You may be looking at buying a new pool and are curious about how many gallons of water it will hold. Believe it or not, there is a standard unit for measuring the volume of liquid in a pool. It’s called a ‘goller’, and you’ll often see it written as ‘gal’.
If you’ve ever purchased a soda at a convenience store, you may have noticed that 1.75 gallons equals 1 single serving. That’s because 1 gallon = 1.75 gallons. Similarly, a half gallon of milk is equal to 3/4 gallon, a quarter gallon is equal to 3/4 gallon, and a six-pack of 12 oz. bottles is equal to 1.8 gallons (just over 2 gallons).
Now, you may be thinking, ‘Golly, that’s a lot of liquid’. But, don’t fret, the U.S. government actually has certified a swimming pool to hold a certain number of gallons. That’s the level at which a residential pool is approved to be sold. It’s called the ‘Intex standard’, and it’s written as either 12-inch by 30-inch or 12×30 inches. In this article, we will discuss the former option, as it’s the most common form.
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What Is A Goller (Gal)?
A goller is the unit of measure for the volume of liquid in a swimming pool. It’s also known as a ‘gal’ or ‘gallon’. Since 1932, the volume of liquid in a swimming pool has been regulated by the U.S. government to be between 1.7 and 2.3 gallons. In other words, the amount of water in your average residential pool should be between 1.75 and 2.25 gallons.
In order to accurately determine how many gallons of water a pool holds, you must first convert inches to centimeters. Using the formula ‘width x height x depth’, you can easily convert the three variables into one number. For example, a nine-foot by twenty-four-inch pool with a nine-foot ladder will measure approximately 108 inches x 144 inches x 30 inches or 3,216 inches. When converted, this becomes 316.8 centimeters or approximately 16.24 inches. You must multiply this by 2 in order to determine the volume in gallons. The final calculation should look like this:
(16.24 x 2) = 32.48
This measurement should be accurate within plus or minus 2.5%. If you live in a cold climate and want to keep the heat in your pool and spa as low as possible, the depth of the pool should be approximately ten inches. Ten inches of water in a residential pool will raise the temperature by several degrees Fahrenheit. A ten-inch deep pool will increase the temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep this in mind, especially if you live in a cold climate where a ten-inch deep pool can easily freeze over in the winter.
How Many Gallons Of Water In 12×30 inches?
Now, if you’re looking for the total volume of water in a pool and don’t want to convert any inch measurements, you can use the formula ‘width x height x depth’ to determine the volume directly. In the same way as the previous section, you can use the above dimensions for a nine-foot by twenty-four-inch pool with a nine-foot ladder to find the volume instantly. The conversion is easy, just multiply the three dimensions together and you’ll get the final volume in gallons.
For example, a ten-inch by twenty-four-inch pool with a nine-foot ladder will hold approximately 109.2 inches x 144 inches x 30 inches or 3,241.2 inches. This is a total of 409.2 inches or 16.32 inches when converted to gallons. When using this method, you can be sure that the measurement is precise within 2.5% of the actual figure. You’ll simply need to add or subtract a few inches from the total in order to account for any inaccuracies in the dimensions you provide.
What Is The Difference Between The Two?
If you’re comparing the two different formulas for determining the volume of water in a pool, the main difference is in the way the measurement is acquired. The first method uses the dimensions of the pool measured in inches, while the latter uses the width, height, and depth measured in centimeters.
Since inches are often harder to find outside than centimeters, it’s often recommended to use the conversion tables found online in order to determine the volume of water in a pool. Many pools are marked with the appropriate inches or centimeters so you can use these simple formulas when purchasing one. Just be sure to check the specifications chart of the specific pool you’re interested in purchasing so you don’t end up with a sub-par product that doesn’t measure up to standards.