However, as the cyanuric acid levels increase, they will have an effect on the total alkalinity test result. The cyanuric acid/cyanurate system contributes to total alkalinity since total alkalinity is the sum of all titratable alkaline substances and cyanurate is a titratable alkaline substance.
Because CYA actually contributes to total alkalinity (it's called cyanurate alkalinity). To accurately calculate the LSI, we need to know the carbonate alkalinity, which requires removing the cyanurate alkalinity from the total alkalinity.
The most common substance added to your pool water that raises total alkalinity is cyanuric acid (aka chlorine stabilizer). Cyanuric acid stabilizes chlorine from evaporating due to UV sunlight.
Stabilizer readings higher than 100 ppm have an effect on the total alkalinity test. For every 100 ppm of Cyanuric Acid (CYA), the tested total alkalinity will increase by 30 ppm.
Cyanuric acid is raised by adding chlorine stabilizer containing cyanuric acid. The only way to lower cyanuric acid is by replacing water.
The problem with low cyanuric acid is chlorine degrades quickly in the presence of sunlight. Chlorine is rendered completely ineffective within a few hours of sun exposure. If you didn't have cyanuric acid in your pool or it was low, you'll find that you need to add a lot more chlorine to have effective sanitization.
2. Dichloroisocyanuric Acid: Also known as “dichlor,” this is another type of chlorine shock. Dichlor contains both chlorine and cyanuric acid and will, over time, raise your cyanuric acid levels.
Ideal range for Total Alkalinity is from 105 - 150 ppm. For chlorine or bromine spas, levels of Total Alkalinity up to 200 ppm are acceptable, and the high cutoff is 170 for Biguanide spas.
Alkalinity is the total alkaline material in your pool water. You should test alkalinity first because it will buffer pH. Your reading should be in the range of 80 to 120 parts per million (ppm).
Clearly, when cyanuric acid is in the water, it overpowers pH in terms of controlling chlorine strength.
Cyanuric acid (CYA), also known as chlorine stabilizer or pool conditioner, is a critical chemical that stabilizes the chlorine in your pool. Without cyanuric acid, your chlorine will quickly break down under the sun's ultraviolet rays.
From a water balance standpoint and from a practical standpoint, a high alkalinity will continuously raise the pH. You will always be adding acid to a pool that has high alkalinity.
Baking soda is the best way to raise total alkalinity with minimal effect to pH and cyanuric acid.
If your alkalinity level becomes too high, it will become difficult to change the pH. You'll know your pH is too high when your pool water is cloudy, there is scale build up on your pool walls and your chlorine is no longer successfully sanitizing your pool.
Most people know that chlorine is an important chemical in keeping pool water safe for swimming. But adding too much chlorine can lower your pool's pH as well as its total alkalinity. When alkalinity falls, it is more difficult to maintain a stable pH.
The pH level of baking soda is 8.3, so it takes a lot of it to raise a pool's overall pH level. The upside is that using baking soda will never make a pool's pH level higher than 8.3 (and if the pool's pH level is higher, baking soda will lower it), but it's better at adjusting the overall alkalinity of the water.
Can You Safely Swim in a Pool With High Alkalinity? As long as you have enough chlorine in your pool (around 3ppm for total chlorine) and the pH level is balanced (between 7.4 to 7.8), then a pool with high total alkalinity is still safe to swim in.
Alkalinity is a measure of the presence of bicarbonate, carbonate or hydroxide constituents. Concentrations less than 100 ppm are desirable for domestic water supplies. The recommended range for drinking water is 30 to 400 ppm.
The recommended range for a swimming pool's total alkalinity is between 80 and 120 parts per million. Any good pool testing kit will let you determine the range, and it's important to test often. So, when it comes to alkalinity there are really only 3 states in can be in: Too High, Too Low and Just Right.
As mentioned earlier, it will take at least 48 hours and up to a week to fully dissolve. Powdered cyanuric acid is not so common and it may not be available to buy in your area. It's reported to not dissolve any faster than granular stabilizer.
Clorox has absolutely NO Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in it nor does it increase CYA at all when you use it. You should show them. It's mostly water, then sodium hypochlorite (i.e. chlorine), and sodium chloride salt, and then a small amount of sodium hydroxide and a very small amount of sodium polyacrylate.
Saltwater pool manufacturers recommend maintaining cyanuric acid levels around 60-80 ppm. This is a bit higher than the 30-50 ppm range recommended for non-saltwater pools. And if you live in an area where your pool gets a lot of direct sunlight, you may even consider bumping your cyanuric acid up to 80-100 ppm.
It's very normal to experience a drop in alkalinity levels in your pool over the season. For the most part, this is due to natural causes such as evaporation or agitation of your water. Throughout the hot summer season, your pool will release dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in a process known as 'water degassing'.
You should keep your outdoor pool or spa's Cyanuric Acid level at 0-30 parts per million (PPM).