How to Raise Cyanuric Acid in Your Pool

Need help in raising cyanuric acid levels in your pools? Let’s begin by understanding the role of cyanuric acid in pools.

Imagine you are sanitizing your outdoor pool with a chlorine tablet and half of it dissipates, leaving behind unsanitary water instead. It is because the UV rays naturally break down the chlorine without you even noticing it.

If you have a pool in areas with sunlight, you may experience rapid chlorine loss and a pungent chlorine odor. The solution is to maintain cyanuric acid levels in pools to avoid chlorine levels dropping. All pool owners must check chlorine levels and maintain a clean pool to have more peaceful sunny days.

What Is Cyanuric Acid and Why Does It Matter

Cyanuric acid (CNOH)₃, or a pool stabilizer, works by protecting your “added” chlorine from being destroyed by the sun’s exposure. It matters because it helps chlorine last longer as CYA stays in the pool for a longer period, even if the water evaporates. Since the chlorine lasts 3-5 times longer when added with a stabilizer, it also sanitizes your pool water longer.

But how much cyanuric acid is needed? The ideal CYA range is 30-50 ppm for traditional pools and 60-80 ppm for saltwater pools. A pool with low CYA levels may end up with “not enough” chlorine, no matter how much you add daily. Ultimately, ineffective chlorine will lead to potential algae growth and an unsafe swimming experience.

More CYA is necessary for saltwater pools and pools in areas with more sunlight. If you have an indoor pool without UV exposure, you don’t need any stabilizer to meet the chlorine demand.

How to Test Cyanuric Acid Levels

Since cyanuric stays in water for a long time, it needs testing before adding more stabilizer.

The process is very simple. Use a CYA-specific pool test strip and dip it in water for 30 seconds. Wait for one minute for the water to react with the reagents on the strip. Then, compare the results with the range on a strip. If the levels are not in the ideal range (30-50 ppm), adjust the water and retest.

If you are testing CYA levels with a turbidity testing kit, follow the instructions clearly and gently mix the chemical reagent into the sample water in the vessel.

CYA levels in the pool should remain constant day-to-day and must be tested weekly. If accurate readings are not generated, take the water sample to a professional pool supply store.

Signs Your Pool’s Cyanuric Acid Levels Are Too Low

How to know when your pool is having low CYA levels? If you witness symptoms like

• Rapid chlorine depletion
• unsanitary water
• bad odour
• cloudy water 
• or sometimes green water due to algae

These are all chlorine-related problems that mainly result in the absence of CYA.

Unlike free chlorine, CYA levels are usually stable. So, how come they get so low? A large splashout, using unstabilized chlorine, a heavy rainstorm, and water evaporation can cause a decline in CYA levels. If you have had to partially drain and refill the pool with fresh water, you will also have low cyanuric acid levels.

Keep on reading to learn how to raise cyanuric acid in a pool efficiently.

Two Simple Methods to Raise Cyanuric Acid Levels

There are two essential things you can do to raise cyanuric acid levels. One is to add a pool stabilizer or pool conditioner (pure cyanuric acid). The second one is to add stabilized chlorine. 

Method 1: Add Pure Cyanuric Acid (Pool Stabilizer) 

Pure CYA can be introduced into your water in either granular or liquid form. Simply do this:

1. Firstly, make sure CYA levels are lower than normal (< 30 ppm).
2. Use a CYA calculator to confirm how much is needed.
3. Pour the liquid CYA directly into the skimmer and turn on the pump cycle for 2-4 hours straight. The liquid form works in approximately 24 hours. 
4. For granular CYA, dissolve it in a plastic vessel filled with warm water. Add this slurry-type mix slowly to the skimmer. The powdered granular takes 5-7 days to dissolve. 
5. Retest the levels after 1 or 2 days.

Method 2: Use Stabilized Chlorine Products 

If you have been using unstabilized chlorine or liquid bleach, consider having products like dichlor or trichlor as part of your regular pool chemical supply. These CYA containing products gradually increase chlorine levels. You can purchase a form of stabilized chlorine in chlorine tablets, granular form, or liquid chlorine. 

Since stabilized chlorine can surge the CYA levels in no time, monitor CYA levels once a week. It is not good to use stabilized chlorine for shocking, as CYA buildup may occur. 

But before you add anything, test the water chemistry, e.g., pH (7.2-7.6), total alkalinity (80-120 ppm), and chlorine levels using testing strips.

Maintaining Balanced Cyanuric Acid Levels

Having too little or too much CYA can poorly disturb chlorine’s activity. It can result in an unhealthy pool for swimmers as chlorine would not sanitize as effectively, and water will be the perfect breeding ground for algae growth.

Water losses through splashout or backwashing may result in low CYA levels, thus requiring frequent raises. If you overuse stabilized chlorine, it will lead to high CYA levels (>100 ppm). This is another nightmare for many pool owners, as higher CYA levels are even harder to fix.

A pool that is always high in chlorine demand sets off a chain reaction affecting pH balance and total alkalinity. To overcome this and support CYA’s role, regular pool cleaning is a must.

For your consideration, investing in pool cleaning equipment will save you time and effort in cleaning pool surfaces from every corner. Let the pump run automatically to dissolve chemicals correctly. You can consider the Dreame Z1 Pro robotic cleaner for its ultra-efficient purification technologies to help you achieve the perfect water chemistry.

Mistakes to Avoid When Raising Cyanuric Acid 

If you make these mistakes, the following damage can result.

• Overusing CYA may result in expensive dilution or complete draining. More than 100 ppm levels can also reduce chlorine’s effectiveness. 
• Overusing stabilized chlorine for shocking.
• Adding the water to the CYA instead of the stabilizer to the water.
• Not testing CYA regularly may end up with a creepy buildup.
• Not checking water chemistry before adding CYA.

Conclusion

Balanced levels of cyanuric acid can keep your chlorine from being burned off too quickly by the sunlight. You can increase the CYA levels in the pool by adding pool stabilizer (pure cyanuric acid) or stabilized chlorine products (trichlor or dichlor) in any form. Cyanuric acid is still an acid, and not adding it correctly can damage your pool. 

We recommend that you test the water chemistry and monitor CYA levels weekly. To avoid chlorine problems, keep your pool clean at all times. Regular cleaning with robotic pool cleaners will save you from having to drain your pool to completely balance the water. 

Enjoy the pool season with sparkling water at ease.