No, cyanuric acid and baking soda work in very different ways in your pool. Baking soda raises the total alkalinity in your pool. But baking soda does not protect or stabilize your chlorine, like CYA.
Sodium bicarbonate will raise your alkalinity and slightly raise your pH-so add small amounts and re-test after a few hours to make sure you hit your mark. Once you TA is balanced, your CL will work effectively and your pH will stabilize.
Yes, the most economical way to lower CYA is to partially drain and dilute the pool with fresh water. Consult a pool professional if you want to drain more than 1/3 of your water, because there are risks with hydrostatic pressure and other concerns.
CYA Removal Kit takes cyanuric acid (also known as CYA, stabilizer or conditioner) out of pool water. Prolonged use of stabilized chlorine can cause CYA levels to build up over time. CYA Removal Kit reduces high levels of cyanuric acid to help you achieve the ideal range for a swimming pool of 30-50ppm.
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is naturally alkaline, with a pH of 8. When you add baking soda to your pool water, you will raise both the pH and the alkalinity, improving stability and clarity. Many commercial pool products for raising alkalinity utilize baking soda as their main active ingredient.
When cyanuric acid levels get too high, it can cause something referred to as chlorine lock, which basically means your chlorine has been rendered useless. You'll know it has happened when your chlorine test shows very or little chlorine even right after you've added it to the pool.
The main reason for high CYA levels in your pool is from using too much stabilized chlorine. When the pool water evaporates, CYA remains in the water, much like other chemicals such as salt and calcium. As an example, 1 lb. of trichlor in a 10,000 gallon pool will raise the CYA level by 6 ppm.
Although there are no known adverse health effects associated with high CYA concentrations, most health officials usually limit CYA levels to 100 ppm. Some states recommend a lower level for spas, and some jurisdictions ban the use of CYA altogether.
weak bond with the free chlorine in the pool water. Shock does not contain any cyanuric acid, so after 24 hours, the elevated amounts of chlorine are no longer in the pool.
NEVER add chemicals directly onto your pool liners because it will ruin your pool liner! A bleach and water solution or baking soda is a good way to clean pool liners. There are also a number of other designated cleaners used just for pools.
ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda helps maintain pH levels while providing the necessary alkalinity (mineral salts that stabilize pH levels). Combined with a disinfecting agent, it helps keep your pool water balanced, crystal clear and gentle on the eyes.
Baking powder is also a chemical leavener that is made up of baking soda, a dry or powdered acid (like cream of tartar) and an inert stabilizer (like cornstarch), which works to absorb moisture and keep the baking soda and acid from interacting before it's time.
We also found that cyanuric acid is denser than water so it sinks to the bottom of a body of water.
The problem is that cyanuric acid does not dissipate or evaporate but instead lingers and gathers in the pool water. Over time, the pool technician would be required to constantly re-apply Tri-Chlor or Di-Chlor products to re-sanitize the pool.
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.
Cyanuric Acid Facts
It serves as a protection shield for chlorine against sunlight. The Sun's ultraviolet rays degrade chlorine very quickly, creating a problem for outdoor pools. Studies show that sunlight can be wipe out chlorine by 75-90% in a matter of two hours.
What happens when CYA in a pool is too high? – CYA Levels exceeding a threshold of 70 parts-per-million of cyanuric acid can reduce the effectiveness of the chlorine in a pool. The amount of time it takes to kill bacteria lengthens as the concentration of CYA increases. The ideal level for CYA is 30-50 ppm.
Cyanuric acid is present in drinking water when chemicals commonly referred to as dichlor (anhydrous sodium dichloroisocyanurate or sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate) or trichlor (trichloroisocyanuric acid) are used as alternative free chlorine sources.
All alkaline materials are buffers. Cyanuric acid happens to be the most common buffer found in pool water. In effect, cyanuric acid helps stabilize both chlorine and pH. It binds with chlorine to prevent photolysis and it keeps pH elevated.
The only practical way to lower cyanuric acid is by replacing some of your existing water with fresh water. To calculate how much water should be replaced, subtract the desired concentration of cyanuric acid from the current concentration and divide the difference by the current concentration.
Baking soda is safe and straightforward to use, while also providing your pool with a clean, clear, sparkling water that is pleasant to swim in. Baking soda does not sting the eyes; neither can it cause drying of the skin.
If the pH drops below 7.2 after a day or two, add another 4 lbs. Baking soda per 10,000 gallons of water. The procedure should bring alkalinity into the desirable range of between 100 and 150 parts per million.
The rule of thumb is to add 1.5Ib of baking soda to every 10,000 gallons. But you have to be careful because one of the side effects of having too much baking soda in your pool is that it can raise alkalinity or pH to a very high and unsafe level. With this level, it will raise the alkalinity by about 10ppm.
Baking Soda is used for raising the total alkalinity of the pool, which is the key to keeping the ph in balance. It's not a stabilizer. That's cyanuric acid.