
Open the calculator Pool · Pump sizingPool Pump Sizing Calculator
Enter your gallons and get the flow you need, the sand filter that handles it, and the pump HP that matches — sized by flow, not horsepower.
A bigger-HP pump channels a sand filter and cleans WORSE. This finds the right size, and warns you off oversizing.
Open the calculator Furniture · FitLedge Fit Checker
Yes, this exists: type in your tanning ledge — depth, width, water — and watch every in-pool chair and chaise we cover pass or fail on the spot.
Seats-across, the exact riser size your depth needs, honest 'won't fit' verdicts — every footprint straight from the maker's spec sheet. Nobody else has this.
Open the calculator Pool · High CYACYA Drain & Refill Calculator
How much water to replace to bring high CYA back to target — percentage, gallons, and a staged plan for deep drains.
CYA only leaves with the water. The math is proportional — no reducer bottle required, and we'll say so.
Open the calculator Pool · ChlorineFC Target Calculator
Your minimum, target, and SLAM chlorine for YOUR CYA — with a verdict if you enter your current FC.
Free chlorine is a ratio, not a fixed number — the same published chart rows as our FC/CYA guide, snapped honestly.
Open the calculator Pool · HeatingPool Heating Cost Calculator
Heat pump vs gas vs solar — what each really costs to run, and which is cheapest to own.
Draws the 10-year crossover + the honest ~50°F heat-pump floor.
Open the calculator Pool · PumpsPool Pump Savings Calculator
What a variable-speed pump saves you every year versus a single-speed.
Most single-speed owners are quietly losing $500–$900 a year.
Open the calculator Pool · SanitizingSalt vs Chlorine Cost Calculator
Is a salt pool actually cheaper? The real 10-year math, cell replacement included.
Spoiler: salt ≈ chlorine once you count the cell.
Open the calculator Pool · RobotsPremium Robot vs Pool Service Calculator
Does a $2,000+ robot beat paying the pool guy — and when does it break even?
A $2,199 robot vs a $120/month service: ~19 months to even.
Open the calculator Pool · RobotsPool Robot Cost Calculator
A robot versus paying for pool cleaning — and exactly when it pays for itself.
Stack years of service fees against one upfront robot.
Open the calculator Pool · RobotsRobot Battery Cost Calculator
Sealed vs replaceable battery — what a cordless robot really costs to own over the years.
A sealed battery means re-buying the whole robot. See the gap.
Open the calculator Pool · CoolingPool Cooling Cost Calculator
What dropping your pool 5°F actually costs — chiller vs heat/cool pump vs evaporative vs aerator, honest about humidity.
Evaporation is $1.80 a night where it works. Know if it works where you live.
Open the calculatorEvery calculator uses the same figures as the matching showdown verdict — and more land as we test new gear.