Although cyanuric acid offers a low level of toxicity without any serious health concerns , having high-levels of this chemical in a pool puts people at risk because of the chlorine’s diminished ability to kill bacteria and viruses.
Is CYA harmful to humans?
Although there are no known adverse health effects associated with high CYA concentrations, most health officials usually limit CYA levels to 100 ppm. Some states recommend a lower level for spas, and some jurisdictions ban the use of CYA altogether.
What is the safe level of cyanuric acid in drinking water?
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides guidelines for the addition of dichlor and cyanuric acid to drinking water where the WHO specifies maximum concentrations of 50 and 40 mg L – 1 , respectively.
How much cyanuric acid is in tap water?
All of the water in the small community system – drinking water, irrigation and water leaks all have at least 20 mg/L to 30 mg/L of cyanuric acid according to the Hach test.
Can you drink cyanuric acid?
A chlorinated pool with cyanuric acid will remain chlorinated in direct sunlight; whereas, without a stabilizer, chlorine will dissipate and leave the pool unprotected without free chlorine in a matter of hours. Most importantly, cyanuric acid will not be consumed and will, over time , build up in pool water.
Does cyanuric acid reduce over time?
The problem is that cyanuric acid does not dissipate or evaporate but instead lingers and gathers in the pool water. Over time, the pool technician would be required to constantly re-apply Tri-Chlor or Di-Chlor products to re-sanitize the pool.
What does too much cyanuric acid do?
What happens when CYA in a pool is too high? – CYA Levels exceeding a threshold of 70 parts-per-million of cyanuric acid can reduce the effectiveness of the chlorine in a pool . The amount of time it takes to kill bacteria lengthens as the concentration of CYA increases.
What causes high cyanuric acid?
It seems like stabilized chlorine use is the main reason for high levels of CYA. As water evaporates, CYA stays behind, just like calcium and salt. If you are using a stabilized chlorine like trichlor or dichlor, CYA accumulates...fast. One pound of trichlor in 10,000 gallons of water will add 6 ppm of CYA.
Does cyanuric acid lower pH?
Cyanuric acid also affects the buffering of pool water. ... The buffer intensity of these buffer systems is both pH- and concentration-dependent. At ideal pH (7.4 to 7.6) and cyanuric acid levels (30 to 50 ppm), the cyanuric acid/ cyanurate system will not significantly contribute to the buffering of pool water .
What happens if pool stabilizer is too high?
Too much stabilizer can begin to lock the chlorine in your pool (chlorine lock) and render it useless . ... Chlorine lock symptoms are the same signs as a pool with no chlorine such as cloudy and/or green water and/or a strong chlorine smell.
Is cyanuric acid the same as stabilizer?
In the pool industry, Cyanuric Acid is known as chlorine stabilizer or pool conditioner.
Is there liquid cyanuric acid?
Cyanuric acid is available as a granular solid and as a liquid (sodium cyanurate) . Most commonly, however, cyanuric acid is found in stabilized chlorines dichlor and trichlor.
What to do if cyanuric acid is high in pool?
A product such as Bio-Active or Natural Chemistry is a CYA reducer that will help lower cyanuric acid in your pool. In cases where the CYA level is extremely high, you can use CYA reducer to bring it down, and then use the dilution method to top it off.
What is the most common disinfectant used at pools?
Chlorination is the most widely used pool water disinfection method, usually in the form of chlorine gas or sodium or calcium hypochlorite . Chlorine is inexpensive and relatively convenient to produce, store, transport and use.
How much stabilizer do I need for a 1000 gallon pool?
If the pool is new, just refilled, or has no stabilizer; add 4 oz. of this product per 1000 gallons to give the desired 40-100 ppm. Add this product slowly into the skimmer, or if desired, premix in a pail of warm water and then add directly to the skimmer. Be sure the filter is clean.
