- Chlorine Stabilizer
Cyanuric Acid (CYA) is not a sanitizer as such; it is a chemical that protects Chlorine from the destructive effects of the UV rays of sunlight
Ultra-Violet (UV) light degrades Chlorine by a chemical reaction in which Chlorine molecules are destroyed. On a bright sunny day 90% of the active Chlorine can be destroyed by UV in just a couple hours unless CYA (stabilizer) is also present to protect it
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ions (OCl-) closely attach to the free bonding sides of the CYA molecule and, whilst attached, are not degraded by sunlight
CYA acts like a "buffer" - it stores Chlorine and releases it to kill bacteria and algae
However, an excess of CYA in the water (over 100 ppm) stores up the Chlorine which is then not available to sanitize. Keep levels of Cyanuric acid below 80 ppm by periodic replacement of part of the water
A level of CYA of 30-50 ppm is recommended and this level will extend the life of your Chlorine, making it last 3-5 times longer
If your regular Sanitizer is Calcium Hypochlorite or Sodium Hypochlorite, you'll need to add CYA to protect it
To achieve 40 ppm add 2 Kg (4 pounds) of CYA for each 50m³ (13,000 US Gal) of pool water
‘Stabilized’ Chlorine products (Dichlor or Trichlor) do not require the addition of CYA as they produce it when dissolved in water
PS - Cyanuric Acid contains neither Cyanide nor Urine, despite what you might have been told by a well-meaning neighbour
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Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©