Well, in this post, I would be walking you through some of the best ways to lower the level of Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in your pool.
Frankly speaking, all the steps that we’ll be mentioning in this post are newbie-friendly and you can expedite them without any hassle.
Many of the newbies wouldn’t be aware of the fact that Cyanuric Acid is popularly known as a pool stabilizer.
It goes without saying that Cyanuric Acid plays a crucial role in maintaining the proper health of your swimming pool.
Well, let’s understand it the other way around, that is, what will happen if there is a fluctuation in the CYA level?
Useless rendering of chlorine can happen if the cyanuric level gets too high.
So, enough of the introduction, let’s have a quick at what we would be learning in this comprehensive guide.
First and foremost, we would be learning about the optimal CYA levels.
Secondly, how can we test the Cyanuric acid level in our swimming pool effortlessly?
Lastly, I would be throwing light on some of the important ways of lowering the CYA level.
So, without any further ado, let’s begin…
What is cyanuric acid?
As the name suggests, cyanuric acid is a chemical that helps chlorine work the way it is bound to work.
The CYA is available in its original form as well as in the form of additives that you drop into chlorine tablets.
Moreover, many newbies might not be aware of the fact that cyanuric acid has little to no effect on other important pool water ingredients including alkalinity, calcium hardness, and pH.
In layman’s terms, CYA only impacts the chlorine present in your pool water, and that too for a good reason.
CYA acts as a pool conditioner and hence weakens the strength of chlorine present in your pool water to some extent, making it less abrasive for swimmers.
However, the main function of CYA is to make a strong bond with chlorine so that it doesn’t break in the presence of sunlight.
And as a result, you can expect chlorine to work more effectively on both bacteria and algae.
Do my pool need cyanuric acid?
Definitely, your pool needs a certain amount of cyanuric acid for the proper functioning of chlorine as well as reducing its disintegration in the presence of sunlight.
So, if you own an outdoor pool that is exposed to sunlight then definitely you need CYA.
In fact, cyanuric acid saves you a lot of time and money.
You don’t need to spend a good lump-sum amount on a chlorine testing kit.
Moreover, you can reduce the time that you spend on testing and balancing chlorine every day, a weekly test would do the trick for you.
Since CYA helps chlorine to function in a proper and effective way so the algae outbreak is kept under control in spite of you spending less time on maintenance.
On the other hand, you don’t need to use CYA for your indoor pool until and unless it receives direct sunlight which may be possible if you’ve got lots of windows or open areas in the vicinity of your indoor pool.
Before we move further, please let me know, if we’re on the same page or NOT.
What levels of cyanuric acid are optimal for my outdoor pool?
If you’ve not tried and tested CYA in your pool water, then my advice would be to start with a little and go in full flow afterward.
The good news is, even a small amount of CYA is good for your pool water and would give you a tangible result for sure.
But, of course, there is an optimal range that is followed across the industries.
The optimal level is considered to be 30 to 50 ppm (parts per million) irrespective of the shape and size of your outdoor pool.
However, the more the intensity and duration of sunlight on your pool water the higher the CYA should be added in the range of 30 to 50 ppm.
Will adding too much cyanuric acid would do harm to my pool?
Definitely, YES…
As we all know too much of anything is bad, and I hope you’ll agree with it, right?
Adding CYA in excess would give birth to a phenomenon known as chlorine lock which simply means that the chlorine in your pool water has been rendered useless.
So, you might be wondering, how would I come to know that chlorine has been rendered useless, right?
I was also inquisitive about the aforementioned query when I heard about the chlorine lock phenomenon for the first time.
Well, if you’re testing chlorine levels in your pool water just after adding a certain amount of it and the test results show only traces of chlorine present in the pool water, then it might be the case of chlorine lock.
Remember, if the chlorine isn’t present in a balanced amount in your pool water then it would be really difficult for you to keep a check on algae and bacteria growth.
How can I test for cyanuric acid levels in my inground pool?
Well, I’ve been a pool owner for over a decade now, and I’ve added cyanuric acid level testing in my weekly maintenance routine.
And, trust me, regular CYA testing has helped to prevent certain unprecedented events with ease.
What I’ll say is, anytime you test your other chemicals level, it’s good to test the cyanuric acid level as well.
Chlorine lock is often followed by a strong and foul chlorine smell so it’s advisable that you test for too much cyanuric acid level in your swimming pool.
Needless to say, the market is flooded with a wide range of test kits so it is really important that you get proper information about a test kit before opting for it.
In fact, some more advanced test kits are also available that will help you in testing your pool’s water chemistry.
However, if you’re looking for an affordable option then a test strip could be the best bet for you.
Moreover, using a testing kit requires dropping a chemical into the water sample from your pool which results in some reading on your test kit depicting the level of various chemicals including CYA, calcium hardness, pH, etc.
If you’re not comfortable testing on your own then it is better to take help from a local pool store.
Either way, you would be aware of what you need to do with the current cyanuric acid level.
If it falls in the industry-standard range then you need not do anything.
On the other hand, if it’s low then you need to raise the level and vice-versa.
How can I lower cyanuric acid levels in my above-ground pool?
Well, if the cyanuric acid level is high in your pool then you’ve 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 don’t 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 isn’t 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, you’re 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.
How can I raise the cyanuric acid level?
To be honest, a lower CYA level isn’t a point of concern as even a trace of cyanuric acid would help chlorine in doing the job effectively.
Frankly speaking, even though the cyanuric acid level isn’t up to mark still it would be doing its job by increasing the lifespan of chlorine against the sunlight.
But, at the same time, if you want the optimum result from the cyanuric acid then definitely, you need to maintain the level as per the industry standards.
To increase the cyanuric acid level in your swimming pool, all you need to do is to increase some cyanuric acid granules as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
The best and easiest way to add cyanuric acid to your pool is as an additive to chlorine tablets.
In short, don’t worry too much if the cyanuric acid level in your pool isn’t up to the mark rather worry when the CYA level is too high.
Is cyanuric acid the same as muriatic acid?
Definitely, NOT…
Many of us do get confused with the name and think that both are the same, but the reality is that both are very different.
As we’ve discussed so far, cyanuric acid act as a shield for chlorine against sunlight, and prevents it from getting disintegrated.
On the other hand, the main function of muriatic acid is to lower a pool’s pH level.
Though both these chemicals are used to manage chlorine efficiency still they are used for very different reasons.
As a pool owner, you need to utilize both these chemicals efficiently in order to maintain a healthy pool ambiance.
It’s A Wrap
First of all, I would like to thank you for staying with us till the end.
Moreover, if you’re a newbie and still have some doubts related to CYA then feel free to ask us in the comment section.
To sum up, CYA should be present in the 30 to 50 ppm range for achieving an optimum result.
The main function of cyanuric acid is to prevent chlorine from getting decomposed in the presence of sunlight.
A high level of CYA can be a point of concern as it can lead to chlorine locking.
On the other hand, a lower level of CYA will also enhance the productivity of chlorine in your pool water.
So, don’t worry too much, if the level of CYA is less than 30 ppm in your pool water.
However, it is highly suggested that you should keep testing CYA levels on a weekly basis, and most importantly, after heavy rain or a sudden increase in algae or bacteria.
Last but not least, share this piece of information with the ones who are in need of it.
After all, sharing is caring, isn’t it?
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