
The importance of stabilizer (cyanuric acid) in a saltwater pool.
- First, the chlorine that you generate via your salt system does not stay in the pool.
- Second, you have to run your salt system more hours to try to make up for the lost chlorine. ...
- Third, running your salt cell longer hours, results in the creation of more and more sodium hydroxide which causes your pH to rise higher and higher.
Do I have to use stabilizer in my Pool?
Your pool water can only go without using a stabilizer if you are a chlorine free based pool. Using any chlorine or salt system, you are not able to go without stabilizer or your water will be in danger from dangerous viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms.
How do you remove too much stabilizer in pool?
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Can you use stabilizer in a new pool?
The use of cyanuric acid will lower pH. A stabilised pool must operate at a minimum of 3 mg/L free chlorine and stabiliser must not be used in an indoor pool or with bromine treated swimming pools. Cyanurate must not be used under any circumstances in a spa pool.
Why is stabilizer so important on a salt pool?
The importance of stabilizer (cyanuric acid) in a saltwater pool.
- First, the chlorine that you generate via your salt system does not stay in the pool.
- Second, you have to run your salt system more hours to try to make up for the lost chlorine. ...
- Third, running your salt cell longer hours, results in the creation of more and more sodium hydroxide which causes your pH to rise higher and higher.

When should I add stabilizer to my pool?
The product is typically added to the pool when it is first opened for the summer season. Open your pool under normal procedures, and let the filter run with its normal amount of chemicals. When all the other chemicals, such as chlorine. pH and alkalinity, are balanced, add the chlorine stabilizer.
Is stabilizer necessary for pool?
Pool stabilizers are important to maintain a clean swimming pool. Along with other factors for keeping a swimming pool clean, like pH, total alkalinity, and water hardness, pool stabilizers need to be adequately regulated and tested.
What happens if pool stabilizer is too low?
If your CYA levels dip too low, your chlorine will be completely gone in a few hours and your swimming pool will become susceptible to bacteria and algae growth. If the pool stabilizer levels get too high, however, it overpowers the chlorine and makes it less effective.
How long does it take for stabilizer to work in pool?
As mentioned earlier, it will take at least 48 hours and up to a week to fully dissolve. Powdered cyanuric acid is not so common and it may not be available to buy in your area. It's reported to not dissolve any faster than granular stabilizer.
Does stabilizer increase pH?
If you need the pH level in the pool to rise, you need to add pool conditioner or stabilizer directly to the pool.
Do I add chlorine or stabilizer first?
Add Stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid) Stabilizer is cyanuric acid. It's important that you get this right BEFORE adjusting the chlorine levels.
Does stabilizer make pool cloudy?
Too much chlorine stabilizer such as cyanuric acid can actually result in a cloudy pool and increase your pool's susceptibility to algae. I high pH level can also result in cloudy pool water.
Can you swim with stabilizer in the pool?
You may swim immediately if Stabilizer was added through the skimmer, otherwise wait 12 hours to swim until all product in the pool is dissolved. For pools with bleachable surfaces, such as colored plaster or vinyl, do not allow product to sit on the bottom of the pool.
Can I add shock and stabilizer at the same time?
It's also included in chlorine tablets or sticks (called trichlor) or shock (called dichlor). When they're mixed together in shock or tablets, the resulting product is called stabilized chlorine. Typically, pool owners won't need to add any extra stabilizer separately if you're using one of the combination products.
What is the best way to add stabilizer to your pool?
0:111:44Adding Stabilizer Conditioner to Your Pool - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what you want to do is from this smaller pail you add about a quarter of the pail at a time. AndMoreSo what you want to do is from this smaller pail you add about a quarter of the pail at a time. And it'll sit in your skimmer basket and it'll slowly dissolve.
Is pool stabilizer the same as baking soda?
Baking soda is used to raise the total alkalinity of the pool. It isn't a stabilizer.
Is liquid stabilizer better than granular?
No Granular CYA will not harm your SWCG. Using the liquid form is just more expensive. The final result is CYA bonding with the chlorine in the pool. CYA can be raised with cyanuric acid.
Why use a pool stabilizer?
The main purpose of pool stabilizer is to keep the chlorine in your pool water from degenerating due to UV exposure. Sunlight triggers a chemical reaction with chlorine, causing it to breakdown more quickly than it normally would.
Why add stabilizer to pool?
By adding stabilizer to your pool, you’re effectively giving the chlorine a fighting chance against the sun. Think of it as a suit of armor; it still has to go into battle and will certainly get banged up, but it will last a lot longer than it would without it.
What is the term for chlorine's sanitizing power?
The term for chlorine’s sanitizing power is known as the Oxidation Reduction Potential. This potential is reduced when chlorine and pool stabilizer bond together. To put it simply, stabilized chlorine lives longer but is less powerful than it would be in its original state.
What is a good addition to an outdoor pool?
A Stable Relationship. Otherwise, it’s fair game. Pool stabilizer, pool conditioner, cyanuric acid — whatever you want to call it, is a useful addition to any outdoor pool that will keep your pool cleaner and better sanitized by extending the life of the chlorine you put in and saving you money in the long run.
What to do if your pool is creeping?
If your pool has developed “the creep”, you have two options. First, you can try just topping off your pool with some fresh water from your hose, which may be enough to solve the problem. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can also switch to non-stabilized chlorine and use pool stabilizer separately .
How long does chlorine last in a pool?
Its job is to keep the chlorine in your pool longer than it would be without help. In fact, in the presence of pool stabilizer, chlorine can last 3 to 5 times longer than without it. It should be no surprise that increasing the lifespan of chlorine is a major benefit.
Is pool stabilizer good for indoor pools?
Since indoor pools are not exposed to sunlight, the stabilizer is an unnecessary addition to your chemical soup and won’t actually do any good. The same goes for hot tubs.
Why add stabilizer to pool water?
That’s right, UV rays from the sun cause the degradation of chlorine! For this reason, pool stabilizers are recommended to be added to your water to extend the longevity of your chlorine. You may add any brand of stabilizer to your pool but use it sparingly and always according to the manufacturer’s directions.
What does chlorine do to a pool?
What Does Pool Stabilizer (Cyanuric Acid) Do? To keep your pool safe and clean, chemicals like chlorine are added into pool water to kill harmful bacteria and other microorganisms. However, active chlorine (hypochlorous acid) will more rapidly degrade when exposed to sunlight.
Does sustain energizer have stabilizer?
This is commonly referred to as overstabilization. Sustain 3-inch blue Chlorinating tablets and Sustain Energizer tablets contain no stabilizer. This way, you can establish and maintain the desired amount of it in your water without overstabilization concerns.
Do chlorination tablets contain stabilizer?
Some chlorination tablets contain stabilizer and some don’t. It is extremely important to know which you are using in your pool. One might think that having a built-in stabilizer is a good thing. A prescribed amount of stabilizer (30-50 ppm) in water works well, but if you are using a tablet that contains it, every time you chlorinate your water ...
How to add stabilizer to pool?
How to add stabilizer to your pool. Most manufacturers say to add your CYA to a bucket of warm water first and others say you can pour it directly into the pool. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations.
When to add CYA to pool?
You usually won’t have to add CYA to your pool after the initial dose at the first of the season, but sometimes it’s necessary. For example, if your pool water has been lowered for some reason (think huge pool parties with splashing kids) or if you’ve had some rainfall.
Can you put pool liner in a bucket?
I recommend always dissolving it in a bucket of water since it is an acid that can cause skin irritation or pool liner damage. Just pour the product into your bucket and pour the mixture around the edges of your pool. Never pour chemicals directly into your skimmer.
Is there a CYA reducer in pool?
This is why it’s really important to keep it balanced! There is a chemical available called a CYA Reducer but there is still a lot of debate about whether or not it works. If it’s something you’d rather try before you dilute your pool, however, there it is!
Do pool test strips include CYA?
Most of your complete pool test kits or test strips that you buy will include a test for CYA, but if not, or if you would rather purchase it separately, here are a couple I recommend:
Do you need a pool stabilizer?
If you have an outdoor pool, there's not much getting around the need for a pool stabilizer to protect your pool from chlorine loss . If you don’t use CYA, your pool’s chlorine will be almost completely gone in a couple of hours and your pool will be at risk for algae and bacteria that you just don’t want on your family.
What Is Pool Stabilizer, and What Does It Do?
Using a pool stabilizer is a necessary part of keeping your pool clean. Pool stabilizer is made from cyanuric acid (CYA). CYA slows down how quickly chlorine evaporates so that chlorine will stay in the water longer.
Do you Need to Use a Stabilizer in Your Pool?
If you have an outdoor pool or hot tub or an indoor pool or hot tub in a room with windows, it’s essential to use a stabilizer. The only time you would not need a stabilizer in your pool or hot tub is if it’s indoors in a room with no windows like some hotels have.
Types of Pool Stabilizer Explained
There are two ways to add a pool stabilizer to your pool. The first way to add a stabilizer to your pool is with a stabilized tablet, stick, or shock that contains both chlorine and CYA. The second way to add a stabilizer to your pool is as a liquid or granular additive separate from your chlorine additive.
How Much Chlorine Pool Stabilizer Should You Use?
If you don’t add enough pool stabilizer to your pool, your chlorine will start to evaporate, so it’s important to keep levels in check.
When to Use Pool Stabilizer and When Not to Use It
Even if you decide to go with stabilized chlorine, you should check CYA levels regularly to determine if it’s in the correct range and whether or not to add pool stabilizer.
How to Safely Add Pool Stabilizer
Safe handling of pool chemicals is essential for your safety. Once you’ve determined that you need more pool stabilizer, these are the steps you should follow:
Final Thoughts
If your pool or hot tub is exposed to sunlight, it’s imperative to think about what type of pool stabilizer you will need. But adding isn’t a big deal since you can buy stabilized chlorine tablets or shock, and it doesn’t often need adding as a stand-alone additive.
When Pool Stabilizer Can Cause Problems
If you use chlorine that comes in granular or tablet form, you’re not exactly out of the woods. Because you’re not manually controlling how much pool stabilizer you’re using, you can actually add too much. This will give your pool a problem called “creep,” which means that your pool stabilizer levels creep and creep up to be way too high over time.
What About Non-Chlorine Pools?
You might have noticed that I’m specifically talking about using stabilizer for chlorine pools. That’s because they’re the only swimming pool type that really needs pool stabilizer. Pools that use a different sanitizer than chlorine are in the clear.
How Much Pool Stabilizer Should I Use?
Since effective chlorine is a matter of safety, I’m turning to the authorities on health for how to nail the right levels in your pool.
How to Add Pool Stabilizer to Your Pool
You know you have to do a partial drain to decrease pool stabilizer if your levels are too high. But what about increasing pool stabilizer?
Stability, Stability, Stability
Hear that? That’s the sound of the chlorine in your water not breaking down in sunlight. You now know the lowdown on pool stabilizer, which means you can keep your levels right on the mark—and your sanitizer killing off all the bad guys it needs. Here’s to stability. Enjoy.
What is CYA in pool?
Cyanuric acid (CYA), also known as pool conditioner or stabilizer, can be bought in liquid or powder. Without it, UV rays cause chlorine to vaporize, thus making your pool susceptible to bacteria causing numerous infections. In the simplest of terms, stabilizer enables your chlorine to kill microscopic organisms and remain in the water longer, ...
Can you add stabilizer to a pool?
Read our straightforward guide on how to add stabilizer to pool with chlorine. You invest a great deal of energy to ensure your pool is clean and safe for your loved ones. This includes but not limited to testing water levels and adding chlorine. However, there is one commonly overlooked fact. The sun can spoil your disinfectant through evaporation ...
Can you use chlorine stabilizer in a hot tub?
You already know that the stabilizer acts as a sunscreen to chlorine; therefore, it only follows that you should not use this in a hot tub nor an indoor swimming pool. Furthermore, doing so leaves you vulnerable to many diseases as it takes many times longer for stabilized chlorine to eliminate bacteria.
How to stabilize a pool?
The importance of stabilizer (cyanuric acid) in a saltwater pool. 1 First, the chlorine that you generate via your salt system does not stay in the pool. 2 Second, you have to run your salt system more hours to try to make up for the lost chlorine. This causes the cell to be used up more quickly. Most salt cells have a lifespan of about 10,000 hours. 3 Third, running your salt cell longer hours, results in the creation of more and more sodium hydroxide which causes your pH to rise higher and higher.
Why is cyanuric acid important in a saltwater pool?
Here is why stabilizer is so important on a salt pool: If you don’t keep enough stabilizer in your pool, then a chain reaction takes place which is not good. First, the chlorine that you generate via your salt system does not stay in the pool.
How long does salt stay in a pool?
This causes the cell to be used up more quickly. Most salt cells have a lifespan of about 10,000 hours.
Do chlorine tablets affect pool stability?
Pools that use chlorine tablets have exactly the opposite problem because chlorine tablets are literally 50% stabilizer by weight. The result is that your stabilizer level in tablet pools rises uncontrollably and this eventually creates a strong bond with the chlorine and this reduces its effectiveness. But if you are a salt pool owner, you don’t ...
