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Getting started as a pool owner
How to set up PoolHealth for your own pool or hot tub: from the free trial to your first reading, a target and a dose for today.
Before you start
PoolHealth is built around photometer readings. Test strips give approximate results and do not measure every value PoolHealth uses, so we recommend a photometer and a TDS meter. Total dissolved solids (TDS) is one of the values the LSI uses, and a photometer does not measure it. You will need both for the first visit.
You can look after up to two pools or hot tubs on the Owner plan, in any combination.
1. Create your account and start the free trial
Every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial. No card is needed and nothing is charged automatically. If you do not subscribe afterwards, your account becomes read-only: you can still see your data, but you cannot add new records.
2. Set up your pool or hot tub
Add each pool or hot tub and fill in its settings. The calculator depends on them:
- Water volume, in cubic metres. Without it, the calculator cannot work out how much of a chemical to add.
- Whether you use a stabiliser (cyanuric acid, CYA). Set it in the pool settings. It changes how chlorine works in your water, so the calculator has to know.
- Equipment. Fill in what you have, with a schedule and a map link if you like.
These details let the calculator estimate the chlorine demand of your pool correctly.1 Over time the trend of the chlorine demand shows how well the disinfection is working and points to organic problems in the water.
1 The calculator works with ideal figures. It assumes that your equipment works correctly, according to its technical specifications, and that your chemicals have the concentration and strength stated on the label. These are the values it takes into account. You can change the chemical values in your profile settings, to match the products you actually use. If you notice that the demand is much higher or lower than expected, that is a reason to check how the whole system is working.
3. Take your first readings
Measure the full set once:
- pH
- free chlorine
- total alkalinity (TA)
- calcium hardness (CH)
- cyanuric acid (CYA), if you use it
- total dissolved solids (TDS)
- water temperature
Depending on your country and the problem you are solving, you can also measure and track other parameters, such as sulphates, phosphates, iron and copper.
4. Log the visit
Enter your readings. Every visit is saved, so the history of your pool or hot tub is always at hand.
From the next visit on you only need to enter what you actually measured. Stable values are taken from the last known reading. We ask you to measure all the values again once a month. We recommend measuring total alkalinity (TA) at every visit. Read more in Why PoolHealth calculates the LSI differently.
5. Read the analysis
PoolHealth analyses the water: an improved LSI, and what is out of balance in your pool or hot tub. Keep in mind that a balanced LSI does not guarantee balanced water. It has to be read in context.
Typical problems
In your profile, in the Typical problems section, you can find the problems that people meet most often with their pools, and check your own pool for them. For each one you can see the causes that lead to it.
This is information, not a guide to repair. We do not recommend that you deal with these problems on your own, without a professional. If you find that your pool matches one of them, use Typical problems to understand the situation, and when it is more than you can handle, find a specialist inside the app.
6. Set a target and get a dose for today
Choose the free chlorine (FC) you want. PoolHealth works out what it takes to get there from your own readings.
You get a dose for today. You can also enter the amount of a chemical yourself and see how total alkalinity (TA), cyanuric acid (CYA) and the other values shift before you add anything. The calculator and the recommendations are included in the Owner plan.
Before you dose
PoolHealth gives calculations and recommendations as decision-support tools, based on the values you enter. Before you act on a result, check the readings, the units, the concentration of your product and its instructions. Never mix pool chemicals. Add chemicals in portions and retest.
7. Keep going
- History and charts. See how your water behaves over a season.
- Chemical usage. Counted and compared, so you know what your pool really consumes.
- No signal at the pool. The app still works and does all the calculations. Your data is uploaded once you are back online.
- Your data. You can download everything, tables and photos, at any time.
When you need a specialist
If a job is more than you can handle, you can find a specialist inside the app. You can give a specialist access to your pool, or hand its maintenance over to them. A specialist can also invite you to a free Client account, if they already use PoolHealth. Move to the Owner plan if you want to look after the pool yourself.
This guide is general information about using the product. Features and limits depend on your plan.
Spotted something outdated or inaccurate? Tell us at info@pool-health.com and we will check and correct it. Last reviewed: November 2026.