Calculate your swimming pool's volume in cubic feet and gallons by entering dimensions in metric or imperial units. Essential for water treatment, chemical dosing, and maintenance.
Volume = Length × Width × Depth
1 cubic foot = 7.48052 gallons
The Swimming Pool Volume Calculator is an essential tool for pool owners, maintenance professionals, and builders who need to accurately determine the amount of water in a swimming pool. Knowing your pool's precise volume is crucial for proper chemical treatment, water heating calculations, and maintenance planning. This calculator allows you to easily compute your pool's volume in both cubic feet and gallons by simply entering the pool's dimensions (length, width, and depth) in either metric (meters) or imperial (feet) units.
Whether you're preparing to fill a new pool, planning chemical treatments, or calculating heating costs, an accurate pool volume measurement ensures you use the right amount of chemicals, estimate water costs correctly, and maintain proper water balance. Our user-friendly calculator eliminates the complexity of manual calculations and potential errors, providing instant and reliable results.
The volume of a rectangular swimming pool is calculated using the simple formula:
This formula gives you the volume in cubic units (cubic feet or cubic meters, depending on your input units).
To convert between different volume units, the calculator uses these conversion factors:
For metric inputs (meters), the calculator:
For imperial inputs (feet), the calculator:
For a rectangular pool with dimensions in meters:
For a rectangular pool with dimensions in feet:
Select your preferred unit system
Enter your pool's dimensions
View your results
Copy your results (optional)
For pools with varying depths:
For example:
For pools with more complex profiles, divide the pool into sections, calculate the volume of each section separately, and then add them together.
Knowing your pool's exact volume is essential for adding the correct amount of chemicals:
For example, if a chemical treatment specifies "1 oz per 10,000 gallons" and your pool contains 20,000 gallons, you would need 2 oz of the chemical.
When filling a new pool or replacing water:
For instance, if your pool holds 15,000 gallons and water costs 150.
Pool heating requirements depend directly on water volume:
A general rule is that it takes about 1 BTU to raise 1 pound of water by 1°F. Since 1 gallon of water weighs approximately 8.34 pounds, you can calculate the energy required to heat your pool.
During pool building or remodeling:
While our calculator works perfectly for rectangular pools with consistent depths, there are alternatives for more complex situations:
The need to calculate swimming pool volume dates back to ancient civilizations. The Romans, known for their advanced public bath systems, developed methods to determine water volume for their elaborate bath complexes. These early calculations were crucial for heating systems and water management.
In modern times, pool volume calculation became standardized in the early 20th century as residential swimming pools gained popularity. The post-World War II housing boom in America saw a significant increase in backyard pool construction, necessitating simple methods for homeowners to calculate pool volumes for maintenance.
The introduction of the metric system in most countries created the need for conversion between imperial and metric measurements. The standard conversion factors we use today (1 cubic foot = 7.48052 gallons, 1 cubic meter = 35.3147 cubic feet) became widely accepted in pool industry literature by the 1960s.
With the digital revolution, online calculators and smartphone apps have made pool volume calculation accessible to everyone, eliminating the need for manual calculations and reducing errors. Today's sophisticated pool management systems often incorporate volume calculations automatically for chemical dosing and maintenance scheduling.
The calculator provides highly accurate results for rectangular pools with uniform depths. For pools with varying depths, using the average depth method gives a good approximation. For irregular-shaped pools, the calculator may not provide exact results, and sectional calculation or professional assessment might be needed.
Knowing your pool's volume is essential for:
Yes, the calculator works for both in-ground and above-ground pools. Simply enter the interior dimensions of your above-ground pool (length, width, and depth) in your preferred units.
For a round pool, you would use a different formula: Volume = π × radius² × depth. Our rectangular pool calculator isn't optimized for round pools, but you can calculate the volume using:
For pools with varying depths, calculate the average depth by adding the shallow end depth and the deep end depth, then dividing by 2. For more accuracy, if your pool has a gradual slope, you can divide it into sections and calculate each section separately.
There are 7.48052 gallons of water in one cubic foot. This conversion factor is used by the calculator to convert from cubic feet to gallons.
Evaporation rates depend on factors like temperature, humidity, wind exposure, and whether you use a pool cover. As a general rule, an uncovered pool loses about 1/4 inch of water per day due to evaporation in warm weather. To calculate the volume lost, multiply your pool's surface area by the depth of water lost.
Most pool professionals recommend partially replacing pool water (about 1/3) every 3-5 years rather than a complete drain and refill. However, this depends on your local climate, pool usage, and water quality. A complete drain and refill might be necessary if you have persistent water quality issues.
The calculator provides an approximation for pools with features like steps or beach entries. For more accurate results, calculate the volume of these features separately and subtract from the total pool volume.
To convert liters to gallons, divide the number of liters by 3.78541. For example, 10,000 liters ÷ 3.78541 = 2,641.72 gallons.
Here are some code examples showing how to calculate swimming pool volume in different programming languages:
1' Excel formula for pool volume in cubic feet (dimensions in feet)
2=LENGTH*WIDTH*DEPTH
3
4' Excel formula for pool volume in gallons (dimensions in feet)
5=LENGTH*WIDTH*DEPTH*7.48052
6
7' Excel formula for pool volume in gallons (dimensions in meters)
8=LENGTH*WIDTH*DEPTH*35.3147*7.48052
91def calculate_pool_volume(length, width, depth, is_metric=False):
2 """
3 Calculate swimming pool volume in cubic feet and gallons
4
5 Args:
6 length: Pool length (meters if is_metric=True, feet otherwise)
7 width: Pool width (meters if is_metric=True, feet otherwise)
8 depth: Pool depth (meters if is_metric=True, feet otherwise)
9 is_metric: Boolean indicating if inputs are in metric units
10
11 Returns:
12 tuple: (volume_cubic_feet, volume_gallons)
13 """
14 if is_metric:
15 # Convert meters to feet
16 length_ft = length * 3.28084
17 width_ft = width * 3.28084
18 depth_ft = depth * 3.28084
19 else:
20 length_ft = length
21 width_ft = width
22 depth_ft = depth
23
24 # Calculate volume in cubic feet
25 volume_cubic_feet = length_ft * width_ft * depth_ft
26
27 # Convert to gallons (1 cubic foot = 7.48052 gallons)
28 volume_gallons = volume_cubic_feet * 7.48052
29
30 return volume_cubic_feet, volume_gallons
31
32# Example usage
33length = 10 # meters
34width = 5 # meters
35depth = 1.5 # meters
36
37cubic_feet, gallons = calculate_pool_volume(length, width, depth, is_metric=True)
38print(f"Pool volume: {cubic_feet:.2f} cubic feet or {gallons:.2f} gallons")
391function calculatePoolVolume(length, width, depth, isMetric = false) {
2 // Convert to feet if measurements are in meters
3 const lengthFt = isMetric ? length * 3.28084 : length;
4 const widthFt = isMetric ? width * 3.28084 : width;
5 const depthFt = isMetric ? depth * 3.28084 : depth;
6
7 // Calculate volume in cubic feet
8 const volumeCubicFeet = lengthFt * widthFt * depthFt;
9
10 // Convert to gallons (1 cubic foot = 7.48052 gallons)
11 const volumeGallons = volumeCubicFeet * 7.48052;
12
13 return {
14 cubicFeet: volumeCubicFeet,
15 gallons: volumeGallons
16 };
17}
18
19// Example usage
20const poolLength = 8; // meters
21const poolWidth = 4; // meters
22const poolDepth = 1.5; // meters
23
24const volume = calculatePoolVolume(poolLength, poolWidth, poolDepth, true);
25console.log(`Pool volume: ${volume.cubicFeet.toFixed(2)} cubic feet or ${volume.gallons.toFixed(2)} gallons`);
261public class PoolVolumeCalculator {
2 private static final double CUBIC_METERS_TO_CUBIC_FEET = 35.3147;
3 private static final double CUBIC_FEET_TO_GALLONS = 7.48052;
4
5 public static double[] calculatePoolVolume(double length, double width, double depth, boolean isMetric) {
6 double lengthFt, widthFt, depthFt;
7
8 if (isMetric) {
9 // Convert meters to feet
10 lengthFt = length * 3.28084;
11 widthFt = width * 3.28084;
12 depthFt = depth * 3.28084;
13 } else {
14 lengthFt = length;
15 widthFt = width;
16 depthFt = depth;
17 }
18
19 // Calculate volume in cubic feet
20 double volumeCubicFeet = lengthFt * widthFt * depthFt;
21
22 // Convert to gallons
23 double volumeGallons = volumeCubicFeet * CUBIC_FEET_TO_GALLONS;
24
25 return new double[] {volumeCubicFeet, volumeGallons};
26 }
27
28 public static void main(String[] args) {
29 double length = 10; // meters
30 double width = 5; // meters
31 double depth = 1.5; // meters
32 boolean isMetric = true;
33
34 double[] volume = calculatePoolVolume(length, width, depth, isMetric);
35 System.out.printf("Pool volume: %.2f cubic feet or %.2f gallons%n",
36 volume[0], volume[1]);
37 }
38}
391<?php
2function calculatePoolVolume($length, $width, $depth, $isMetric = false) {
3 // Convert to feet if measurements are in meters
4 $lengthFt = $isMetric ? $length * 3.28084 : $length;
5 $widthFt = $isMetric ? $width * 3.28084 : $width;
6 $depthFt = $isMetric ? $depth * 3.28084 : $depth;
7
8 // Calculate volume in cubic feet
9 $volumeCubicFeet = $lengthFt * $widthFt * $depthFt;
10
11 // Convert to gallons (1 cubic foot = 7.48052 gallons)
12 $volumeGallons = $volumeCubicFeet * 7.48052;
13
14 return [
15 'cubicFeet' => $volumeCubicFeet,
16 'gallons' => $volumeGallons
17 ];
18}
19
20// Example usage
21$poolLength = 8; // meters
22$poolWidth = 4; // meters
23$poolDepth = 1.5; // meters
24
25$volume = calculatePoolVolume($poolLength, $poolWidth, $poolDepth, true);
26echo "Pool volume: " . number_format($volume['cubicFeet'], 2) . " cubic feet or " .
27 number_format($volume['gallons'], 2) . " gallons";
28?>
29Understanding your pool's volume can be easier with visualization. Here's a simple way to think about it:
A standard-sized residential pool (16 ft × 32 ft × 4 ft average depth) contains approximately:
This is equivalent to:
Griffiths, R. (2019). Swimming Pool Operation and Maintenance. Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.
American National Standard for Residential Inground Swimming Pools (ANSI/APSP/ICC-5 2011). The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2021). Energy-Efficient Swimming Pool Systems. Energy Saver Guide.
World Health Organization. (2018). Guidelines for Safe Recreational Water Environments: Swimming Pools and Similar Environments. WHO Press.
Kowalsky, L. (2020). Pool Math: Understanding Volume, Flow Rates, and Turnovers. Journal of Aquatic Engineering, 45(2), 112-118.
The Swimming Pool Volume Calculator provides a quick, accurate way to determine your pool's water volume in both cubic feet and gallons. This information is essential for proper pool maintenance, chemical treatment, and cost estimation. By understanding your pool's volume, you can ensure optimal water quality, efficient heating, and appropriate chemical balance.
For the most accurate results, remember to measure your pool carefully and consider any irregular features that might affect the total volume. If your pool has a complex shape, consider consulting a pool professional for a more precise measurement.
Try our calculator now to get instant results for your swimming pool's volume!
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