How do I add cyanuric acid to my pool?

Author: Lynn Wintheiser  |  Last update: Sunday, June 19, 2022

CYA is a pretty strong acid on its own, so the best way to add it is to dissolve it in a bucket of warm water. Then go all around and pour the solution just inside the edges of the pool. For safety's sake, wear gloves and goggles when you mix it.

How do I raise 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.

How do I add cyanuric acid to my trouble free pool?

Solid granular stabilizer is best added by placing it in a sock or nylon and hanging that sock in front of fast moving return(s). Shaking and squeezing the sock while in the pool water will help the stabilizer dissolve faster.

When should you add cyanuric acid to pool?

If your levels are too low and you need to bring your levels up above 30 ppm, it's time to add some cyanuric acid to your pool. This process usually involves dissolving some granules in a bucket and pouring it around the edges of your pool.

How much cyanuric acid do I add to my pool?

You should use about 4 lbs of CYA per 10,000 gallons of water for every 30 ppm it needs to be raised. Some product instructions vary, though, so be sure to read the label for proper dosage. Most of the time, you will need to add CYA at the beginning of swim season and won't have to mess with it much after that.

How long does it take for cyanuric acid to work?

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.

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.

Can I shock pool after adding cyanuric acid?

Some pool shock, like dichlor shock, contains cyanuric acid. But we recommend using unstabilized chlorine shock without CYA. This ensures you're not adding unnecessary CYA to your water each time you shock your pool. We recommend using calcium hypochlorite shock, also known as cal-hypo shock.

Will low cyanuric acid make pool cloudy?

Answer: Cyanuric acid shouldn't be at Zero for an outdoor swimming pool because chlorine will deplete faster in hot and humid weather, leading to cloudy water. If your FC is at normal level of 3ppm, raise Cyanuric acid level to 40 ppm and you will reduce chloramine levels that make your water appear cloudy.

How do you do the Taylor CYA test?

CYA – Cyanuric Acid Test
  1. Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water. ...
  2. Continue filling to the upper mark with R-0013. ...
  3. Cap and then shake the mixing bottle for 30 seconds.
  4. Stand outdoors with your back to the sun and hold the view tube at about waist level.

How do I add baking soda to my pool trouble free pool?

Some larger grocery stores sell baking soda in 4 lb boxes and some big box stores have it in 12 lb bags. Baking soda can be added by spreading it across the surface of the deep end of the pool.

How do you add stabilizer to pool trouble free pool?

To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket.

Is there liquid cyanuric acid?

Cyanuric acid is available as a granular solid and as a liquid (sodium cyanurate). Most commonly, however, cyanuric acid is found in stabilized chlorines dichlor and trichlor. These stabilized chlorines have about 50-58% CYA in their formulas.

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.

Does cyanuric acid raise pH?

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.

What does baking soda do for a pool?

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.

Is cyanuric acid necessary?

For this reason, it is essential that all outdoor pools using cyanuric acid as a stabilizer maintain the required free chlorine residual of 2.0-10.0 parts per million (ppm). both chlorine and cyanuric acid so it is not necessary to add cyanuric acid to the pool water.

Can I add CYA and chlorine at the same time?

While shocking and adding algaecide is effective in getting rid of algae, it should not be done together. This is because when you mix chlorine and algaecide together, it renders both of them useless. Hence, you should first shock the pool and wait for the chlorine levels to fall below 5 PPM.

Do chlorine tablets raise CYA?

A chlorine tab has two side effects that most pool owners don't realize: It has a pH of 2.9 but more importantly, it lowers Total Alkalinity (TA). It is 52% cyanuric acid (aka conditioner or stabilizer) by weight and each one increases the cyanuric acid level (CYA) in your pool water.

What should my cyanuric acid be?

You should keep your outdoor pool or spa's Cyanuric Acid level at 0-30 parts per million (PPM).

What causes low cyanuric acid in pools?

Why You Have Low Cyanuric Acid

The most likely reason is that you've only ever used unstabilized chlorine in your pool. Heads up: Unstabilized chlorine, such as sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine), lithium hypochlorite, and calcium hypochlorite, is pure chlorine.

Is chlorine stabilizer the same as cyanuric acid?

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.

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.

Can cyanuric acid harm you?

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.

What is a substitute for pool stabilizer?

Because of the importance of stabilizer, there are unfortunately no alternatives. If you stopped using it, you would continually struggle with chlorine levels, bacteria, and algae. We understand that all the chemicals needed to keep a pool looking healthy can add up and become costly.

Previous article
Are dark wood floors coming back?
Next article
Does using a gas fireplace save money?