Best Pool Stabilizer | izzysmarthomeguide

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Best Pool Stabilizer: Well, in this post, I would be walking you through various aspects of a pool stabilizer so that you can buy the one that not only caters to your need but also falls well within your budget.

Especially the newbies fell prey to the unrealistic claims made by the stabilizer companies, isn’t it?

Moreover, your expectation from a pool stabilizer should also be realistic to prevent any disappointment, right?

Nonetheless, you don’t have to worry at all, today I’ll discuss whatever I know about the pool stabilizer, and also, how you can find a good pool stabilizer without paying more.

So, without any further ado, let’s begin…

What is a pool stabilizer?

Pool stabilizer aka CYA (cyanuric acid) is a sort of stabilizer that protects chlorine from getting disintegrated in the presence of sunlight.

Are you aware of the fact that without a buffer, the sunlight can easily consume 90% of your pool’s free unstabilized chlorine in an epigrammatic span of time, bizarre, isn’t it?

The devil is the UV rays present in the sunlight whose prey becomes the chlorine present in your pool water.

The CYA is available in different forms including liquid, granule, mixed form (mixed with chlorine tablet), chlorine shock, etc.

You don’t have to keep adding CYA to your pool water daily.

In fact, I usually add it at the beginning of the swimming season, that’s all.

The good news is, most of the chlorine product that you buy also contains some traces of CYA so the pool water is getting a regular and steady dose of CYA that protects the chlorine from getting disintegrated.

Do I need to balance the stabilizer in my pool water?

Definitely, you need to NOT only balance the stabilizer in your pool water but also keep track of it so that it doesn’t get unbalanced.

Since you own a pool so I’m assuming that you’re well aware of the importance of chlorine.

And, this poor chemical (CYA) shields the chlorine from getting eaten up by the hungry and devil UV rays so it’s a must-have chemical, isn’t it?

Enough of bragging about CYA, let’s see what can happen if the stabilizer loses its track and gets unbalanced.

From unbalance I mean both dip and surge in the CYA level.

Well, if the CYA level dips too low then the chlorine would be eaten up sooner than you can even imagine.

And, you know what would happen in the absence of an adequate amount of chlorine in your pool water.

Well, a low level of chlorine in your pool water would pave the path for algae and bacteria growth making the ambiance unfavorable for swimming.

On the contrary, a higher percentage of CYA gives birth to a phenomenon called chlorine lock.

Well, chlorine lock is the condition in which the chlorine test reads negative in spite of its presence in the pool water in a tangible amount.

At the same time, you’re lucky if you own an indoor pool wherein UV rays don’t reach and so you don’t have to add CYA to your pool water.

In other words, until and unless your pool is exposed to sunlight you don’t need to be worried at all about the chlorine level.

In the absence of sunlight, chlorine does its work fairly well without any interruption.

So, how much stabilizer does my pool need?

Well, as per my knowledge and experience, I can say that anything in the range of 30 and 50 ppm would do the trick for you.

More than 50 ppm would pave the way for chlorine lock which is definitely something worrisome.

In case, you’re hearing the word chlorine lock for the first time, then allow me to explain it to you.

The chlorine lock is a phenomenon in which the reading of your chlorine test kit would show zero in spite of you adding more and more amount of chlorine to your pool water.

So, it is really important for you as a pool owner to keep track of the CYA level in your pool water in order to prevent any unprecedented situation.

In short, you need to test your pool water on a consistent basis.

Furthermore, you need to keep your sanitizer levels at 7.5 percent of your stabilizer to achieve an optimum result.

In layman’s terms, if your pool conditioner is 50 ppm, then you should shoot for free chlorine levels between 3 ppm and 4 ppm.

Well, it is really important for you to understand that you need to use about 4 lbs of CYA per 10,000 gallons of water for every 30 ppm it needs to be raised.

However, I would still request you to thoroughly go through the product instructions in order to prevent any last-hour misadventure.

I own a pool for over a decade now, and you would be astonished to know that I only add CYA at the beginning of the swim season, that’s all.

How can I add a stabilizer to my pool?

Many people add CYA to a bucket of warm water first and others pour it directly into the pool.

However, I would suggest you should dissolve it in a bucket of water since it’s acidic that can cause skin irritation or can even lead to pool linear damage.

All you need to do is to pour the product into your bucket and then pour the mixture around the edges of your pool.

Also, refrain from pouring chemicals directly into your skimmer.

What if the stabilizer present in pool water is too high?

Well, I’m assuming that now you’re well aware of the devil-named chlorine lock, right?

And, it is the outcome of CYA being above the normal level of 30 and 50 ppm.

In simple words, if the stabilizer in your pool water is too high then it might lead to problems such as chlorine lock so it is really important to keep the CYA level balanced.

Moreover, to bring the stabilizer level back to normal, all you need to do is to use a CYA reducer.

It will help you to reduce the CYA level in your pool water to some extent but don’t expect it to do a miracle.

In case, you don’t wanna try a CYA reducer then the other feasible and reliable option could be dilution.

That simply means you need to drain a portion of your pool water and add fresh water to your pool.

What if the stabilizer level in my pool water is too low?

To be honest, the initial dose of CYA at the start of the swimming season is more than enough, and chances are very rare that you’ll need to add a stabilizer in the coming future.

However, after heavy rainfall or any swimming contest, you might need to add some traces of CYA.

So, after any major events, it is really important that you test the stabilizer level in your pool.

If the level of CYA is somewhat less than 30 ppm then it’s not a point of concern at all.

However, a drastic fall in the CYA level needs to be handled on a priority basis.

So, in the case of a very low CYA level, you need to add a certain amount of CYA in your pool water, and then test the level after every 24 hours until the 30 ppm mark is reached.

Pool Stabilizer Test Kits

If you’re planning to buy a complete pool test kit, then the probability is very high that it would include a test for CYA, and if that is not the case, then you can easily purchase it separately.

Check out some of my recommendations if it interests you.

Blue Devil

Well, the Blue Devil Cyanuric Acid test kit is one of the best in its class, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

(Check Current Price On Amazon)

Moreover, it contains enough chemicals to help you carry out at least 6 to 8 tests on your pool, and trust me, the results are really accurate.

Pentair

Well, another very reliable kit is Pentair R151226 79 cyanuric acid test kit, and trust me, the brand Pentair doesn’t need any introduction, right?

As compared to the aforementioned test kit, the Pentair R151226 79 is capable of expediting more tests, and the results are definitely accurate.

(Check Current Price On Amazon)

In case, you’re not interested in buying a test kit then you can take the pool water sample to your local pool store and ask them to test it for you.

Best Pool Water Test Kit

A very frequent query that comes to me from my clientele is related to the best pool water test kit.

Most often people get confused when it comes to buying a “value for money” pool water test kit just because they don’t have proper information about the product.

And, the situation becomes even worse when you start digging into the market and find that all the brands have their own claims through which they are trying to prove themselves better than their competitors.

Correct me, if I’m wrong.

In this section, I would be having an in-depth discussion with you about the top best pool water kits that I’ve come across in my life.

Needless to say, as a pool owner, I’ve tried quite a few test kits before settling down on one.

In case, you’ve any doubts or queries related to the best pool test kit then feel free to contact us through email.

Top 3 Pool Water Test Kits

All the top three pool test kits that I would be throwing light upon are one of a kind and have proven their mettle time and again.

It goes without saying that I’ve personally used each one of them, and I can affirm that they are worth the investment.

So, without any delay, let’s see what all I’ve for you in my kitty.

Taylor Service Complete Pool Water Test Kit K-2006C

Definitely, Taylor service kit K-2006C is one of its kind and is newbie-friendly.

The best thing about this test kit is that you can use it for testing multiple parameters including free and total chlorine, bromine, pH, acid and base demand, calcium hardness, total alkalinity, and stabilizer levels.

In short, it’s a complete package that any pool owner like you and I would be interested in bringing home.

A one-stop solution, indeed.

The test kit is affordable and in spite of you being on a shoestring budget, you can buy it.

(Check Current Price On Amazon)

pHin Smart Water Care Monitor for Pools

It goes without saying that pHin smart water care monitor test kit is one of the best kits if NOT THE BEST.

To be honest, I’ve been using it quite a few times now and I can assure you that it’s worth the investment irrespective of whether you are an owner of a small, mid, or large-sized pool.

Unlike some cheap digital pool testing kits, it will monitor your pool water 24/7 and would notify you when it’s time to add chemicals.

(Check Current Price On Amazon)

So, you don’t have to worry at all about testing your pool water every 24 hours.

What I really liked about this idiosyncratic superlative product is that it scans your pool water more than 1000 times per week and thus, creates customized recommendations based on your pool requirements.

So, no more guesswork.

LaMotte 2058 ColorQ Pro 11 Digital Liquid Pool & Spa Chemical Water Testing Kit

The digital photometer pool and spa water testing kit is one of its kind and does an excellent job when it comes to testing for free chlorine, total chlorine, bromine, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, cyanuric acid, copper, iron, biguanide, and biguanide shock.

(Check Current Price On Amazon)

Moreover, for each liquid reagent, you just need only 5 drops.

All in all, a great product that you’ll never regret investing in.

It’s A Wrap

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being with us till the end.

Frankly speaking, I along with my core team have put loads and loads of effort to come up with this comprehensive post.

I hope you would’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the post, and if that is the case, then please rate us on a scale of 1 to 5 with the latter being the best.

Last but not least, share this piece of information with the ones who are in need of it.

After all, sharing is caring!

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