Cyanuric Acid - What You Need To Know
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- In this video I'll tell you what you need to know about Cyanuric Acid
What names it goes by - What it does for your pool water - How to test the level of it in your pool and How to adjust the level of Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in your pool water.
Hope you’ll subscribe to my channel and also, please check out my website poolschooler.com for exclusive DIY pool maintenance tools and more direct and priority communication with my for your pool maintenance needs.
As I said in this video here's are links to:
My video on Total Dissolved Solids: • Total Dissolved Solids
Where you can purchase the Aquachek 7 in 1 Test Strips: www.amazon.com...
Thanks for watching
DIY Pool Care
I just bought a house in Texas with a pool and the cya is way too high. Can't get a reading for chlorine at all. Algea won't stop growing so I have no choice but to drain the pool and refill. The pool guy that came over to teach me, said it was a must for my pool right now. I sure hope I don't ruin my pool! So far I have been draining about 20 hours with a few more hours to go!
At the beginning of the season, if CYA is low, I will buy a small bucket of tabs and use those for a few weeks. It will raise the CYA. When it gets close to 50, I switch to liquid chlorine.
instaBlaster
Correct. The only advice needed on this topic right here.
This is what I'm planning to do as well. My CYA is 5 right now, so I bought a few tabs with stabilizer, will see what it's like in a few weeks. Never going back to Leslie's tabs on full time basis.
I recently had a VERY HIGH CYA reading during a drought and had to wait quite awhile before I was able to drain/refill and i've been cautious about my CYA levels since the refill. I agree with your approach -- I think liquid chlorine is the best way to go if you self-service your pool and a regular basis but can kickstart the CYA with tablets at the start
Great video.. Having owned an inground pool for more the 30 years I am pretty sure that the "IDEAL" mark on the strips refer to 30-50 and not the entire 30-100 range. Note the position of the word "IDEAL".. I have always tried to stay within the 30-50 range. Most all the chlorinated chemicals, granular and pucks contain CYA even though it may not say so on the container. I found out the hard way by purchasing 50# of granular on line and no where in the discription or on the container is there a reference to CYA or Stabilizer in the product. It might be a pain in the butt but, once you are at the correct level your best bet is to chlorinate with liquid bleach. Nothing wrong with using pucks or granular but pay close attention to the CYA level as it will definitely build up (increase) in as short as 2-3 months. Another issue is some people will shock their pool using alot of granular chlorine. To shock properly you have to maintain a very high FC count of a few days. If you use anything with stabilizer in it you will be running into trouble due to the quick increase of CYA. To be safe, always shock a pool with liquid chlorine. As previously noted, once your levels are high, the only solution is to drain some water out, at least 20% depending on your levels and add fresh water.
I live in Florida. The sun is eating through the chlorine. I check it in the morning and it has the ideal amount. Once the sun comes down, it's almost non existent. I was told to use a conditioner. But the ONLY pool store near me never gives me good advice. I'm glad I came across this video. Thanks hopefully this will help.
same problem here in Fl, good video.
I live in Florida and my chlorine is a battle to keep it where it needs to be,I use liquid chlorine and shock when needed.
This is very helpful advice to a new pool owner that’s made all the mistakes. Summer is just kicking off here and couldn’t figure out why my chlorine levels were stuck. CYA is the culprit.
Glad to be of help. Hope you subscribed and please check out my new member website www.poolschooler.com.
I moved here to AZ in 2000. I have a 10K gal plaster play pool. The brain trust at Leslie's told me to use ChlorBrite as my shock. My CYA was always high. So for 19 years, I have been using it and have been draining my pool every few years. I went to a different Leslie's and they asked why I was using ChlorBrite? Because you guys have been telling me to. Now, remember, when I take a water sample in to test, they have all my pool info in their database. The guy said that I should be using the Power Powder Plus. I was like, don't you guys know WTH you're doing??? One says this, one says that lol Thanks for your videos, you have really helped me more than those "experts" ever have. Now my CYA is perfect and I don't worry about it anymore.
Hi Thanks for your video. I have been a pool technician in Arizona for 20 plus years from my personal experience I can say that it is best to start with a CYA level around 50 ppm thats kind like the sweet spot level once you reach the levels of 100ppm or above I would recommend to plan to have the pool drain.if you use stabilize chlorine on regular basis you will have to drain every 2 to 3 years Please do not wait till summer time to have it done
I always thought it strange that the vast majority of pool people here use tablets year around. I use liquid chlorine exclusively from about mid to late October till about mid to late March. Thanks for warning about the "armchair pool chemical experts", some commission based, that are ever lurking in the retail pool stores!! When I moved here from LA, I thought that I had entered the "swimming pool dark ages" when I saw the plethora of sand filters, and especially, my shock when the largest pool builder here in Arizona was installing Swimquip HRP ( the one with the 32 nuts and bolts), sand filters on new pool installs!!! Great concise, and informative video!!
Thank you for specifying that CYA also goes by the name of stabilizer or conditioner. I asked the question on a couple other sites and never got an answer on what it was. My test strip shows stabilizer at the bottom and now I know I need to add this. My next question, I cleaned out the debris, put in algaecide, shocked, and clarified. The water was cloudy but I could almost see the bottom after 4 days. The chlorine was almost non existent so I added. Chlorine levels came up to ideal, but the water turned green. Now what?
Great video! Very helpful. As a first time home owner it wasn't until recently that I realized it was the 3" chlorine pucks that was raising my CYA. Now I've switched to Liquid chlorine which doesn't effect the CYA at all. Thanks for the tips!
Glad to help
I'm going through the same thing. Good to know. How often are you adding chlorine in liquid form?
A guy at Leslie's said those pucks were "death" !!!
Thank you soooooooo much for this!! My local pool retailer said my CYA was at 130 and they said I should drain the pool and they "could help". You saved me from being fleeced!!
So glad it was helpful. Hope you subscribed.
Thank you! I am starting working with pools now and I’ve been feeling a little lost when I get to deal with chemicals. You saved my life with these classes. Haha
Very good channel
learned a tons..... pool in Pahrump is tough
Simple and clear thanks for making these videos very helpful!
LEGO Building you’re welcome. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for this information. I just hired (May 2022) a new pool chemical service company and they said my CYA was around 100. They suggested that I drain about half the water and refill. Since I'm in California and there are issues with lack of water I decided not to. I have been doing research and found your video. Also, it is getting hot, and I don't want to drain now since you said the heat could damage my micro pebble tech. Thanks again.
My pleasure. Yes, 100 is not high enough to really merit replacing the water. Most of my pools can go up to 300ppm before I suggest changing water. We live in AZ and water is valued.
Thank you. We’ve been having issues with chlorination being too low. Our stabilizer was well under 30. I’ve been adding 1/2-1 cup at a time to our above ground pool with approximately 8000 gallons. We were at 28 with our last test, so we should be in the proper range now. I’ll have it tested again next week.
Sounds good. You may want to check out my new member website poolschooler.com I have some really great checklists to make DIY pool maintenance easier than ever. And please do subscribe.
I recently bought a house with an in ground ~15,000 pool. My CYA was 169. Research and recommendations said to partially drain and add water to dilute the CYA. It dropped to 105. I’ll retry in a few months.
Honestly in my opinion (especially with all the drought conditions around the US.) most of the pools I've serviced both for my own business and when I worked for other companies didn't really worry too much about the CYA levels until they got near 300ppm. If you want to avoid adding CYA to your pool stay away from 'STABILIZED" chlorine, (granular or tablets) and use liquid chlorine. BUT NOTE YOU WILL HAVE TO TEST AND PROBABLY ADD LIQUID CHLORINE DAILY SINCE IT NOT ONLY MIXES IN FASTER BUT EVAPORATES QUICKER AS WELL.
If your cya is constantly low that means your pool is leaking. The only way to get rid of high cya is to drain. The cya reducer crap doesn't work. Sometimes a partial drain can work to lower cya. Just make sure you drain enough or you're back to square one. Along with testing cya also check water hardness. Usually both will be high. Time to drain. This means the water is old and saturated. The chlorine can't kill effectively. I'm in California. The water is very hard here. " high in calcium"
I’m in SoCal also...what’s the difference between cya and muriatic acid?
Btw I have a salt water pool.
@@IMS0504 CYA is cyanuric acid and doesn't lower ph. Muriatic acid is different and it does lower ph. Sorry I'm not a chemist so thats about all I can offer.
@@IMS0504 cya is added to new water after filling the pool. Or added on a regular basis to leaky pools. It stays in the water until its drained out or leaks out. It's like a sunscreen for your chlorine. Without it the sun will kill your chlorine in no time. Especially in hot climates. Muriatic acid is used to lower the p.h. salt water pools tend to run high in ph so you will probably use it quite a bit from time to time
bsizzle Hill got it. Our pool builder told us to use muriatic acid and never made mention of cua that’s why I was asking. The this is, the testing strip or the test kit doesn’t provide a reading for muriatic acid. I’ve been using the cya reading to keep a tab on my muriatic acid.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, you make this so easy to understand and care for my salt water pool.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting. Please subscribe and share.
You are seriously the best
Thank you
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! YOU'RE A GREAT TEACHER & EXPLAIN EVERYTHING VERY CLEARLY.
Allie Skoufis thank you for your kind comment. I’m happy this video was helpful.
This 17+ minute video is done better by others in about 4 minutes. Good for people who can't grasp concepts quickly and need things repeated several times in the same conversation.
Tim Brown Thank you so much for the kind comment. I truly appreciate it
Depends on the brand of tablets. I have noticed that Leslie pool tablets have an extreme amount of CYA in their tables. I was having to empty my pool at the beginning of every season. Never added any stabilizer. Until I changed brands and haven’t had a problem.
Thanks Chris, That's great to hear. I'm not really a fan of Leslies either. Thanks for sharing that info. I hope you subscribed and shared my channel.
Also, have you checked out my new membership website for the DIY pool owner? Poolschooler.com
It varies slightly but generally CYA should be about 45 to 70. over 75 or 80 and you wind up with abundant Cl2 but it is inhibited from any reaction. I have seen countless green pools with 5 to 15 ppm Cl2 because the cyanuric was too high. Lets say its 90, then you need to drain about a third of your pool to get in to around 60. Long dry spells without rain are the usual causes of high cya levels. This is usually only a problem with freshwater pools and not saltwater. The tablets people us are impregnated with small doses of cya so DO NOT load your chlorinator with tabs, one per week is usually enough. With long dry spells high cya is pretty much inevitable unless you backwash your pool for several minutes each week to introduce fresh water.
I've learned so much from your videos. Thank you!!
I am delighted to hear that. Thank you for watching and thank you for commenting. I hope you will subscribe to my channel and share it with others.
Thank you so much for your content! I know this is old, but I just started in this industry and got thrown into the deep end after 3 days of "training" and this has been so informative! only thing i ask is about having a liquid form of cya. our company has it and i'd like to know the safety precautions around it. I've been using lotions to try and help my hands not dry out and crack and blister, but it only slightly helps.
I'm surprised most videos recommend just 'drain' your pool if the Cyanuric Acid is too high. This is very risky for a number of reasons (Vinyl liners can wrinkle, cement cracks, pools float of of the ground, etc). Probably safer to drain about a foot below the skimmer and refill with fresh. May take several cycles, but safer in the end.
I'm glad you sad this bc I'm a first season above ground pool owner and when I closed it they said keep some water in so don't collapse...so it seemed the same for draining for high CYA which is why I'm here....haha
Who said to drain the whole pool? Partial will do the trick.
Around the 16:20 mark 'drain and refill'. I'm just trying to warn about the dangers of a complete pool drain.
Opens new pool added almost 2 lbs watches video after lol it is a freshly filled pool hope that works out full sun exposure.
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching.
Kenny thank you for the video liked and shared.👍👍👍👍
Thank you Lou, I appreciate it,
Hi Kenny
Just found you on utube. Thank you so very much for being so clear on the use of CYA. Can you do a video on how to care for a Pebble Tech finish pool? I just retired and I really cant afford the pool service any longer. I am so worried that i will damage the pool. Would you be willing to advice and give a lesson. please !
Pebble tech service is pretty much the same as a plaster pool. The pebble tech is actually more durable. Check out my membership website poolschooler.com
If you add stabilizer to the skimmer, I read it could take couple days to register on the test strip so checking it again after two hours may not give you correct reading and if you add more it may take it in the high range
Glad to read this! It’s been about 15 hours My reading is 0?
I need the video on starting up a pool because I need to drain my pool in the Fall. We have well water that has a lot of minerals in it. We are going to get filters to go on the hoses to reduce the TDS next time.
Sounds good. Here's a link to the start up video: ua-cam.com/video/1a4a2PGQc5E/v-deo.html
@@PoolSchooler Thank you!
Thank you, you're a lifesaver.
Hope you’ll subscribe and share.
I have an above ground bestway 15x42 and the pool store told me to mix the cya with pool water and pour it around the edges of the pool…however I keep hearing it can eat the liner of your pool since it isn’t dissolved all of the way.. I hope I didn’t do it wrong I’m new at this and it’s really confusing.
Another great Video from Pool School. Thank you, Subscribed
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Thank you for the information.
Thanks for watching and commenting. I hope you’ll subscribe to my channel and share it with everyone you know who owns a pool.
So I just filled my pool up and the thing told me to put 8lbs into my skimmer sifting so I am glad I watched this because just drained my diving pool and filled it up and it’s at 5 ppm
Im glad too. The biggest mistake people make with new water is adding too much CYA then they're back to square one. Add only 1lb at a time, with system running. Test in 2 hours repeat until your CYA is at the "low" end of the ideal range. Hope you'll subscribe to my channel.
@@PoolSchooler I have definitely subscribed and clicked the notification bell 😊 I also like that you are in Arizona so we have that in common
@@trueskatewithsam5275 Awesome. Thanks.
Great Video Tutorial! Thank you...
So glad you found it helpful. Hope you'll subscribe to and share my channel.
I just converted my spa to a salt water system. I noticed the cya is almost none but chlorine levels are fine. Do I need to add cya to salt water system?
Mahalo Nui for your help.
Saltwater pools can also require stabilizer (cyanuric acid) to help stop the sun's UV rays from breaking down free chlorine in the pool. Usual levels are 20 - 50 ppm. They also require the pH to be kept between 7.2 and 7.8 with the chlorine being more effective if the pH is kept closer to 7.2.
@@PoolSchooler Mahalo Nui.
Another question. What if the hot tub is always covered and out of any sun? Do you still need cya/conditioner salt level?
@@kalinamckee-koa-puna-kona here's what I found online: If you have an indoor pool that is not exposed to sunlight, you do not need to use CYA. Cyanuric acid does not evaporate like other chemicals and too much CYA in the water can inhibit your chlorine's ability as a sanitizer. Aloha.
@@PoolSchooler Mahalo a me ka Mahalo Mau!
Super helpful! Thank you!
Glad it's helpful.
I’ve always kept my cya low. I shock my pool 1x/week and it stays crystal clear. I also empty the basket and scoop leaves 1x/day. I feel like the shock works better and clears the pool faster with little cya?
Typically, CYA has an ideal range the low end starting at 30 ppm. I think as long as you keep it in the ideal range it really shouldn’t make that much of a difference. But if you’re experience, tells you otherwise then I’d stick with what’s working for you
I just moved into a house with a 10,000 gaI pool and have been getting constant 0 readings on CYA so I chucked a 4 lb bag in.
I check it today with some test strips, and it seems to be just between 50 and 100. It’s not quite dark enough for 100 and it’s not quite light enough for 50. Should I leave it alone? Am I good or should I drain it later in the year?
I replied to your email regarding this. DON'T ADD MORE you're already a bit too high. Ideal range to begin with is 30-100ppm. But read over my email response.
I was told to stopmusing chlorine tabs in chlorinator cause tabs have chem compounds that hold chlorine product together
My cya is high 300ppm I live in Central texas currently temps are ranging 80-90° would it be ok to partially drain the pool to help lower my cya? I'm scared to drain my pool as I've heard of so many horror stories! But the water is 5yrs old. What is you take?
You're right to be concerned during the hot months. Draining your pool then could dry out the plaster too quickly and cause cracks. Yes, I'd probably drain half of it and refill (do it as the sun sets (you should be able to drain 1/2 with a high flow submersible pump) and have it refilled before the next day. That'll at least get you through the summer then when the weather cools down again you can do a full drain and refill. JUST MAKE SURE WHEN YOU DO THAT FULL DRAIN AND RESTART UP YOU DON'T ADD TOO MUCH CYA TO BEGIN WITH.
Lorrisa Jimenez I’m also in central texas, my water is lees than a year old and i have high CYA, 180... interested in your results
Great vid bro thanks. Explained well sir thanks🤙
Thanks for watching. Don't forget to subscribe and share.
On the bag it says to run the pump for 48 hours after adding Cyanuric Acid. What do you recommend? I love your videos. They are so informative. Thank you!
Typically, I always recommend following the manufacturers instructions for best results. Typically, I will tell my clients to run the pool for at least eight hours after adding the CYA to help dissolve it and also to distribute it in the pool. But again, if it gives you peace of mind to follow the manufactures instructions, that would probably be best
@@PoolSchooler Thank you for your quick reply. I think I would go with your recommendation. I love your informative channel!
@@sturkfeld i appreciate it. Hope you’ll subscribe to my channel and share it with your friends.
Thanks for your help..you make great videos! can you recommend a certain brand or company of CYA that you like to use?
anonymsangel cyanuric acid / stabilizer is pretty much the same. The best deal I’ve seen is a 4lb bag at Walmart for $14!
Thank you so much! I have been struggling to keep my chlorine levels up. I added a total of 8 lbs of CYA to my 22,000 gallon pool a few days ago by adding it directly into the skimmer little by little and my reading is still low based on the test strips. What should I do? How long should I wait before adding more?
Use the calculator on this link. It should help you: poolchemicalcalculator.com/Pool-Stabilizer-Calculator.html
@@JE-gx2xc Sorry you feel that way. I've had wonderful results with them as have so many of my subscribers. BUT if you prefer the liquid test kits that's ok too.
We have the same issue. We have a 31,000 gallon salt water pool, and our CYA is always low on the strips -- we've tried the pro version as well. I recently purchased a pro test kit with reagents, and it verified our super low CYA levels. I highly recommend the liquid test kits due to accuracy, at least a CYA test kit since the strips do pretty well for other tests.
I love your videos , I live in southern California I have a 10,000 gallon pool and spa , my CYA is at 38 the chart says that's good , but would it help to bring it a bit higher ?
Google "CYA Chlorine chart". Your CYA levels actually dictate the minimum amount of chlorine you need for it to be effective. I would aim for 30. Mine is 90 ppm, which requires a chlorine level of 7-10. This can be costly. Once you start running up your CYA, switch to liquid bleach until you have some natural CYA degradation.
When's the best time/season to drain the pool for having high CYA
@@alejandrov932 typically anytime after the temperatures start cooling off, probably in the fall to spring. Do you wanna make sure the outside air temperature doesn’t go above 85°F anytime of the day
Sorry, but recommended levels of CYA is wrong. 25 ppm does the job. Above 50 ppm disinfection of free chlorine is to low within recommended levels. At 100 ppm CYA you need at least 7,5ppm Free Available Chlorine.
Ideal levels is 30-50. 75ppm for a saltwater pool.
Thanks brother very interesting and informative, dont trust those dipper strips one bit! I use a photo metre and it has way different readings to the strips(not your brand)that i was currently using.
I'm glad you found something that works for you and you are comfortable with.
Question copper sulfate is algaecide then you put metal out I know some one who makes his own algaecide this lady said she puts copper pennies in a net on her pool steps and her pool stays clear another man said he puts 2 table sponges of copper sulphate on a piece of panty hose and puts it in the floater with the 3inch tablets what do you think
@@yvonneberry8540 Hard for me to comment on that since I have no experience with doing that. Sorry.
Hi! I really appreciate your intelligent videos on pool maintenance. I was wondering about your thoughts on swimming pool equipment automation? I have had my share of issues with an older Jandy system and now most of what I do is manual control. Anyway, thanks and keep up the great work.
I'm a bit old school on this subject. When I was younger and the new cars started coming out with power windows, door locks etc. My dad and mom used to say "just more things to break down". And that pretty much sums up my thoughts on pool equipment automation. And I have had that experience with it as well. The more automatic valves and controls you have the more that can break down. For sure it's convenient while they function properly, but rest assured they will break down over time and typically when you least want them to.
I worry about draining my inground pool because I've heard horror stories about pools lifting out of the ground. We have a large pond at the bottom of our garden and I'm concerned about water actually under the pool.
Also from what I've been reading CYA can take days to dissolve not hours.
I've heard stories about that too but all the people I've worked for and my personal experience I've never encountered it.
I have a question ? My pool is a salt pool, how can I get the alkalinity down? I tried the PH & Alkalinity dose that you recommend and I really did not succeed? May be I did not add enough, muriatic acid ! Thanks for your response and the great information you provide!
This video should help: ua-cam.com/video/60J-OcocMPo/v-deo.html
Just to add, for people that have a vinyl liner pool like I do, do not go below 12" in the shallow end of the pool when draining water. My pool is 3' in the shallow end, and 9' in the deep end. If you go any further than that, you run the risk of the liner either pulling out of the bead on the side of the pool, or God forbid, the liner rips, which means a costly liner replacement.
If my CYA levels are perfect, should I switch to liquid chlorine to prevent adding more CYA through the 3” tablets that I typically use?
Marc Abbaticchio yup could if you’re really concerned about the stabilizer in the Tablets. You will probably have to add the liquid chlorine more often than once a week tho. Since is tends to dissipate more quickly. Which also means testing your pool water more often that once a week.
Why am I being told to add CYA because my chlorine is too high?
Thank you
Not sure why you’re being told that. But certain tool supply stores are not my favorites if your chlorine levels are too high the simple way to stop that is to stop adding so much chlorine.
Thanks for the video👌
Thank you for your videos, so helpful! I live in California and I am new to pool maintenance. Could you please explain if we need both muriatic acid and cyanic acid to maintain the water or only of them.
Muriatic Acid is used to lower the pH of your pool water. Cyanuric Acid is a conditional (sort of like a sunscreen) for your water that allows your water to hold chlorine. Too little or too much and it won't hold the chlorine as well. Hope that helps. And please do subscribe.
@@PoolSchooler thank you so much
@@maryamaghabozorgi3927 Youre welcome
Just a curiosity question. If you need to reduce your cya levels could you just do a partial drain and fill? Wouldn't that dilute the level enough to bring it back into the correct range? Again just a question of curiosity.
I believe you are correct, by draining and refilling you will be lowering your CYA, thats the only way to reduce it.
It's proportionate, so if you drain 25% and refill, you will lower your CYA by 25%.
yes...that will work
Absolutely you can. I have people do it all the time out here. Saves on water.
I have a pool route.... sometimes its not easy lol
So opening a green nasty pool - Do you check chemicals 1st - OR start with shocking cleaning first Then check chemical levels ?
I would treat it like a green pool I did a video on that here’s a link I think if you follow these instructions on this video that would be the best. ua-cam.com/video/mA8BoMe7IVM/v-deo.html
Hi great video! Very helpfull! My problem is i keep adding cya and it keeps showing up low! Is there anything i can do? Thank you in advance
Google it. Lol
Get the PH levels right first, then it should give an accurate CYA reading.
Will cyanuric acid lose effectiveness over time? Let's say I just stop using tablets once my water hits 50 ppm will those CYA continue to work as a stabilizer indefinitely until I drain my pool?
Typically cya once in pool water won't lose it's potency, BUT because new water is being added to a pool (usually daily due to evaporation), it will dilute the concentration of it. So if you're concerned about the CYA level you can always test it once a month just to make sure it doesn't drop too low.
Hi, I love all your videos & have subscribed to your chanel. Im having a little issue. I have an inground fibreglass pool that holds 26,000 litres of water. Im getting ready to open the pool for summer. I do use the Aquacheck 7 Silver test strips & I have got all the chemicals to the ok or ideal range except the Cyranic acid. I have put in 1kilo or 2.2 lbs of Cyranic acid in 500gram increments over the last week & I test it everyday & the color does not change it still stays at the lowest square saying low. Can you shed any light on this please?🙏
Typically I tell people to add the cyanuric acid 1 pound at a time and test after two hours of filter, running and add more if needed. Are you adding the cyanuric acid to your skimmer basket while the pump is running? That is the best way to distribute it.
Is it unusual for my pool test to read high CYA when I haven’t even added it to the pool yet?
To clarify, are you saying is it unusual for your pool to test high for CYA with brand new fresh water in it? If so, the answer would be yes. But if you’ve been using granular chlorine and/or chlorine tablets for any length of time those contain CYA in them, and that could be raising the level
I'm wanting my chlorine levels to go down they are high so I'm stopping chlorine and adding no stabilizer at all. Is that okay. Also I'm having a hard time figuring the math for our pool its 1400 gallons a small pool. And its just difficult. I use the clorox 6 in 1. And it tests for hardness, total and free chlorine, stabilizer, alkalinity,and ph.. I will be adding it though when the chlorine drops to where i want it. Also is adding an algaecide needed??? We have the pool covered
So your pool is a little spa?
Great info thx 👍👍
shhpop ES you’re welcome.
I have a 6-month old pool that has a auto-chloronator where you add 3" tri-chlor tabs. In live in a desert state next to yours and the pool builder said to set it so you go through 2-3 a week. But what about in the 100+ Summers here? I test weekly and I have the big Taylor kit, and have done the test where you keep adding drops until the black dot just vanishes. My CYA is 35-45.
Question: Why is it so high already? And, how many tabs should I go through, 2-3 off-season, and 6-9 in-season (your earlier vid said 9 tabs a week in your float dispenser?) The three of us swim daily in our pool.
Thanks for helping us!
Stephen Travis following...
You don't say how much water your pool holds.
That matters.
Personally, having run my own pool for ten years, I would not use tri-chlor tabs because of the CYA issue. In a larger pool it may not be significant but the smaller the pool, the bigger the dent it'll make in your readings. That's simple math.
On adding CYA to a skimmer basket, what if you have an above ground pool and the pump has to be off so water does not spray everywhere, do you put the CYA in the hose that leads to the skimmer? We have an INTEX 32' x 16' x 52" above ground pool.
I'm confused. Why would the water spray everywhere from a skimmer basket. I think perhaps you're talking about the pump basket. your index pool may not have a skimmer. In that case you'd have to pre-dissolve the CYA in a bucket of water and then pour it around the perimeter of your pool.
Hope you'll subscribe and share. And check out my membership website poolschooler.com
@@PoolSchooler You maybe right, this is the only basket we have and it does collect leaves, dirt and junk whenever we backwash, but the pump has to be turned off whenever we remove these items. I will take your advice and pre-dissolve the CYA in a bucket of water and then pour it around the pool, thanks for your reply.
Paul
intexcorp.com/replacement-parts/above-ground-pools/ultra-frame/18ft-x-52in/2018/26335eh/pump/11371-pre-filter-assembly-for-14in-16in-sand-filter-pump-and-combo/
So my pool is at 130 and I am getting algae if i don't keep loading up the chlorine. Thoughts?
Phosphates. Watch my video on algae and algaecides and why you don’t need them.
I need to drain my pool water right now because of high CYA reading. The temperature is in the mid-90s. If I fill in water as soon as I can (after ~4’ below skimmer) will the wall of the pool be damaged by the sun?
No . Well a friend of mine drainer his pool and stayed for 2 week nothing happened. Hoping the info help. My pool guy told me to filled up right away because could crack or damage the wall 🤥
have a vid on harness? this desert water is really hard....
I'm not sure what "harness" is. Do you mean Hardness? If so I do: ua-cam.com/video/QC5ZYG27Z48/v-deo.html
Great vid
Just set my pool up and the CYA levels are too high! ShouldI just start again? Thank goodness it’s only a little above ground pool.
Does cedar trees have an effect on CYA levels? I was told by my pool builder that the cedar tree, that was close to the pool area, needed to be cut down because it would raise the CYA levels constantly and I would be dumping water all the time to keep CYA levels in check.. I'm learning that my pool builder is not a very trustworthy company... and now I'm wondering if he fed me a line of BS and took my tree down for nothing.
Honestly I think you were fed a lie regarding this. I've looked on line and talked to several of my fellow pool guys and nothing back's up what that pool builder said. Cedar trees (like all vegetation) can raise the levels of phosphates in your pool when the leaves etc fall into it. Phosphates are the primary 'food' source for algae. So you'll want to use maintenance doses of a good phosphate remover like Orenda's PR 10,000 to keep them down.
@@PoolSchooler thank you. I have called 3 different local pool companies and each one told me he was wrong! CYA is a man made product and doesn't come from trees or bushes. The biggest problem would have been the debris falling in the pool... 🤬🤬🤬🤬 he fed me a big Ole plate of bulls..t. Not much I can do now the tree has already been plowed down...
@@walker614jw Sad to hear that, but you might be able to do a yelp review of that person and give him an unfavorable review so that way other people don’t get screwed over by him. Or if he was licensed and insured you should be able to contact the local Better Business Bureau or pool service industry rep and report that person to them. You might have to check around to find who his license or insurance through. But if that’s too much of a hassle I would definitely do a yelp review and give him a big thumbs down
My Cyanuric acid shows low.The pool tech said I need to drain water.My pool is 24,600.I took out about 19000 gals and refilled.I added 8 pounds of conditioner and 2 gal of clorine.My Cyanuric acid is improved but still shows below ideal any ideas before I add more stuff?
You don't need to drain your pool water with low pH (not sure why he/she said that). It's only when your CYA is way too high (300ppm or greater). So you don't over dose it with CYA (conditioner) add it one pound at a time WITH THE PUMP MOTOR RUNNING. Wait two hours and test then repeat that until you get the CYA level up to the LOW END OF THE IDEAL RANGE.
Hello Sir- I am hoping you can help me a bit. I have a 15 x 24 oval above ground pool. I usually open it myself and have had no problems for many years. But this year- as usual I had to add a few inches after the winter season. The water looked very nice. BUt my chemicals have never really been great. No one ever complained about the quality of the water- and I mean no one ever. And we have had many parties in the backyard where everyone goes for a dip. But my chemicals are a bit whack- Why you say- for years I have been using GREENOUT- which is a super chlorinator powder that prevents green water and floating Slow tabs(Tri-chlor that stays in the pool all season long. No one ever told me not to do that so I had no idea since the water looked crystal clear etc. But due to that GREENOUT powder and the tablets my CYA went thru the roof and yet my chlorine levels were NOT very high- so how was it working-if that amount of CYA was in the pool- how did the chlorine worK?. I went on a site called TFP- and they recommended I drain the pool- now I live in NY and water is money. So I drained with my submersible pump for about 6 hours and lost only about 12 inches. I was scared to go any further so i stopped and then the next day i refilled it again with a hose that has a filter attached to it. it again took about 6 hours to refill. I have been adding now ONLY LIQUID Chlorine to stop the addition of CYA to my pool. I think i added to much because using NOW the TF100 test kit- my chlorine shows about 13 ppm. My CYA is about 120- last year my CYA was 175. So draining those 12 inches helped a bit. I do NOT want to drain it again. But I need to get the water to where it used to be. This forum told me that the color of the water means nothing and that the chemicals are more important. They still think i should drain the pool- BUT now they say I can DRAIN AND REFILL at the same time -to save time and water- Someone said to put the submersible pump high in the pool where the CYA rests and put the adding of water by the hose at the bottom so that the CYA gets removed first and so on. Is this a good idea? lastly-- my pool for the first time in years has a slight turquoise color(aqua) but it is mainly clear. But i am so used to seeing crystal clear water(bluish hue- not greenish hue) I did a CC test after the chlorine test and it showed NO organic contaminants. My TA with this kit shows 110- which is OK I think. Lastly a friend of mine said to get rid of the greenish hue- I could use a product called METAL-FREE and that would take out any metals that might be skewing the color. OR as I have always done in the PAST- I added a clarifying agent(NOT floc) just a capful to a bucket of water- and that made my water crystal clear. Now my water started this season about 5 days ago- my regular color- IT is ONLY AFTER my 12" draining that the water color changed and has not gone back to the old color since. So my last question is since my pool seems to always have high CYA and all that why couldn't I have just left it that way and keep adding the once weekly GREENOUT product and STOP using that floating tablets. Maybe that would have ben best? Now if I drain again to the middle of the pool(24 inches) since half my pool (2 feet) is underground) so I cannot go past that level for fear of sides of pool caving in-- and then fill kit again- will i be screwing things up again- I am thinking i should have left well enough alone. As I told this site- nothing in life is perfect and there has to be gray areas. But they say they do it their way an if i don't want to follow it then so be it? Any advice. When I get home from work i will send you some pics of my pool from last year- and some from this year . Hope you have some advice for me. Thank you for listening.
Could you please email this to me. There's a lot to answer here and links I want to have you watch and it'd be much easier that way. My email is kennypoolschool@gmail.com. Thanks
When I maintained my pool, the pool shop was always having me add stabilizer. They did the testing. I have for the last 2 years had a pool service and when I used the test strips cya was always on the lowest end of the scale. This guy made pool maintenance look so easy. He was only here 8-10 minutes each week and the pool was always crystal clear. Can you explain? I’m confused.
They so often do and I disagree with it. Cause it usually results in overdosing the CYA and getting the level up too quickly and the only way to lower it is to drain and refill at least 1/2 of the pool water if not the entire pool. As long as your CYA is at the low end of "ideal" you're fine. If you use tablets they add CYA to the pool as well so you don't want to keep adding "stabilizer" which is another name for CYA.
As far as how I spend only 8-10 minutes typically on a pool each week and how they manage to stay clean and crystal clear.... there's not enough time or space as to what I do. This video may help though: ua-cam.com/video/y4hac4beQsc/v-deo.html. AND this video will show what I do every week on my clients pool: ua-cam.com/video/IEkFSunjRvs/v-deo.html
Hope those help clear up the confusion.
I think i’ve watched most all of your video’s. Great information, you’re a great help!
@@lennymiller7336 I am delighted to hear that thank you for commenting, and I hope you continue watching, subscribing and sharing my channel
@@lennymiller7336 I appreciate that. Hope you’ll continue watching and subscribing and sharing my channel.
Can I use trichlor tabs to increase my CYA as well as using a “pool r/x”.
I would recommend using actual CYA (stabilizer) to raise your CYA. If you use TriChlor tabs you'll also be adding chlorine to your pool. Use the actual stuff and you can be more accurate without messing up other chemicals. AND BE CAREFUL NOT TO ADD TOO MUCH. Little by little.
First time pool owners here. We live in central Michigan, so our pool season is short. Lol. But we filled our above ground Intex pool that is 15feet round about 4 feet deep, with our well water. Our cyanuric acid levels were high before chemicals were even added. So draining our pool won't solve our problem. Any other suggestions?
Im in mich too mines low!
Question. I have trouble maintaining the chlorine so I got the water tested in my pool. The CYA was 154 and the pool store recommended draining at least 1/2 the water and refilling. I drained well over 1/2 and had the water retested within a few days. My CYA came back at 158. I keep fighting the light green on the pool walls since my chlorine is so low. I can add a gallon of liquid chlorine but the problem comes right back in a few days. Any suggestions?? Thank you.
Phosphates are more than likely your problem. Watch this video: ua-cam.com/video/MzGoK4Cd7tc/v-deo.html
CYA of 158 is NOT outrageously high (yes it's in the high range) but I've maintained pools through the summer months with a 300 ppm cya level and no problem holding chlorine. At the end of the season you can drain and refill your pool COMPLETELY and start fresh but watch this video on start up chemicals so you don't over dose your cya right off the bat and end up right where you started: ua-cam.com/video/2atgcgduHRA/v-deo.html
One last video you may want to watch on CYA: ua-cam.com/video/_z55SBsjadw/v-deo.html
Hope this helps and please check out my website poolschooler.com
@@PoolSchooler Thank you for the response. My pool tested zero for phosphates. I will follow your advice on the tri-chlor as I'm really stumped. I watched your video on Algae and it made a lot of sense. Hope this works! Thank you!!
My CYA is 110 my alkalinity is 24 my phosphates are 700 my free Chlorine is 10
I was told to drain 18 inches of water and refill and retest it’s at the end of our season should I do that before I close the pool or can I wait till next season?
110 for CYA isn't too high really. (50-100 is ideal) so honestly your CYA is fine. It's when it gets to 200-300 that you really need to drain and refill your pool.
Alkalinity can be raised by adding Bicarbonate of Soda (use one pound at a time with pump running distribute around pool perimeter then test in a couple hours. Repeat as needed). I did a video on alkalinity, here's a link. It will help: ua-cam.com/video/60J-OcocMPo/v-deo.html
Phosphates can be removed by using a good phosphate remover like Orenda's PR 10,000. Check out my video on algae and algaecides and why you don't need them. ua-cam.com/video/MzGoK4Cd7tc/v-deo.html
So, in my opinion I would wholly disagree with whomever told you to drain 18 inches of your pool water and refill. There's no need right now and it'd be a waste of water.
There's only one real reason to have to change your pool water and that's really high CYA levels. (between 200-300ppm).
Hi Kenny I live in Arizona and I just drained my pool last year got at CYA of 30. And now my CYA is at 170. Leslie’s told me to drain my pool. I saw some youtube videos about this Bio Active CYA reducer do you think this would help? What are your thoughts on this. Thank you
I wouldn't trust Lelsies for anything. That said, you probably put way too much stabilizer in your pool when you first did your start up on your pool (I'm guessing Leslies told you how much stabilizer/conditioner/CYA (all the same) to add to your new water. once you get your cya level to 30 DON'T ADD ANYMORE STABILIZER. Typically chlorine tablets are "stabilized" and have some cya in each tablet. So over time and use of tablets (around 3-5 years) your CYA level would necessitate new water. BUT I'm guessing you put too much cya in the pool to begin with.
The chlorine looks high as well
Hi, I appreciate your videos! I just drained 90% of my pool and poured in fresh water. Took a sample of my new water to the pool store. My CYA is at 18. They say to add all this Conditioner to my pool. Im afraid to because Conditioner will drive up my CYA. At 18 CYA should i keep it safe and leave it alone
Hmmm. 18 is a bit low. I'd try to get it to just at 30 (which is the low end of the 30-50 ideal range). I'd stick with as pure CYA as possible sometimes conditioner has other chems you don't need or want. Stabilizer is another name for CYA as well. Add only 1/2 lb of it at a time allow to distribute for a few hours then test. If you're at 30 then you're good, it not repeat as needed. BUT STOP WHEN YOU HIT 30.
For more great DIY pool maintenance stuff check out my website poolschooler.com
@@PoolSchooler i understand the CYA keeps the chlorine from getting burnt out by the sun. What if i add the chlorine at night and run the pump at night? Im just a bit traumatized by CYA or Stabilizer or Conditioner. Previous owners had it too high and i had to drain 35k gallon pool
@@KonradMB1 Wouldn't matter what time you add the chlorine since the sun will come up and that's when it'll burn up the chlorine.
I have a question. We have a above ground pool. Our Cyanuric acid level is very high besides the effects on the pool does it cause any issues for the people swimming in the pool? We planned on partially draining the pool. Do you think we should do it now or can we wait till the end of summer
Good question..any answers?
I have a 14’ above ground pool and have had it up since Memorial Day. It is only about 3500 gallons. I got a read on my Clorox test strips
Saying my stabilizer was high. So I emptied about 1/3 of the pool and got the levels good again, now one week later my stabilizer is showing at 300 again!! I can’t afford to drain and fill my pool every couple
Of weeks. Any suggestions? We only have about 6 weeks left of swimming
You should be able to make it to the end of your swim season. Then you can drain and refill the pool next season.
Hi! My levels are near to high, but not at all toward the last square. It is also almost the end of the season and wondering if it is worth doing a drain/partial drain or should we wait until next season?
Since it's the end of the season you could wait til the spring (making sure the temp doesn't get over 85 degrees and do it then.
We drained our pool this year as we hadnt had it open in maybe 4 yrs. Now we are having a heck of a time relearning. Every night we had chlorine and by noon the next day it shows none in it. Ive even added 6 gallon atnight and it show none. I bought stabilizer to add im hoping that helps. We add algacide but after a bad rain its green. I just saw a video where you said its a waste of money. I believe it. I just bought phosphate free. It says to run it thru the skimmer on circulate , one cap per 8,000 gallon. I believe ou r pool is 20,000. So id add 2 1/2 caps a week. BUT what about now to get rid of my green pool? I added 4 caps. I hope that does it. Every day we can add the chlorine shock, and ph down, and the next day it will say ph is as high as can be, no chlorine and everything else is not where it should be. Everything too high that shouldn't be or none. Im hoping the phosphate free removes the algae and keeps it gone and the stabilizer helps chlorine stay. The water evaporates a couple inches a day also. A neighbor 2 houses over said hers evaporates bad this year also but she doesn't have a algae problem.
Tammy T.p hi Tammy. Algaecides leach chlorine from the water which is another drawback of them. You should probably watch my video on how I cleared my green pool. Although it was an above ground pool the whole process is still the same. I will add another comment under here and post a link to that video. My guess is if you follow that and watch the whole thing on how to do it you’ll be able to clear your pool out
Here’s that link ua-cam.com/video/XY-BAdBY0zI/v-deo.html
@@PoolSchooler thankyou im checking it out now.
@@PoolSchooler i think thats what i watched yesterday, that gave me the idea that my issue is phosphates. I wrote down the items you mentioned and sent for them today and they could only find the phoshate free. Im going to order muric acid tho. We bought this house 7 yrs ago and i threw muric acid away thinking it was a bad acid, not knowing it was for the pool . Thanks.
Tammy T.p also, as you set about clearing up the pool. Your filter is going to be collecting a lot of the algae spores etc. And you want to make sure it doesn’t get too saturated. So if you have the kind of filter that needs backwashing i.e. sand or diatomaceous earth make sure you do so frequently while the pool is clearing up. If it’s a cartridge filter you probably should clean the cartridges once it’s cleared up. Or, if it’s having a tough time clearing up you might have to clean the cartridges first.
Say something about this reading please 🙏🏼
I have a above the ground Pool for only 1 month now, I’m new with this and I’m getting a little frustrating.
18 round 9000 gallos above the ground pool pool Test reading. PH 7.3 CYA 128 FAC 15 TAC 15 PO 492 CH 62 MT 0.2
@@sylviamartinez9488 It's really easy. On the back of the test strip container is the chart and it shows what the "ideal" level is for each of these. Are you using the test strips or taking it to a pool store? If you email me kennypoolschool@gmail.com I can email you back a picture that I've highlighted the ideal levels for each of these and that way you have it for future reference.
Does my new hot tub need cya 30-50 also?
Yes.
Kenny I am starting in the pool service business soon and studying for my CPO exam here in Florida. Should I take a job with a pool company in the beginning or is it too risky to buy 30 or 40 pools and start like that?
First of all Congratulations on making the move to do this. Good for you.
Honestly there are pros and cons to doing both. I spent many years working for other pool service companies and for me it was both beneficial (as I learned a lot about different ways to take care of pools - differing philosophies on similar subjects) and a lot of things I chose to not do in my own business. So on that front it was really good for me to work for other companies to learn the ins and outs of doing pools while not having to have my own insurance and bonding etc.
Buying 30-40 pools comes with a risk for sure. They typically go for 6-12 months service (so if the monthly billing for a pool is $80 then you'd pay between 480 and 960 per pool and usually they either don't guarantee those pools (meaning if the customer didn't like your service they could cancel service leaving you at a loss for that pool) or they only guarantee them for 3 months and then you may lose them if the clients is not happy with your service.
What I did was while I worked for another company (and they were all "owner/operator" not big corporate companies) I started off 5 days a week with them, then as I got more confident in my abilities I cut down to three days with the company and started hustling to build my own client list. I blanketed local neighborhoods with door flyers, and used social media and word of mouth to grow my business until I could stop doing pools for the other company and just have my own. It's a slower process but if you're good at it you will grow if you're willing to hustle.
I have a 800 gallons intex pool. No chemicals in the water yet. How much Cya should I put in water for first time. Thanks
I do not know but start with a cup of coffee and keep your filter own and wait 2 days. You will see the result. I try with mine and end up at the 3rd time half with the galons at 5 day and it was ok
are you familiar with zeobrite instead of sand filters? Do they require special care?
I have not heard of zeobrite but I have heard of zeolite sand substitute and have use that and it actually works very well. I actually like it better than sand.
Hope you subscribe to and share my channel and for more great DIY pool maintenance stuff please check out my website poolschooler.com
Thanks for the video, what is the best way to lower CYA levels? Mine is super high, I'm thinking about getting rid of the floating stabilized tablets and using liquid chlorine for now, until I figure out a way to lower CYA without draining the pool.
There is honestly no way to lower the CYA in your pool without draining and refilling it. There is a product that I just recently heard of that supposedly lowers a CYA without draining the pool and my supplier says it’s horrible and it dumps a bunch of unnecessary and unwanted chemicals in your pool so you exchange one bad for another bad.
Liquid chlorine is the purest form of chlorine you can put in your pool but make a note you will have to test your chlorine levels probably daily in order to keep them up because the liquid chlorine is going to dissipate and evaporate much quicker.
@@PoolSchooler Thank you so much for the reply, I'll have to go with liquid chlorine and drain the pool in the fall, our summer time is 90+ daily.
@@morocknroll1007 Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. What’s the temperature gets above 86° it’s too hot to drain and refill a pool quick enough. Also, if your CYA levels are below 150 then you should be fine. I know some pools in Arizona that the CYA levels are upwards of 300 ppm and they still do OK. Just know that you have some wiggle room if you’re below 300 ppm
@@PoolSchooler Thanks, that brings my stress level a little down as my CYA is at 175 lol
@@PoolSchooler do you have to drain the entire pool or can you just drain half or 1/3 of it?
I was lowering my TA with muriatic acid and contrary to ALL expectations and pool experts,, my CYA level dropped to ZERO! How was this possible???
Not sure. Wow.
Hi Kenny, my pool guy is saying a should replace my Tandy filter and says a much better filter is out and he says $1800. Mine still works but it's over 15 years old. Do you recommend replacing it? That's a lot if money for me know. It includes everything, filter and labor. Thank you for your advice
Unfortunately it's hard for me to guess at cost since I don't know your area's market. My suggestion would be to get a few estimates from different companies
@PoolSchooler thank you, I will get other estimates. The filter I have still works. It uses DE. Should it be replaced only because "there are better units out there"? Mine still works
@@helensweatt4327 I absolutely do not care for DE filters AT ALL. I did a video on. why and suggested an alternative that will allow a sand filter to filter as good as a DE filter without all the negatives in the video. Here's a link: ua-cam.com/video/qPEaFAF5ado/v-deo.html
@@PoolSchooler thank you!
You're welcome.
@@helensweatt4327