Cyanuric acid

Cyanuric acid

Chlorine is one of the most vital chemicals in your swimming pool to keep it clear and free of algae if used at the appropriate levels.Those levels are different in the summer compared to the winter. With that said, the most common chemical used to prevent chlorine loss in swimming pools in cyanuric acid (CYA) CYA is also referred to as stabilizer or conditioner by many. During the long, hot summer months the sun’s ultraviolet rays destroy free chlorine but having the proper amount of CYA in the swimming pool can prevent this. Knowing that, we hope this blog post helps to inform you why CYA is necessary but also what happens when the levels of CYA rise above what is considered within a normal range (typically 30-50ppm).

Simply put, cyanuric acid, is what protects your chlorine from being eaten away by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. As explained earlier, chlorine is extremely important to have in the swimming pool to prevent algae growth but maintaining proper pH levels, phosphate levels, and calcium hardness levels are also important in maintaining crystal clear water in your swimming pool. The bottom line is, if cyanuric acid is used properly it can reduce the cost of maintaining a swimming pool because it prevents chlorine loss and reduces the amount of chlorine needed to properly sanitize a swimming pool.

Now that you understand the importance of CYA, you are now probably wondering what are considered normal amounts of CYA and what is considered too high? Typically, the ideal amount of CYA is between 30-50 parts per million (ppm) but depending on how much direct sunlight the swimming pool gets, that number might need to be a little higher. Whereas, when the CYA levels rise above 100ppm, that can cause a fair amount of other problems too that we want to discuss. The biggest issue when CYA levels rise above 100ppm is the effectiveness of chlorine because the higher levels tend to bind up the chlorine making it harder to kill algae and other bacteria. When this happens the only way to reduce CYA is to replace the water in the swimming pool which can be done using our mobile filtration system which is an alternative to draining a swimming pool.

Recycle Pool Water

Our mobile filtration trailer

Along with lowering CYA levels, our mobile filtration system, which is equipped with Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes, will also lower calcium hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), phosphates, salts and waterborne diseases without draining the swimming pool. Our technology comes to you, we filter the water onsite and can conserve up to 85% of the water in the swimming pool. When the job is complete, we leave you with the best water quality possible (much better than tap) and with water that is softer to swim in.

We recommend routinely checking the water chemistry in your swimming pool for proper levels of chlorine, pH, CYA, calcium hardness, TDS, and phosphates. It is vital that all of these levels are maintained to prevent algae and other organisms from growing in your swimming pool. If you have any questions, contact us today to learn more about how we can help you!