# Product Research

Research checked July 24, 2026.

## Finding

The broad idea exists. A new product should not compete on dose calculation or
an LLM chat window alone. The gap worth testing is a vendor-neutral homeowner
workflow that combines any reading source, conservative action ordering,
contextual education, and transparent cost measurement.

## Existing Options

| Product | What it already does | Constraint relative to Poolside |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [PoolMath](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pool-math-by-troublefreepool/id1228819359) | Dose calculators, logs, maintenance tracking, effects of additions, and bleach price comparison | Strong calculator incumbent; the opportunity is less cognitive load and a clearer ordered plan |
| [WaterGuru SENSE](https://waterguru.com/products/waterguru-sense) | Measures FC, pH, TA, CYA, and CH; gives pool-specific advice | SENSE 2 listed at $349; its C5 cassette lasts about one month |
| [WaterGuru supplies](https://waterguru.com/collections/waterguru-sense-supplies) | C2 and C5 replacement cassettes | Cassettes were listed at $76 per three-pack, creating ongoing measurement cost |
| [iopool EcO](https://us.iopool.com/products/eco-start-us) | Measures pH, ORP, and temperature; recommends treatment with no subscription | Listed at $359 and still needs strips for stabilizer, alkalinity, and hardness; its recommendation engine is designed around iopool products |
| [Taylor sureTREAT](https://www.taylortechnologies.com/en/content/suretreat) | Free water analysis and product-preference dosing | Brand/product-oriented calculation rather than ongoing independent ownership workflow |
| [ClearPool](https://clearstackapps.com/apps/clearpool/) | Offline chemistry calculator and test log | Confirms that calculation and logging alone are becoming commodity features |

## Safety Baseline

The [CDC homeowner guidance](https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/about/home-pool-and-hot-tub-water-treatment-and-testing.html)
says homeowners should regularly check chlorine and pH. When cyanuric acid or a
stabilized chlorine product is used, CDC recommends pH 7.0-7.8 and at least 2
ppm chlorine. Poolside uses those two readings as a minimum swim-status gate;
it does not claim that passing them proves the water is pathogen-free.

[Taylor's technical guidance](https://www.taylortechnologies.com/en/content/technical-supportfaqs)
publishes commonly accepted ideal ranges including 2-4 ppm free chlorine,
pH 7.4-7.6, 200-400 ppm calcium hardness, and 30-50 ppm CYA, while explicitly
noting that product labels and local rules take precedence.

Manufacturer targets are not interchangeable. For example, the
[Pentair iChlor manual](https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/nam/pentair-pool/residential/sanitizers/ichlor/ichlor-manual-522709-english.pdf)
specifies 2-4 ppm free chlorine, 30-50 ppm CYA, and approximately 3,600 ppm
salt. Poolside therefore stores CYA and salt targets as homeowner-entered
equipment settings rather than universal salt-pool constants.

## Product Decisions

- Support any measurement source before building hardware integration.
- Use deterministic formulas for the first plan and reserve an LLM for intake,
  clarification, explanation, and anomaly detection.
- Never translate a photo color into false precision without calibration,
  lighting checks, and a confidence score.
- Do not claim pool stores are universally overpriced. Let homeowners enter
  actual prices and compare cost per correction.
- Treat "no chemical today" as a successful recommendation.
- Require independent confirmation before costly-to-reverse actions such as
  adding salt/CYA or replacing water.
- Treat generator targets as equipment configuration, not universal chemistry
  constants.
- Keep automated physical control out of the first version.

## Validation Questions

1. Can a new salt-pool owner reach the correct next action in under two minutes?
2. Does the ordered plan reduce unnecessary multi-product additions?
3. Do users record follow-up readings after a staged dose?
4. Does actual monthly chemical spend fall without reducing verified
   swim-ready days?
5. Which input source produces the best completion-to-effort ratio: manual
   entry, report photo, or sensor import?