A: No it is not a stabilizer. You need a water conditioner / CYA to stabilize chlorine. It is 86% baking soda.
You do not need stabilizer for a pool but it will significantly help manage chlorine consumption throughout your season and save you money on chemicals. Can you use baking soda as pool stabilizer? Yes, you can use baking soda as pool stabilizer, but the baking soda will also raise the alkalinity level.
Stabiliser is the generic name given to the use of cyanuric acid (also known as iso-cyanuric acid) or its chlorinated compounds of sodium dichloro-isocyanurate and trichloro-isocyanuric acid. When added to an outdoor swimming pool cyanuric acid bonds loosely to chlorine to minimise its degradation by UV light.
It's true - any clean pool with good water balance and a large effective pool filter, with regular shocking (either non-chlorine or chlorine shock), can use a Minerals + Ozone, or Minerals + UV combination to replace the need for stabilized chlorine tablets.
As a quick refresher, total alkalinity is the measure of the ability of water to resist changes in pH, or its "buffering capacity." Cyanuric acid, also called stabilizer, is commonly used in outdoor pools to reduce photodecomposition of available chlorine.
Too much stabilizer can cause your chlorine to become less effective at killing bacteria and algae, and it can also lead to cloudy or hazy and unsafe pool water. Additionally, high stabilizer levels can cause your pH levels to become imbalanced, which can lead to other water quality issues.
When should chlorine stabilizer be added to the pool? When you open your pool for the season is the ideal time to add stabilizer. However, you must first know the Cyanuric Acid level. You can use test strips, a liquid test kit, or by bringing a water sample to one of our locations.
A pool stabilizer is one of the most important pool chemicals because it allows chlorine to work as intended. The fundamental job of a pool stabilizer is to maintain and keep chlorine in your pool water for a longer duration of time.
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.
Stabilizer (aka cyanuric acid) is also sold at most pool supply stores. Cal-hypo and liquid chlorine do not contain stabilizer. What does cyanuric acid do? – Cyanuric acid combines with free chlorine in pool water, protecting it from the sun's ultraviolet rays and reducing chlorine loss.
Borax is tremendously effective at stabilizing alkalinity and acting as a pH buffer in swimming pools. Traditionally, pool owners have relied on baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and soda ash (sodium carbonate) to maintain their pools' pH levels; however, these chemicals have adverse effects.
The Cyanuric Acid, also known as chlorine stabilizer, acts as a 'Sunscreen' for pool chlorine. The water easily gets clear, if the amount of chlorine & cyanuric acid is maintained.
Stabilizer should only be added to a clear pool. If the pool is green or cloudy, deal with that issue first! If the pool is clear, but has no chlorine, then it is best to shock the pool first, wait at least an hour, and then add the stabilizer.
Both are great choices to raise pH and alkalinity, however, if you are aiming to make large pH and alkalinity adjustments at the same time, then soda ash is better. But, if you want to raise the alkalinity level without overly affecting the pH level, we recommend using baking soda.
Is Cyanuric Acid the Same as Baking Soda? 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.
They lock up calcium almost like a chelate to prevent its formation In addition, borates in a pool can give the water a softer feeling, which is gentler on the skin. All of the various benefits of borates in pool water and new technological advances make borates—specifically DOT—the preferred pool treatment method.
After adding the baking soda, let at least six hours pass. Your pool water may look even more cloudy for a while. Allow time for the baking soda to dissolve. Test your pool water again between six and 24 hours after you put the baking soda into your pool.
The ideal pH level for pool water is 7.4 – 7.6.
If your pH fluctuates, the Total Alkalinity might be too low. In that case, add baking soda to increase alkalinity and stabilize the pH. To decrease pH, use a pH decreaser such as sodium bisulphate or muriatic acid.
You should wait at least six hours after adding baking soda before swimming in your pool. Even better, wait at least 24 hours to ensure it's fully mixed in and dissolved. While it's likely not harmful, if you get in the pool too early, the baking soda may irritate your skin or eyes if you're sensitive to it.
Polyhexamethylenebiguanide or PHMB is developed by certain brands such as Baquacil and Softswim as an effective alternative solution to chlorination. This is a more stable ingredient than chlorine and is not affected by sunlight. Hence, it does not require a stabilizer.
As a rule of thumb, use 1.5 pounds (680 grams) of baking soda per 10,000 gallons (37,854 liters) of pool water. This should raise the alkalinity by about 10ppm (parts per million). Or you can use the chart below. If you're not sure how much water your pool holds, check out our pool calculator.
A pool with a stabilizer level of over 70 ppm runs the potential of being over stabilized. Too much stabilizer can begin to lock the chlorine in your pool (chlorine lock) and render it useless.
At night, make sure to run your system for at least 8 hours to help the conditioner finish dissolving. Avoid backwashing or cleaning your filter for 48 hours after the addition of this product.
It is safe to swim in a pool with a stabilizer. However, wait at least 30 minutes after adding chlorine stabilizer and ensure that it's completely dissolved.