It’s best to avoid draining your pool onto your lawn for several reasons. Most importantly, your local municipality may not allow homeowners to drain pools in areas where it can seep into groundwater. Additionally, draining pool water on your lawn can cause erosion and damage your grass.

It takes more electricity to run one, so it’s not necessarily cheaper to run a salt water pool. However, the cost difference is relatively minor; it may cost an extra $50 over the course of a year. However, salt costs a lot less than chlorine sanitizers. This lowers the overall maintenance costs for a salt water pool compared to chlorine pools.

The formula you’ll use to measure your pool will differ based on the shape of your pool. For a rectangular pool, you’ll use the following formula to find the size in gallons: length x width x depth x 7.5. If the depth changes from one end of your pool to the other, take the average by finding the depth at the deepest and most shallow points and dividing that number by two. Circular and oval pools require different, more complicated formulas, which can be found in this article.

How often you should add water to your pool depends on how quickly the water evaporates. Keep an eye on your skimmer box, if you have one. Top up the water in your pool if you notice the water levels are lower than the bottom third of your skimmer. This helps prevent damage to your pump. 

Replace all the water in your pool every five to seven years, depending on how often you use your pool, the weather, and whether or not you close your pool for the winter.