Why do you need cyanuric acid in a pool?
Why Do You Need Cyanuric Acid? How Much Cyanuric Acid Should You Use? What is Cyanuric Acid? Cyanuric acid is a chemical compound that forms a weak bond with the free chlorine in the pool water, protecting it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays to reduce chlorine loss. [ source ].
Why is my pool still green after adding more chlorine?
Then one day your pool suddenly turns green so you add more chlorine but it stays green. You test the chlorine level and it is high so why is it still green? A pool can be green but have high chlorine levels when the chemicals are unbalanced.
What happens when you mix cyanuric acid with chlorine?
Cyanuric acid is sold in liquid or granule form and is sometimes combined with chlorine. In this combined state it is called stabilized chlorine. You might see it called trichlor when it’s mixed with chlorine tablets or sticks and dichlor when it’s mixed with pool shock.
How to diagnose discoloration of my Pool?
It’s still discolored. What should I do at this point to diagnose my pool's discoloration? Answer: You could be having mustard algae that appear yellow in color and not metal stain. Low chlorine encourages algae growth. As such, all you need is lots of chlorine. I prefer you to use liquid chlorine.
Why is my pool still green after I shocked it?
Algae will remain in your pool after shock if you've had insufficient chlorine and an overabundance of metal elements in the pool water. Therefore, to start the cleaning process. Remove all the debris from the pool with a leaf net and then let the smaller dirt fragments settle.
Why is my pool green but chemicals are balanced?
Algae overgrowth is the most common cause of a green pool. Algae are normally kept in balance by water circulation, natural die-off in cool weather, and appropriate chemical balance. If the water circulation or chemicals are off, algae can bloom and cause a pool to be cloudy and green.
Will Shock make a green pool clear?
Shock Your Pool with Chlorine to Kill Algae This is the main event in clearing a green pool—killing the algae. Pool shock contains a high level of chlorine that will kill the algae and sanitize the pool. For the best results, use a shock that contains at least 70% available chlorine (calcium hypochlorite).
Why is my pool green when chlorine is high?
The reason why your pool might turn green, even if you add a ton of chlorine, is because the chlorine can oxidize metals in the pool water, such as copper, iron, silver or manganese. Copper is especially prone to cause this.
How long does it take for a green pool to clear after shock?
Always run the pump when shocking the pool and allow it to circulate for 24 hours. The water should then be a blue or cloudy blue color. Test the water 24 hours after shocking and start adjusting pH and alkalinity levels. The chlorine will still be elevated, but over a few days, it should stabilize.
How long does it take to get a green pool clear?
You need to raise the level of your chlorine – shock the pool – and maintain that high level until all the algae is dead. This may take 3 to 4 days.
How do I get rid of green water in my pool fast?
0:596:33How To Clear A Green Pool FAST | Swim University - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you have a concrete pool it's best to use an algae brush algae is tough and will stubbornly cleanMoreIf you have a concrete pool it's best to use an algae brush algae is tough and will stubbornly clean to the pool's.
What happens if you put too much shock in a pool?
Although, if you overdo the shock treatment, you risk getting green hair from chlorine due to the excess chlorine oxidizing the copper in the water. You can execute a shock treatment with a few different types of pool shock, just be mindful of how much you're using.
Why does my pool turn green so fast?
The most common reason pool water turns green is due to algae growing in the water. Algae can grow rapidly, particularly in hot weather, which is why it can surprise you overnight during the warmer months. This generally comes down to an imbalance or lack of chlorine in the water.
How does cyanuric acid work?
Without getting into too much of the chemistry, cyanuric acid (CYA) works on the molecular level by attaching to 3 chlorine atoms (the free chlorine) through a weak nitrogen-chlorine bond. While the chlorine is attached to the CYA, it’s protected from sunlight. However, the weak nitrogen bond allows the chlorine to let go when it needs ...
What is CYA in pool?
Cyanuric acid (CYA) is one of the most important pool chemicals. You’ve probably heard it called “pool stabilizer” or “pool conditioner”. It comes in either liquid or granular form, but often is mixed in with chlorine tablets or sticks (also called trichlor) and in chlorine shock (called dichlor).
What is a good balance for a pool?
A good balance is a free chlorine (sanitizer) level that’s 7.5% of your CYA (stabilizer). For example, if you have a 50 ppm stabilizer level, your sanitizer should be about 3 ppm. The actual amount you add to the pool will depend on the volume of water and amount of chlorine in your pool. For every 10,000 gallons, ...
What keeps people from having a pool?
The number one thing that keeps people from having a pool (beyond cost) is keeping the chemicals balanced . It’s not an easy task, but with consistent testing and an understanding of how each chemical works with the others, it’s easier to keep them in check. Cyanuric acid (CYA) is one of the most important pool chemicals.
How long does it take for chlorine to break down in a pool?
The sun’s UV rays break down chlorine at an alarming rate. Within 2 hours, sunlight can actually destroy 75 – 90% of your pool’s chlorine. When in direct sunlight, the half-life of chlorine is a measly 45 minutes (meaning 50% of it is gone within 45 minutes). As you well know, chlorine is essential to the hygiene of your pool.
How long does it take for a crypto to kill?
Fecal matter can carry a lot of other pathogens too, but crypto is more resistant to chlorine than other pathogens are. It can take up to 12 hours for a 20 ppm chlorine level to kill it.
Can you add CYA to a pool pump?
For safety’s sake, wear gloves and goggles when you mix it. You can often add CYA solution or even undiluted CYA to the skimmer which will allow the pool pump to do all the mixing.
What is CYA in swimming pool?
Cyanuric Acid (CYA) is the chemical name for what is commonly referred to as Stabilizer or Conditioner. It helps to protect available Free Chlorine from the sun while also serving as a buffer to protect the swimmers from chlorine. Accurate testing of the CYA level is absolutely critical to proper pool care and is the one test ...
How to check CYA level?
If your CYA level is 90 or higher, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:#N#Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.#N#Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.#N#Shake briefly to mix.#N#Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.#N#Continue the test normally from step 2, but multiply the final result by two. 1 Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water. 2 Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water. 3 Shake briefly to mix. 4 Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark. 5 Continue the test normally from step 2, but multiply the final result by two.
Can you use R-0013 with pool water?
If you are using the large view tube and know that your CYA level is at least 50, you can use half as much pool water and half as much R-0013 to save on reagent. R-0013 contains melamine, which binds to cyanuric acid, forming the white precipitate which turns the sample cloudy.
Can you test for CYA with murky water?
Very rarely, cloudy or murky water can affect the CYA test. To check for this, fill the view tube with straight pool water. If you can still see the black dot clearly, the cloudy/murky water is not affecting the test result. View tubes and mixing bottles come in two common sizes.
What is the best chemical to use in a pool?
Cyanuric acid is an effective chemical many pool owners use in order to keep their chlorine functioning as it should. But it’s important to know how and when to use it.
Why does chlorine kill sanitizer in pools?
The heat from the sun also plays an important part in this process. Because heat causes bacteria to grow faster, your pool uses more of its chlorine to kill it . So, sunny days with high temps can zap your pool’s sanitizer levels almost as fast as you can pour the stuff in. That’s where CYA comes in.
What is the chemical compound that protects chlorine from the sun?
Cyanuric acid is a chemical compound that forms a weak bond with the free chlorine in the pool water, protecting it from the sun’s ultraviolet rays to reduce chlorine loss. [ source ]. This chemical compound is called triazine and is composed of 3 carbon and 3 nitrogen atoms. Another derivative of the compound is melamine, ...
What to do when CYA is too high?
Also, when CYA is too high, there’s not much you can do to decrease it except to dilute it. And to do this, you’ll need to drain some of the water from the pool and add more, which is time-consuming and wasteful. Not the ideal way to spend your Sunday. The moral of the story: a little CYA goes a long way.
How to lower CYA?
So, there are a couple of other options you can use to lower your CYA levels. One is to wait for a big rain. If you live in an area that gets frequent rainfall, you’re in luck. One or two big rains will probably bring that level down pretty quickly. The second thing you can do is purchase a cyanuric acid reducer.
Can you use chlorine tablets with a CYA level of 30?
In other words, if your CYA levels are between 30-50 ppm, you’ll only add straight chlorine instead of the tablets. This will help you avoid adding too much of the acid.
Is cyanuric acid granular or liquid?
Cyanuric acid (CYA) is sold both in liquid and granular form, and some products even have it mixed right in. Trichlor and dichlor both contain CYA to stabilize the chlorine, which kind of helps take the guesswork out of how much to use.
6 Reasons Your Pool is Still Green After Shock
Pool shocking requires you to perform breaking point chlorination, meaning you have to add enough chlorine to break the molecular bonds of contaminants like algae and bacteria.
Bottom Line
It can be disheartening to find that your water still looks green after all the energy and time you spend shocking. However, if you can identify the reason, the problem is easy to fix.
How much does a 10ppm chlorine increase CYA?
For every 10ppm of chlorine using Dichlor, your CYA will increase by 9ppm. For every 10ppm chlorine using Trichlor tabs your CYA will increase by 6ppm. Your Chlorine should be at least 7.5% of your CYA level and the normal CYA range is 30 - 50ppm.
How to reduce CYA?
When the CYA gets this high the only way to reduce it is a partial drain and refill. There's no chemical to reduce the CYA. If your CYA is at 100ppm, and the range is 30 - 50ppm, then by draining 1/2 of the water and refilling it you'll drop the CYA to 50ppm. The first thing to do is remove any chlorine tabs.
Can you use liquid chlorine in a pool?
You can use those to chlorinate your pool. If you have hard fill water, use liquid chlorine because you don't want to add more hardness to your pool water. Hard fill water is anything over 100ppm. Unfortunately there's no chemical to lower the CYA.
How can there be plenty of chlorine but pool still green?
Most pool owners know that chlorine kills algae so it doesn’t make sense to them that if there is plenty of chlorine that their pool is still green. Although this may be true there are a number of reasons why the chlorine that is in the pool may not be able to work.
What to test for when your pool is green but chlorine is high
Knowing how much chlorine you have in the pool is relatively easy to test using a good test kit or strip. Make sure that your test strips not only check the total chlorine but also the free chlorine.
How do you treat a pool that is still green with high chlorine?
Once you have worked out why the chlorine is high but not working and then used the methods above to correct it, you can move on to actually getting rid of the algae.
Pool Maintenance Course
When I first bought my house with a swimming pool I knew nothing about how to clean and maintain it. I was recommended Swim University’s Pool Care Handbook and video course so I bought it and have never regretted it.
Conclusion
Your pool will be green even with high chlorine when the chlorine is prevented from working. You need to work out why the chlorine is not available to kill the algae and then take steps to correct it.
FAQs
Your pool is probably still green even after adding chlorine because you have too little free chlorine, the pH of your water is incorrect or you could have high phosphate levels.
Why is my pool turning green?
Well water is notorious for having high copper levels, so your pool will be more susceptible to turning green if this is where you get your water from. Copper is a metal prone to oxidation (just look at the The Statue of Liberty).
What does it mean when your pool water turns green?
Your Chemistry Is Still Out Of Whack. Assuming your water was green, then restored, and then went back to green, that’s a strong indication you’re having issues with your pool water chemistry. Water testing and staying on top of the appropriate chemicals will be needed to balance the water, including:
How to get rid of pollen in pool?
Pollen floats around in the water, so it’s easy enough to remove by skimming, filtering, and brushing your pool clean. In some cases it can be stubborn, so you may have to bust out a pool vacuum and perform this cleaning ritual a few times to remove every speck.
Why is my pool water green?
Copper especially can make pool water turn green as soon as chlorine is added due to the oxidation reaction between the two.
What is the minimum chlorine level for a pool?
The minimum level of chlorine should be 1.0 ppm, with 3.0 being the top end.
Can you vacuum a pool?
You Didn’t Vacuum Thoroughly. While you don’t want to just stick a pool vacuum in a toxic swimming pool and hope for the best, it does have its place when trying to restore a pool. Vacuuming is one of the last parts of the cleaning regimen, after skimming, brushing and running the filter.
Can you see the floor in a pool?
If you can still see the floor in the shallow end of the pool, it may have a fighting chance. Run the filter non-stop, brush and shock like there’s no tomorrow, and endlessly test and balance your water. However, you also have to consider if your pool filter can handle the job.
Why is my pool green after adding chlorine?
Lo - Chlor. Copper is one of the most common heavy metals found in a swimming pool , and often the reason your pool turned green after adding chlorine.
Why is my pool turning brown?
Iron reacts with chlorine to form iron III chloride, which is reddish in color. This is why your pool may turn to brown or rusty color when chlorine is added. 3. Using Metal Pipes and Pool Parts. During the construction of a swimming pool, copper, iron, silver, or any metal may be used in pipes and heaters.
How to remove metal stains from pool?
Steps for Clearing Metal Stains in your Pool 1 Get your free chlorine to 0.0 ppm by not adding more chlorine. This might take a few hours or days depending on the level of FC in your water. 2 Add in the Swim's Polyquat 60 Algaecide after getting the chlorine to 0.0 ppm to prevent algae from growing in your pool during the process that might take a few days. Polyquat 60 or 60 Plus is the best algaecide for swimming pools, because it introduces no copper in your water and is also very effective in preventing algae. 3 Get your pH to 7.2 using pH minus. 4 Put your filter on circulation and add 1 pound of ascorbic acid for every 10,000 gallons of water in your pool to get stains away within 24 hours. 5 Get the pH back using pH Plus. Then raise the TA using an alkalinity increaser, since ascorbic acid will reduce both. 6 Add chlorine to raise your FC to around 3 to 4 ppm.
How to get a pool to 7.2?
Get your pH to 7.2 using pH minus. Put your filter on circulation and add 1 pound of ascorbic acid for every 10,000 gallons of water in your pool to get stains away within 24 hours. Get the pH back using pH Plus. Then raise the TA using an alkalinity increaser, since ascorbic acid will reduce both.
What color does copper turn?
Copper turns to a light green color when oxidized by chlorine inside your pool. Other metals you may find in your pool—especially when using well water—are silver that turns to black, iron that turns brown/rust, and manganese and magnesium that turn to purple when chlorine is added to pool water with compounds of these heavy metals.
Why does my pool water discolor?
It could instead be because of heavy metal presence in your water that is causing metal stains.
What metals are in a pool?
Heavy Metals. When heavy metals including copper, iron, silver, manganese, and magnesium are oxidized by chlorine inside your swimming pool, pool parts and water will turn to different metal stain colors and some of the colors are similar to those of pool algae (green and black), especially when just starting to grow.