The most practical and effective way to adjust (lower) the stabilizer level in your pool water is through dilution.
Pool stabilizer, also known as Cyanuric Acid (CYA), is crucial for protecting chlorine from sunlight degradation. However, if its level becomes too high, it can reduce the effectiveness of your chlorine. Unlike other pool chemicals that can often be adjusted with opposing chemical additives, the only practical method of lowering the stabilizer level in a pool is by dilution. There are no products available that lower stabilizer.
The Dilution Method
Dilution simply means replacing some of your current pool water with fresh water that has little to no stabilizer in it. This process effectively reduces the overall concentration of CYA in the pool.
Here's how it works:
- Drain: Lower the pool's water level by draining a portion of the water.
- Refill: Add fresh water to bring the level back up to normal.
- Circulate: Run your pool pump to mix the new water throughout the pool.
- Test: Re-test your stabilizer level after allowing the water to circulate thoroughly. You may need to repeat the process depending on how much you need to lower the level.
Practical Considerations for Dilution
- Gradual Reduction: It's often necessary to perform multiple drain-and-refill cycles to achieve the desired CYA level, especially if it's very high.
- Avoid Excessive Draining: We recommend not draining more than 1/3 of your pool at a time. Draining too much water can cause issues like structural damage or difficulties with pool equipment (like the pump losing prime).
- Example Scenario: Consider a 16 x 32 pool with a volume of 72,000 liters and a high stabilizer level of 100 ppm. To significantly reduce this level, you would need to drain a substantial amount of water. For instance, draining and refilling 1/3 of the water (about 24,000 liters) would lower the CYA concentration. Repeating this process might be necessary to reach a target level (e.g., 30-50 ppm for saltwater pools or 50-80 ppm for conventional chlorine pools, depending on local guidelines and pool type).
Since there are no chemicals that remove CYA from the water, dilution remains the essential strategy for managing high stabilizer levels.
