Prep for loads of pool fun
Find out what maximum bather load is & how you can plan for it
- Category:
- Pool Care Education •
Pool party season is here, and we want to make sure your pool is always ready to enjoy, both before AND after your parties. To that end, we have a question: Have you ever heard of a bather load or a bather load calculation? We are going to bet that you haven’t, but no worries! We’ve got the lowdown.
A maximum bather load is the number of bathers using a pool within a 24-hour period. Read on to find out why that matters, how to calculate bather load for a pool and how to prep and restore your pool water to its clear, brilliant state before and after a larger pool party.
Why does a bather load calculation matter?
A pool at maximum bather load makes it tough to spot young or struggling swimmers — an important factor to always take into consideration. Since May is National Water Safety Month, this is a great reason to brush up on the top water safety tips, especially when it comes to younger swimmers.
Always remind kids to ask permission before going in or near the water and make sure a lifeguard or responsible adult is supervising. Inexperienced swimmers should always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Do not encourage breath holding activities or games and if a friend is struggling in the water, encourage kids to find an adult before jumping in and trying to help.
With a higher bather load comes more contaminants from sunscreen, lotions, oils, makeup and more. Generally, the higher the bather load, the more sanitizer you’ll need to counteract these contaminants.
Since we all want clean and, more importantly, SAFE pool water, it’s key to prepare your pool before inviting guests to jump in.
How to calculate bather load for a swimming pool
The max bather load is determined by the surface area of your pool:
surface area = length (ft) x width (ft)
max bather load = surface area (ft) / 15
Pro Tip: Don’t love math? We get it! You can try using a bather load calculator online, like this one, or you could check with your pool’s manufacturer — they should have all the information that you need.
How to prep pool water for maximum bather load
1. Brush and vacuum your pool with HTH™ Pool Care Drop Out™ Flocculant. This unique formula quickly drops dirt and fine particles to the pool floor for easy vacuuming.
2. Use HTH™ 6-Way Test Strips to test and balance the 6 key chemicals in your pool water as needed. Balanced water not only keeps sanitizers working effectively, but it also ensures water is gentle on eyes, skin and swimsuits. Consider increasing your sanitizer levels, knowing there will be more people than usual in the pool.
Pro Tip: Download the newly improved HTH™ Test to Swim™ app to quickly and easily test and balance your pool water. It works seamlessly with HTH™ 6-Way Test Strips to provide accurate results and product recommendations in seconds. It’s available for both iOS and Android.
3. After testing, use HTH™ Pool Care Shock Advanced as needed. Shock treating once a week helps solve 90% of pool water problems — like bacteria, cloudy water and algae — within 24 hours!* This fast-dissolving formula also reduces chlorine odor and irritation.
*Based on most common pool water problems
4. Last, but not least, check your equipment — be sure your pump, heater (if you need it) and your filter are all clean and in proper working order.
How to care for pool water after maximum bather load
If you missed the opportunity to prep your water before a large pool party, don’t worry! With a little bit of work and some help from HTH™, you can restore your pool water with ease.
Your pool water will likely be cloudy due to contaminants, or even from adding too much chlorine in preparation. Here’s how to fix it:
- Use the HTH™ 6-Way Test Strips to test and balance the 6 key chemicals in your pool water as needed.
- After testing, use HTH™ Pool Care Shock Advanced as needed.
- Make sure your filter is on and keep it running to circulate the pool water.
- Last, test your pool water again to confirm that levels have come back to their normal levels. If not, adjust as needed.
Want more?
If you have additional pool water care or product questions, we’re always here to help.
- Follow HTH™ Pool Care on social
- Find a store near you
- Download the HTH™ Test to Swim™ app for quick and accurate pool water testing results, personalized product recommendations and more!
Our Pool Opening page also has great info to make sure the start of the season goes swimmingly.
You’re all clear with HTH™!
Need more help?
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(866)-HTH-POOL