The Relationship Of Ph Chlorine And Cyanuric Acid Levels
If your pH goes down, the effectiveness of your chlorine goes up. This is commonly understood. But in the presence of cyanuric acid, the relationship between pH and chlorine is substantially altered.; For example, if your pool maintains a pH of 7.2, about 63 percent of the chlorine is in its active form. If you introduce just 30 ppm of cyanuric acid to the pool, this drops to 1.6 percent of the chlorine being in its active form.
Depending on the size of a pool and jurisdiction, public pools have regulated limits for cyanuric levels of 40-100 ppm to prevent problems from over chlorination or unbalanced pH. Although cyanuric acid offers a low level of toxicity without any serious health concerns, having high-levels of this chemical in a pool puts people at risk because of the chlorines diminished ability to kill bacteria and viruses. In Florida, the Department of Health states that a pools cyanuric levels may not exceed 100ppm to prevent gastrointestinal illness, skin rashes, and other diseases.
Despite these ongoing issues, the industry has never found a cost-effective solution and environmentally safe way to remedy this problem.
On top of the pool chemistry problems, draining your pool presents environmental hazards:
If you were able to manage the levels of cyanuric acid in your swimming pool without draining it all these issues could be avoided.
Benefits Of Bioactivie Cyanuric Acid Reducer
- Allows the sanitizing processes in your pool to be effective.
- Eliminates chlorine lock due to high levels of cyanuric acid.
- The full reaction is completed within 7 days.
- It is compatible with all outdoor pool filter and sanitizer systems commonly in use.
- 8 ounce size that can treat 25,000 gallons of water
- 16 ounce size that can treat 50,000 gallons of water
If you need to lower the cyanuric acid levels of your pool, and you want to do it without draining water, buy Cyanuric Acid Reducer today.
Draining Your Pool Is A Distant Memory
In 2015, a revolutionary product was introduced to the pool industry. It is called Cyanuric Acid Reducer. Bio-Active Products Inc developed this outstanding product in partnership with BiOWiSH Technologies. As the name would suggest, Cyanuric Acid Reducer reduces cyanuric acid without draining your pool.
Bio-Active Cyanuric Acid Reducer is a naturally-biodegradable product that works safely in your pool to reduce cyanuric acid levels. It has been designed to specifically to lower the levels cyanuric acid levels in pools with more than 100ppm. And it never leaves residue that affects swimmers or plumbing.
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Do I Need To Add Cyanuric Acid To My Saltwater Pool
Cyanuric acid or stabilizer is a chemical that is manually added to salt water pools to protect the chlorine from the direct rays of the sun. Maintaining;cyanuric acid;levels around 60 ppm 80 ppm is recommended for salt water pools and it might need to be higher if you receive significant sun.
Cyanuric acid is added to swimming pools to increase the lifespan of chlorine and minimize chlorine requirements. Referred to commercially as pool stabilizer, it acts as an invisible shield and is especially important for salt water pools since the chlorine that is produced by a salt chlorinator is unstabilized.
Lowering Cya Method 2: Chemical Way
Maybe your neighborhood regulations dont allow the displacement of that much water or there just isnt a viable spot anywhere in sight. The last thing we want is a whole neighborhood flooded with your pool water. If the dilution process works, awesome, but for those who couldnt confidently answer those questions will have to go the chemical route.
There arent a whole lot of options to chemically reduce CYA in your pool. Bio-Active sells a CYA reducing chemical product. The back of the package offers proof of its effectiveness. In a video below,;a tech tries a similar experiment in six of his pools he services. The results indicated the CYA was lowered in his pools, just not quite as significantly as the packaging said.
Natural Chemistry also has a 2 to 3 part chemical process for reducing CYA levels. Now, keep in mind it will most likely take more than one 8 ounce package of Bio-Actives product. This can be considered in the economical aspect of lowering your CYA. These products have simplified instructions on the packaging.
So your final question will most likely be, is it cheaper to buy several packages of chemical or is it cheaper to drain and refill?
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Are Automatic Spa Covers Worth The Purchase
Currently, there is a broad spectrum of automatic spa cover designs. Therefore, every spa owner can find something that caters to their needs. Needless to say, automatic spa covers are not for everyone. They are ideal for pool owners who want to match their pool cover and spa cover more often than not. Ultimately, automatic spa covers offer excellent functionality and aesthetics.
Large-Format tiles have increasingly become popular among most homeowners. They come in different shapes and sizes. Besides, these tiles offer exceptional aesthetics. Nonetheless, installing large-format pool and spa tiles is relatively complex. This article outlines a few tips that help with large-format tile installation.
How Can I Lower Cyanuric Acid Levels In My Above Ground Pool
Well, if the cyanuric acid level is high in your pool then youve got a couple of options that can help you to lessen the cyanuric acid level.
If you want a fast solution, then you can opt for a cyanuric acid reducer.
On the other hand, if you dont wanna spend a single penny and wants nature to help you then all you need to do is to wait for the rain.
Lastly, you can drain the pool and refill it with fresh water.
So, do let us know in the comment section, which of the aforementioned options would you be interested in?
Diluting the CYA level isnt rocket science.
For example, if the CYA has a ppm 5% above the accepted range then you need to dilute it by 5% which can be done easily by adding fresh water to your pool.
I always recommend the dilution method to my clientele to get the CYA level back on track.
But, what if the CYA concentration is too high?
Well, in that case, youre left with very few options, and as per my knowledge and experience, you should try a cyanuric acid reducer to bring it down and then dilute the CYA level by adding some fresh water to your pool.
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How Much Cyanuric Acid Does Your Pool Need
Depending on who you ask, you may get answers from 10 to 100 ppm. Research has shown that levels over 50 ppm dont provide any additional UV protection for your free chlorine. Also, anything over that amount can significantly slow down chlorines ability to kill pathogens.
So, if you can keep your CYA at or below 50 ppm, that should provide plenty of sunscreen protection for your chlorine.
But no matter what the CYA level is, youll want to keep testing your free chlorine levels to make sure the pool remains properly sanitized. A good balance is a free chlorine level thats 7.5% of your CYA .
For example, if you have a 50 ppm stabilizer level, your sanitizer should be about 3 ppm.;
The actual amount you add to the pool will depend on the volume of water and amount of chlorine in your pool. For every 10,000 gallons, youll need about 4 pounds of CYA per every 30 ppm it needs to increase.
How To Lower Cyanuric Acid Levels
When your cyanuric levels are too high, you have three options:
- Purchase a cyanuric acid reducer
- Drain and refill with new pool water .
For diluting, you dont have to use an exact science, but basically, if your cyanuric acid level is 5% too high, then you need to remove about 5% of the pool water.;
Since the most common form of cyanuric acid is usually as an additive to chlorine tablets, adding it straight to the pool like this is considered a booster.
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The Definitive Guide To Using Cyanuric Acid
It takes a combination of chemicals to keep your pool clean and swimmable. You need something to sanitize your water, something to balance it, something to keep algae from forming, possibly something to control metal content, and maybe a couple more, depending on your location and pool type.
But sometimes just adding a chemical isnt enough. You also need to ensure that chemical can do their job properly by adding a sort of assistant chemical.
One of those chemicals is cyanuric acid. Its sole function is to stabilize the chlorine in your pool so the sanitizer lasts longer, thereby keeping your water clean longer.
But what exactly is it, and why do you need it to help chlorine do its job?
Why Does Your Pool Have High Levels Of Cyanuric Acid
Every pool requires chlorine to keep the water clean. Whether the chlorine contains cyanuric acid can depend on the type of chlorine you use. In general, stabilized chlorine contains CYA while unstabilized chlorine does not.
In the majority of cases, the reason for high CYA levels in a pool is too much stabilized chlorine. When the pool begins to evaporate, CYA remains in the water such as other chemicals like calcium and salt.
For instance, 1 pound of trichlor in a 10,000-gallon pool could raise the CYA levels by up to 6 ppm. Remember, the ideal range of CYA in a pool is around 30 ppm to 50 ppm. Therefore, it is plain to see how easy levels can rise.
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Ways To Raise Cyanuric Acid In A Pool
- |March 8, 2021
Cyanuric acidalso called CYA, pool stabilizer, or pool conditioneris a weak acid that protects your chlorine from the suns ultraviolet rays, allowing it to work for much longer periods without constant top-ups.
The ideal range for cyanuric acid in your pool is between 30 and 50 ppm . Anything lower and you will likely see some undesirable side effects when it comes to your water chemistry.
Lets talk about why this happens, why it matters, and how to raise cyanuric acid in your swimming pool.
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How To Remove Cyanuric Acid From Pool Water
Draining
The tried-and-true way to remove cyanuric acid is to drain the pool. If, for example, the pool has 200 ppm cyanuric acid, then an 80% drain and refill ought to bring the pool to a desirable 40 ppm cyanuric acid.
Its important to recognize that doing two 40% drain and refills will not achieve this result.
For example, if the pool has 200 ppm cyanuric acid, a 40% drain and refill will bring the pool to 120 ppm cyanuric acid. Doing another 40% drain and refill will then bring the pool to 72 ppm cyanuric acid. It will then take an additional 40% drain and refill to get to about 43 ppm cyanuric acid.
Thats 40% more water used to achieve close to the same result.
CYA reducers
There are currently two manufacturers that market products that may reduce cyanuric acid. The products utilize microorganisms that consume cyanuric acid.
These special microorganisms perform their hydrolysis reactions so quickly that cyanuric acid levels may be restored to normal levels in days.
With Bioactive Cyanuric Acid Reducer, the microbes are chosen for their specific resistance to chlorine, and are said to withstand normal chlorination levels while they break down cyanuric acid.When the cyanuric acid begins to level off, chlorine can be reintroduced to the pool and the microorganisms will be destroyed.
It is recommended to maintain normal chlorination levels while using this product because higher levels reduce its efficacy.
Alum?
Cyanuric Acid Reducers & Removers
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Allow Sufficient Time For Proper Curing
During installation, you should always give large-format pool and spa tiles enough time to cure. Ensure the thin-set cures properly before you proceed to the next step. Typically, thinset needs air to cure Thinset typically requires air to cure. While the area between the separate tiles can quickly cure, the area behind the tiles will need more time. Dealing with larger pieces is actually worse because they need more time to cure. Pool experts report that the back center of the tile can take months to cure. Even so, experts dont give it as much curing time. On average, large-format tiles will need 21 to 28 days to cure. It would be best to inform the pool owner that they will have to wait 3 to 4 weeks for the tiles to cure, says Amy Deny.
Why Does Your Pool Need Cyanuric Acid
Because cyanuric acid stabilizes the chlorine molecules and keeps it from breaking down in the sunlight, its essential for anyone with an outdoor pool.
Its such a popular product because it maintains chlorine levels effectively and reduces the amount of time you have to spend maintaining proper levels in your pool. In other words, instead of daily;chlorine testing and balancing, you will most likely only need to do it weekly.;
It also makes algae outbreaks much less frequent since it keeps your chlorine working longer.;
Note that an indoor pool will rarely need the chemical unless you have a very open area or lots of windows around the pool.
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What’s The Ideal Level For Pool Chlorine Stabilizer
You should aim for a stabilizer level between 30 and 50ppm. Test the stabilizer or have your water tested and see what the stabilizer level is. Some pool stores list it as either stabilizer or cyanuric acid level.
I service some commercial pools, and the county health inspectors like it below 100ppm, which makes sense because the chlorine is usually very controllable and effective below this level. However, for most homeowners, shoot for 3050ppm.
How To Bring Cyanuric Acid Back Up
After using any of the above methods and retesting the pool, you may realize youve taken out too much cyanuric acid.
If your CYA level is below 30 ppm, you can raise the amount of cyanuric acid by using stabilized chlorine, or by simply adding cyanuric acid .;
The latter is usually preferred, as using CYA in addition to unstabilized chlorine allows you more control over the individual aspects of your pool chemistry.
As a general rule, 13 ounces of CYA should be added to a 10,000 gallon pool to raise its level by 10 ppm.
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Have Raised Import Tariffs Made The Shortage Situation Worse
Usually, the United States is responsible for producing only a tiny fraction of fiberglass cloth. The country mainly relies on affordable fiberglass supplies from China. However, since Trumps administration, there have been obstacles preventing the smooth import process. In particular, since 2018, a 25% import tariff was placed on fiberglass cloth and resin. This discouraged most manufacturers from importing fiberglass. On the flip side, Chinese manufacturers raised their export prices.
In 2020, the coronavirus outbreak made the supply chain worse due to travel restrictions. The lockdown also forced Chinese chemical plants to shut down. At the same time, there was increased demand for pool construction services since most homeowners were looking for ways to upgrade their backyards.
Using A Cyanuric Acid Reducer
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Keep An Eye On Those Levels
If you dont measure the chemicals in your water frequently, it will be impossible to keep them properly balanced. Understanding basic pool chemistry is the first step, but creating a pool maintenance schedule is crucial.
Using test strips to check your water chemistry every week is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to keep an eye on everything from pH, to free chlorine, to cyanuric acid levels. You can also use a liquid test kit or take a water sample to your local pool store.
Its smart to test your pool water weekly, at a minimum. If youre keeping your water chemistry balanced and you dont have a lot of rain, you shouldnt see much change in your cyanuric acid levels.
Ideally, free chlorine should be between 1 ppm and 3 ppm. When using cyanuric acid, aim to keep free chlorine levels at 7.5 percent of CYA level. That means if your pool has 50 ppm of cyanuric acid, youll need to keep free chlorine at 3 ppm to effectively sanitize and keep algae at bay.
