For first-year pool owners

Clear pool water, without the service contract.

Step-by-step chemistry when something’s wrong — and a simple weekly rhythm when it isn’t. No fake top-tens. No store-aisle dump.

Water looks wrong

Green, cloudy, or smells “off”

Symptom-first fixes. Test, then act — don’t dump five bottles tonight.

Fix the water

Just took over the pool

New owner? Start with a rhythm

What to do in week one, what to test, and what you can ignore for now.

Start here

Know your numbers already? Jump to chemistry →

Decision trees

Skip/Don’t rules so you pick the right shock — not the wrong bottle.

Failure cases

Common mistakes that keep water green, cloudy, or stuck mid-fix.

Real tools

Dose estimates and checklists — not just another long article.

When the water turns on you

Start with the symptom. We’ll send you to the right chemistry — not a random aisle.

All symptom guides

Most common

It’s going green

Algae roadmap: brush, filter, chlorine — stage by stage.

See steps

Visual symptom

It’s cloudy / murky

Clear steps without panic dosing. You don’t always need more chlorine.

See steps

Swimming pool water surface in bright sun

Common confusion

Strong chlorine smell

Often chloramines — not “too much chlorine.”

See steps

Comfort check

Eyes burn / water irritates

Balance first. Not a medical diagnosis — chemistry that swimmers feel.

See steps

If the water’s fine — build the habit

Year one is rhythm, not a shopping spree. Small weekly actions beat weekend panic chemistry.

Your first-year map

Weekly checks, what matters in week one, and what you can ignore until you’re ready.

Get the map

Test before you dose

What to measure, in what order — without needing a chemistry degree.

Testing guide

Shock when you must

What shock is (and isn’t). Triggers that actually need a heavy hit — not weekly waste.

Shock protocol

Weekly care checklist →

Guess less on dose and sequence

Free tools for people, not pharmacists. Estimates only — always retest and follow product labels.

Instant results. No email required.

Chemical dose calculator

Enter volume and target levels for weight-to-volume dosing estimates.

Green-to-clear checklist

Stage order to recover a swamp without draining the pool.

Open / close seasonal checklist

Choose for the job — only when you need it

How to choose. Not a fake ranked list. Gear mentioned in guides, not a store aisle dump.

All essentials

Test strips vs better testing

When strips are good enough — and when to step up for a fight with the water.

Read comparison

Which shock fits your pool

Cal-hypo, dichlor, non-chlorine — constraints first, not brand hype.

Shock guide

Chlorine types (plain English)

Tablets, liquid, cal-hypo — what each is for without the marketing names.

See the breakdown

Browse gear mentioned in guides →

Knowledge graph

Explore the full map

Past the emergency — every major path on Splash101 in one place.

Or start with first-year guide

Pool water test strips held over clear blue pool water

Chemistry

pH, alkalinity, chlorine, CYA, shock — numbers you can act on.

Backyard pool with a skimmer net for weekly care

Care & seasons

First-year rhythm, weekly habits, open and winterize.

Steaming outdoor hot tub on a wooden deck at dusk

Spa / hot tub

Smaller water, hotter chemistry — different weekly care.

Tools

Dose calculator, green-to-clear, open/close checklists.

Pool chlorine tablets, shock, liquid chlorine, and a test kit

Essentials

How to choose strips, shock, and chlorine — not a top-ten list.

Pool test kit, chlorine bottle, and shock powder product photo

Products

Gear mentioned in our guides, with Amazon links when you’re ready.