How to Use Cyanuric Acid in a Swimming Pool

Cyanuric acid is a chlorine stabilizer for pool water. Use cyanuric acid in a swimming pool to keep needed chlorine from escaping due to the ultraviolet affects of the sun. Although cyanuric acid does not keep this from happening entirely, it will prohibit the breaking down of chlorine in your pool significantly, which is the cause of loss.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Note that pool supply vendors may refer to cyanuric acid by another name. Know the common alternate terminology used, such as CYA, conditioner or isocyanurates. Buy any of these to use cyanuric acid in a swimming pool. Keep in mind that dichlor and trichlor are types of chlorine pool treatments that automatically release cyanuric acid into pool, so it’s not necessary to add additional cyanuric acid when using these solid chlorine compounds for disinfecting your pool.

2. Keep costs down. Use cyanuric acid in a swimming pool to not only reduce chlorine loss, but also to reduce the cost of chemical disinfectants used. Manage small outdoor pools economically with cyanuric acid by reducing the amount of chlorine you need to buy and add for minimum maintenance and care. Remember that larger or commercial pools with bigger swim loads require more management and maintenance than a private or home pool.

3. Add as much as 30-50 ppm of cyanuric acid to swimming pool water. Follow this recommended amount by suppliers for appropriate levels and usefulness. Keep from going above 50 ppm to get the full cost benefit, and know that some pool experts recommend even less than 30 ppm to use cyanuric acid in a swimming pool.

Tips & Warnings

• To calculate how much cyanuric acid to add to your swimming pool you will need to multiply the volume (in liters) of your pool by 225 and divide that number by 10,000. This will give you the number of grams to add for a 30 parts per million concentration. If you want a 50 parts per million concentration you will multiply the volume (in liters) of your pool by 375 and divide it by 10,000.
• Test your cyanuric acid levels about once a month. Depending on the brand of cyanuric acid you use, you will either need to dilute the chemical powder in water and then pour it into your pool, or you will add the chemical directly to your pool water.