Chlorine is the most important chemical in your swimming pool to keep it clear and free of algae if used appropriately. With that said, the most common chemical used to prevent chlorine loss in swimming pools in cyanuric acid (CYA, stabilizer or conditioner). 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 post helps to explain why CYA is necessary but also what happens when it gets higher than what is considered normal levels.
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.
With that being said, 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 could be a little higher. Whereas, when the CYA levels rise above 100ppm, that can cause a fair amount of other problems too. 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.
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.