What a 12x24 oval pool needs (6,800 gallons, 52 in wall)
| What | Amount | Assumes |
|---|---|---|
| Salt for a salt chlorinator | 180 lb (5 bags of 40 lb) | fresh water to 3,200 ppm |
| Chlorine to raise FC 1 ppm | 7.3 fl oz | 12.5 % liquid chlorine |
| Pump flow | 14 gpm | whole pool through the filter in 8 hours |
| Fill time | about 13 hours | one garden hose at 9 gpm |
| Sand base | 1.4 cu yd (76 bags of 50 lb) | 2 in under the 12 × 24 ft footprint |
| Evaporation | about 35 gal a day | 226 sq ft of water, 0.25 in a day |
Gallons by wall height
| Wall | Water depth | Gallons | Litres | Salt to 3,200 ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 in | 3.5 ft | 5,950 | 22,500 | 160 lb |
| 52 in | 4 ft | 6,800 | 25,700 | 180 lb |
| 54 in | 4.5 ft | 7,650 | 28,900 | 200 lb |
Oval pool: length × width × water depth × 5.9. For a 12x24 oval pool with 4 ft of water: 12 × 24 × 4 × 5.9 = 6,797 gallons. 5.9 is π ÷ 4 × 7.48 gallons per cubic foot, rounded as the pool trade does, so these figures match the capacity charts pool stores print. The charts assume a water level for each wall height; if yours differs, use the water depth table below.
Gallons by water depth
| Water depth | Gallons | Litres |
|---|---|---|
| 36 in (3.00 ft) | 5,100 | 19,300 |
| 39 in (3.25 ft) | 5,520 | 20,900 |
| 42 in (3.50 ft) | 5,950 | 22,500 |
| 45 in (3.75 ft) | 6,370 | 24,100 |
| 48 in (4.00 ft) | 6,800 | 25,700 |
| 51 in (4.25 ft) | 7,220 | 27,300 |
| 54 in (4.50 ft) | 7,650 | 28,900 |
Measure from the floor to the waterline in a few places and use the average. Your level is not in the table? Open this pool in the pool volume calculator and type your depth; the above ground pool volume calculator also takes the wall height.
A 12x24 inground pool: gallons by depth
The same 12 × 24 ft as a rectangular inground pool holds about a quarter more water than the oval at the same depth, because it has no rounded ends. With a 3 ft shallow end and a 6 ft deep end it holds 9,690 gallons and needs 260 lb of salt (7 bags of 40 lb), 10.4 fl oz of 12.5 % liquid chlorine per ppm, 20 gpm of pump flow for an 8 hour turnover and about 18 hours to fill with one hose.
| Shallow to deep end | Average depth | Gallons | Litres | Salt to 3,200 ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 ft | 4 ft | 8,620 | 32,600 | 230 lb |
| 3 to 6 ft | 4.5 ft | 9,690 | 36,700 | 260 lb |
| 3.5 to 6 ft | 4.75 ft | 10,230 | 38,700 | 270 lb |
| 3 to 8 ft | 5.5 ft | 11,850 | 44,900 | 320 lb |
| 4 to 8 ft | 6 ft | 12,930 | 48,900 | 340 lb |
Rectangular pool: length × width × average depth × 7.48 gallons per cubic foot, average depth = (shallow end + deep end) ÷ 2. For 3 to 6 ft: 12 × 24 × 4.5 × 7.4805 = 9,695 gallons. Other depths? Open the 12x24 inground pool in the pool volume calculator.
Other sizes
The pool sizes in gallons charts list every common round, oval and inground size, and the above ground pool volume calculator works out any other above-ground pool from its wall height.
Other sizes with their own page, each with its salt, chlorine, pump flow and fill time: 24 ft round pool, 18 ft round pool, 27 ft round pool, 18x33 oval pool, 16x32 inground pool, 20x40 inground pool, 15x30 oval pool, 16 ft round pool, 30 ft round pool, 15 ft round pool and 21 ft round pool.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons does a 12x24 oval pool with a 48 inch wall hold?
A 48 in wall is filled to about 3.5 ft of water, so the pool holds 5,950 gallons (about 22,500 litres). Filled to 4 ft, as with a 52 in wall, it holds 6,800 gallons.
How many gallons is a 12x24 oval pool that is 4.5 ft deep?
7,650 gallons, about 28,900 litres. 4.5 ft is the water level the capacity charts assume for a 54 in wall. Every 3 inches of water adds or removes about 420 gallons.
How much chlorine does a 12x24 oval pool need?
Raising free chlorine by 1 ppm in 6,800 gallons (52 in wall) takes 7.3 fl oz of 12.5 % liquid chlorine; 3 ppm takes 22 fl oz. How high to go depends on your stabilizer (CYA) level, which the pool chlorine calculator works out.
How much salt does a 12x24 oval pool need?
From fresh water to 3,200 ppm: 180 lb at a 52 in wall (5 bags of 40 lb), 160 lb at 48 in and 200 lb at 54 in. Check your chlorinator's target first and add in steps.
How many gallons is a 12x24 inground pool?
A rectangular 12x24 inground pool holds 9,690 gallons at 3 to 6 ft deep (4.5 ft average), 8,620 at 3 to 5 ft and 11,850 at 3 to 8 ft. The 12x24 oval above-ground pool holds less, 6,800 gallons with a 52 in wall: its rounded ends cut the floor area by about a fifth.
Water depth per wall height (48 in = 3.5 ft, 52 in = 4 ft, 54 in = 4.5 ft): pool-trade capacity charts (Swimming Pool Discounters, "Gallons of Water per Pool Size Chart"; Energy Kinetics, "Standard Pool Above Ground Pool Sizes"), read October 18, 2026. Salt: 1 lb per 10,000 gal ≈ 12 ppm and liquid chlorine 10.7 fl oz per ppm per 10,000 gal (Trouble Free Pool, Pool School; product labels), read October 18, 2026. Sand: 2 in base, 50 lb bag = 0.5 cu ft (Royal Swimming Pools; Quikrete All-Purpose Sand), read October 23, 2026. Inground table: length × width × average depth × 7.48 gallons per cubic foot; the depth profiles are examples of common inground pools, not a standard. Hose flow, turnover hours and evaporation rate are example inputs: the linked calculators take your own. Gallons rounded to the nearest 10, litres to the nearest 100.