Clear water,lower bills.
Buying guides for pumps, filters, heaters, salt systems, test kits, covers and hot tubs, sized to your pool's gallons and compared on what they cost to run each season.
Equip by system
Circulation, heat, sanitation, cleaning and the spa. Size each one to your pool's volume.
Pumps & filters
Variable-speed pumps and filtration
Heating
Gas heaters, heat pumps and solar
Water chemistry
Salt systems, testing and sanitizers
Cleaning & covers
Brushes, vacuums, covers and safety
Hot tubs & spas
Spas, inflatables, covers and care
Lights & accessories
Lighting, ladders, steps and features
Automation & parts
Controllers, plumbing and repair parts
Commercial & rental pools
Service gear and monitoring for operators
Know your pool
Compare hot tub capacity, actual seating layout, water volume and equipment requirements instead of choosing by the advertised seat count alone.
- 02
How to Calculate Pool Gallons for Pumps, Heaters and Chemicals
Pool volume
- 03
Inflatable vs Hard-Shell Hot Tubs: Cost, Heat and Lifespan
Hot tubs
- 04
Pool Cover Types Compared: Solar, Winter, Safety and Automatic
Pool covers
- 05
How to Size a Pool Filter to Pump Flow Rate and Pool Volume
Filter sizing
- 06
Pool Heat Pump Sizing: Temperature, Surface Area and Climate
Pool heating
Pool and Spa Equipment questions, answered
How do I choose a hot tub size?
Start with the people who will use it, the actual seating layout, footprint, water capacity, access route, electrical service and service clearances.
Read: Hot Tub Size →How many gallons is a 16 x 32 pool?
About 19,200 gallons at an average depth of 5 feet (16 × 32 × 5 × 7.5).
Read: How to Calculate Pool Gallons for Pumps, Heaters and Chemicals →How long do inflatable hot tubs last?
Often a few seasons with good care. Liners and pumps are the usual failure points.
Read: Inflatable vs Hard-Shell Hot Tubs →Is a solar cover a safety cover?
No. Solar covers float on the water and can trap a person underneath. Never treat one as a safety barrier.
Read: Pool Cover Types Compared →How do I size a pool filter?
Match the filter’s model-specific flow and pressure limits to the pump’s expected flow, plumbing and pool volume; follow the filter and pump manuals.
Read: How to Size a Pool Filter to Pump Flow Rate and Pool Volume →How do I choose a pool heat pump size?
Use the manufacturer’s sizing guidance for pool surface area, desired water temperature, local air temperature and season; confirm electrical and plumbing requirements.
Read: Pool Heat Pump Sizing →Sized to your pool
Every recommendation works from pool volume, turnover and climate, not marketing tiers.
Each guide says who the equipment suits, who should look elsewhere, and what to check before you buy.
Brands cannot buy a review or a spot on a list. Partner codes save you money; they never decide what we recommend.
Prices are dated, codes are updated across the site at once, and pages are revised when a product, standard or rule changes.
The pool and spa equipment index
- 01Pumps & filtersVariable-speed and single-speed pumps, sand, cartridge and DE filters, valves and media.5 pages
- 02HeatingGas heaters, heat pumps, solar heating and solar covers.2 pages
- 03Water chemistrySaltwater chlorinators, test kits, sanitizers, feeders, UV and ozone.4 pages
- 04Cleaning & coversManual vacuums, brushes, skimmers, poles, solar, winter and safety covers, alarms.2 pages
- 05Hot tubs & spasInflatable and hard-shell hot tubs, covers, filters and spa chemistry.2 pages
- 06Lights & accessoriesPool lights, ladders, steps, handrails, water features and poolside accessories.0 pages
- 07Automation & partsPool automation systems, plumbing fittings, repair parts and installation basics.0 pages
- 08Commercial & rental poolsMaintenance equipment, monitoring and safety for service companies, HOAs and vacation rental operators.0 pages