Does chlorine tablets contain cyanuric acid?

Author: Dr. Shaina Gorczany  |  Last update: Friday, June 3, 2022

Stabilized chlorine tablets contain cyanuric acid, which will protect the chlorine from being broken down by the sun's UV rays. This is especially important in an outdoor pool. With no CYA you'll constantly be adding lots of chlorine. The most common stabilized chlorine tablet you'll come across is trichlor.

Do all chlorine tabs raise CYA?

All the other solid forms of chlorine (lithium hypochlorite which will not raise CYA but is very expensive to use and dichlor which will raise CYA faster than trichlor does) are very fast dissolving so they are not useful for erosion feeders.

Can you get chlorine tablets without cyanuric acid?

Like Cal Hypo shock, Cal Hypo tablets are unstabilized chlorine tablets, containing no cyanuric acid. Cal Hypo tablets are more expensive than regular tablets to buy, and the specialized feeders required to use them are also on the pricey side.

Is cyanuric acid the same as chlorine?

In the pool industry, Cyanuric Acid is known as chlorine stabilizer or pool conditioner. Cyanuric Acid (CYA) is a pool balancing product used to help chlorine last longer. Chlorine, in its natural form, is unstabilized—which means it degrades when exposed to sunlight.

What chlorine does not contain cyanuric acid?

Unstabilized chlorine is simply chlorine that has not had cyanuric acid added to it. This means it dissipates more quickly, you won't get as much sanitizing power, and you'll have to add more chlorine more often. So if it's vulnerable to the sun, why would you use unstabilized chlorine?

What kind of chlorine do I use with high cyanuric acid?

Do Clorox chlorine tablets have stabilizer?

Clorox® Pool&Spa™ XtraBlue® Chlorinating Tablets go the extra mile to help maintain healthy pool water. These multi-functional tablets work hard to keep your water clear from both bacteria and unsightly algae. Each tablet dissolves slowly and contains stabilizer for a long lasting clean.

Will chlorine tablets raise free chlorine?

Raising pool chlorine can be much easier than trying to lower chlorine levels. Simply adding chlorine in the form of chlorine tablets, granular chlorine, liquid shock or powder shock will increase the total amount of chlorine within the pool.

Does Clorox pool shock have cyanuric acid in it?

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.

What pool chemicals contain cyanuric acid?

Dichlor and trichlor contain both chlorine and cyanuric acid so it is not necessary to add cyanuric acid to the pool water. Stabilizer (aka cyanuric acid) is also sold at most pool supply stores. Cal-hypo and liquid chlorine do not contain stabilizer.

Does pool shock have cyanuric acid?

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.

Is chlorine stabilizer the same as chlorine tablets?

The biggest difference is that they're either stabilized chlorinating tablets or unstabilized: Stabilized tablets contain Cyanuric Acid (CYA). This protects the chlorine from dissipating in sunlight, but can also be a problem if the stabilizer level becomes too high.

Is liquid chlorine the same as chlorine tablets?

Unlike liquid chlorine solutions that are nothing more than chlorine mixed into water, chlorine tablets are typically composed of chlorine and a stabilizing component which is usually cyanuric acid or CYA.

Do I need stabilizer if I use chlorine tablets?

It's also included in chlorine tablets or sticks (called trichlor) or shock (called dichlor). When they're mixed together in shock or tablets, the resulting product is called stabilized chlorine. Typically, pool owners won't need to add any extra stabilizer separately if you're using one of the combination products.

What pool shock does not raise cyanuric acid?

Step 2. Cal-hypo is the most popular shock used as well as the strongest shock available. Cal-hypo is a quick dissolving, unstabilized shock which means that the sun's uv rays will burn it off quickly and it will not increase the cyanuric acid level in the swimming pool.

Does liquid chlorine raise CYA?

Liquid Chlorine: Because liquid chlorine is a non-stabilized inorganic form of chlorine, it will not contribute CYA to the pool. Also, it will not directly increase calcium hardness levels. So, there are no detrimental by-products from the use of liquid chlorine that would lead to increased draining of the pool.

Does a saltwater pool need cyanuric acid?

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.

How does cyanuric acid affect chlorine?

The cyanuric acid molecule is a hexagon with alternating Nitrogen and Carbon atoms. It allows for three molecules of chlorine to attach to the nitrogen, forming a weak nitrogen-chlorine bond (N-Cl). Because the N-Cl bond is weak, it allows for chlorine to let go of CYA when it has something to oxidize or kill.

Does baking soda lower cyanuric acid?

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.

Is muriatic acid the same as cyanuric acid?

Yes both cyanuric acid and muriatic acid are both acids but they serve different purposes for the pool owner. Cyanuric acid has the chemical formula CNOH, whereas muriatic acid is a diluted form of hydrochloric acid, HCI.

How do you make cyanuric acid?

Cyanuric acid can be produced by hydrolysis of crude or waste melamine followed by crystallization. Acid waste streams from plants producing these materials contain cyanuric acid and on occasion, dissolved amino-substituted triazines, namely, ammeline, ammelide, and melamine.

What do you do when cyanuric acid is low in pool?

How to Raise Cyanuric Acid in Pool
  1. Step 1) Calculate the volume of water in your pool.
  2. Step 2) Calculate the amount of cyanuric acid (stabilizer) you will need.
  3. Step 3) Add the Cyanuric Acid.
  4. Step 4) Turn your pump on to the “circulate” or “filter” setting.
  5. Step 5) Retest the water and repeat if necessary.

How do I raise the cyanuric acid in my pool?

Cyanuric acid is raised by adding chlorine stabilizer containing cyanuric acid. The only way to lower cyanuric acid is by replacing water.

What is the difference between chlorine and free chlorine?

Total chlorine is the total amount of chlorine in the water. When chlorine binds up with contaminants it forms a compound called “chloramines” that are still part of the total but no longer effective. The chlorine that is still active to remove contaminants is known as free.

Why is my pool eating up chlorine?

One of the causes of a high chlorine demand is an excessive buildup of algae and phosphates. Although you're adding chlorine to your water, bacteria or algae are overpowering the chemicals causing it not to show up on tests strips or in water kits.

Why are chlorine tablets individually wrapped?

Most companies will individually wrap their chlorine tablets, especially in large containers. This helps to stop them breaking up, but it can make it a little messy because each will need to be unwrapped before use.

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