As if CYA's impact on chlorine were not enough of a reason to keep its levels to a minimum, there is more. Adding it your pool will not cause any serious health concerns for swimmers. The alternatives to draining your water are to 1) pay big money for filtration, or 2). The CDC’s recommended limit of 15ppm CYA is not necessarily a ‘hard limit’, but a practical one. It literally stabilizes the ion, making it resistant to any chemical changes. There are also some specialized filters that exist to capture CYA and remove it from water, such as reverse osmosis (RO). However, it is a problem with hot tubs. Well, according to the … (Okay, I do and it makes it more fun.). Keeping your levels around 50 ppm will ensure that your chlorine is still able to do its job without getting demolished by sunlight. It’s one more chemical you’ll need to add to your pool and keep balanced, but with proper care and testing, will protect your chlorine, your wallet, and your sanity in the long run. If your levels are too high, on the other hand, it’s a bit more tricky to solve. If you make the switch and find CYA is still a bit too high, allow some splashout and evaporation, then top off your pool with fresh water to dilute the CYA levels. The reaction can also go the other way and release free chlorine. Most … You probably won’t have to add cyanuric acid to your pool after your first dose of the season unless you’ve had a giant pool party with lots of kids or a massive rainfall, either of which may have thrown off your pool’s chemical balance. Referring back to Richard Falk, one of the committee members for the CMAHC, you need at least 7.5% of your CYA level in Free Chlorine to keep up with algae growth. – Cyanuric Acid is a chlorine stabilizer for swimming pools. Without it, the ultraviolet rays from the sun would break apart the chlorite ions, allowing the chlorine to just evaporate into thin air. Cyanuric acid is sold in liquid or granule form and is sometimes combined with chlorine. We recommend you consult a local pool professional before acting. Now that we know that cyanuric acid stays in your pool water for a long time and doesn’t get used up the way chlorine does, testing often is super important. This is because the LSI formula requires a CYA correction against, total alkalinity to find the carbonate alkalinity, All you need to know is the higher your CYA, the lower your LSI. . Pools that contain little or no cyanuric acid are going to eat through chlorine like crazy, especially if your pool is in direct sunlight for any portion of the day. At very high CYA levels it can be impractical to reach such high FC levels. Most complete pool test kits come with a test for cyanuric acid but you can also get separate tests or test strips to check your levels. This combination forms stable chlorine, which comes as a colorless solid. In addition, there is a clear correlation between increased levels of cyanuric acid and the time it takes to effectively kill bacteria present in pool water. CYA, also known as “stabilizer” or “conditioner” in the pool industry, The relationship of chlorine’s “staying power” and CYA, Figure 1 shows us that roughly 20-30 ppm of CYA is enough to give us 95-98% protection from sunlight, The CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), The Committee that writes the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) released a 2016 update that indicates an, upper limit of CYA in pools with a fecal incident. Cyanuric acid, or CYA as it is commonly called (and also called pool stabilizer, pool conditioner, or chlorine stabilizer), acts as that buffer, protecting your chlorine from those hungry UV rays. ; Meyer, E.M.; Pickens, S.R. For example, pools using salt chlorinators need a cyanuric acid level ranging between 80-100 parts per million since tablets are not used. The problem is not stabilization of chlorine, it's, The CDC's Regulation on Cyanuric Acid: 15 ppm, Avoid Over-Stabilization: Guest Blog by Dr. Ellen Meyer. Pool stabilizer also known as cyanuric acid is used in swimming pool water to bond with the free chlorine. Before we get into the answer, cyanuric acid (CYA) is basically sunscreen for your pool. This little miracle worker is going to be your best friend to protect your precious chlorine and keep your pool clean and sparkling all summer long. (Pros, Cons, Ideas & Cost), Best Pool Umbrellas: A Review & Buying Guide, Considering a Pool Fountain? In that case, there are cyanuric acid reducer products on the market that will bring down the levels in your pool but only if they are 100 ppm or higher. Cyanuric acid is available in either power form or liquid form. What happens when Cyanuric Acid in a pool is too high? And it never leaves residue that affects swimmers or plumbing. You’ve mastered chlorine and measure it frequently to fight the cmonstant battle with algae and other baddies that may try to contaminate your beautiful backyard oasis. That's why Minimal CYA is Orenda's Fourth Pillar of Proactive Pool Care. With too much cyanuric acid, your chlorine loses it’s cleaning power. Adding it your pool will not cause any serious health concerns for swimmers. Just 15 ppm. ; Suppes, L.M. Cyanuric Acid is a very important chemical in the swimming pool business. It is safe to swim in the pool. Granted, more CYA can give your chlorine more protection from sunlight for longer, but at what cost? It can also be added to pools separately in non-tablet form, most commonly to protect the free chlorine generated by a salt-water pool. CYA can be very beneficial up to a point, but becomes increasingly detrimental to the pool beyond that. Just look at how much chlorine (and acid to re-balance pH) is required to achieve the desired sanitation result. The purpose of this article is to inform people about CYA, its benefits and its drawbacks. The lowest concentration that WHO recommends is 50 ppm, however, keeping … Sometimes high CYA happens without realizing it. (Pros, Cons, Ideas & Cost).