Why is cyanuric acid high in my pool?

Author: Flavio Marks  |  Last update: Sunday, June 26, 2022

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.

Is it safe to swim in a pool with high cyanuric acid?

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 happens when cyanuric acid is too high?

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.

How do I lower the cyanuric acid in my pool?

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.

How do I lower the cyanuric acid in my pool without draining it?

CYA Removal Kit efficiently removes cyanuric acid from pool water. This revolutionary two-part system works without the need to drain or dilute water from a pool. CYA Removal Kit takes cyanuric acid (also known as CYA, stabilizer or conditioner) out of pool water.

How To Balance CYANURIC ACID In Your Pool | Swim University

Does cyanuric acid damage pool liner?

And stabilized chlorine (like dichlor or trichlor) already comes with CYA, so you'll likely be adding it to your pool water throughout the season. Because CYA is an acid, you'll need to handle it carefully. It can damage your filter and your pool, especially if you have a vinyl liner.

Will CYA go down over time?

Yes, entirely possible. As you point out, there is a testing variance to consider and CYA will naturally degrade a few ppm per month, maybe a little more.

How do you get rid of high cyanuric acid?

How to Lower Cyanuric Acid in Your Pool
  1. Step 1) Drain some of the pool water (to waste).
  2. Step 2) Top the pool back up to normal levels.
  3. Step 3) Run your pump for a few hours to circulate the water and mix the fresh water in with the existing water.
  4. Step 4) Retest the cyanuric acid / pool stabilizer levels again.

Do salt water pools 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.

Does shock contain cyanuric acid?

Shock does not contain any cyanuric acid, so after 24 hours, the elevated amounts of chlorine are no longer in the pool. as 90 percent of the chlorine in the water in two hours.

What level should cyanuric acid in a pool?

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

What does cyanuric acid do for a pool?

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. Adding Cyanuric Acid reduces the sun's impact on chlorine loss.

Is cyanuric acid hazardous?

Uses Advised Against: None identified. OSHA REGULATORY STATUS: This material is not considered hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).

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.

Where does cyanuric acid come from?

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.

Does cyanuric acid burn off?

As applied in water, the chlorine and cyanuric acid mixture (Tri-Chlor or Di-Chlor products) would eventually break down and the chlorine would dissipate away as usual. The problem is that cyanuric acid does not dissipate or evaporate but instead lingers and gathers in the pool water.

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 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.

How much cyanuric acid is in drinking water?

– Cyanuric acid chemical structures. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides guidelines for the addition of dichlor and cyanuric acid to drinking water where the WHO specifies maximum concentrations of 50 and 40 mg L1, respectively.

Does my pool need cyanuric acid?

Areas exposed to high levels of sunlight should maintain 60 – 80 ppm (parts per million). Pools using an ORP Controller (Oxidation Reduction Potential) such as the AutoPilot Total Control, should maintain 30-50 ppm. Indoor pools do not need cyanuric acid, unless it gets periodic exposure to sunlight.

What raises cyanuric acid?

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

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 happens if you put too much shock in your swimming pool?

Although, if you overdo the shock treatment, you risk getting green hair from chlorine due to the excess chlorine oxidizing the copper in the water. You can execute a shock treatment with a few different types of pool shock, just be mindful of how much you're using.

How much cyanuric acid is safe?

– Cyanuric acid chemical structures. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides guidelines for the addition of dichlor and cyanuric acid to drinking water where the WHO specifies maximum concentrations of 50 and 40 mg L–1, respectively.

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