What Can Be Done to Stabilize the Chlorine in a Pool?
- One of the simplest ways to keep your chlorine levels stable in the pool is to use a combination chlorine and stabilizer product for sanitation. These stabilizing chlorines contain chlorine and cyanuric acid, a pool conditioner, which will protect the chlorine from the effects of the sun. This is usually only required in outdoor pools since indoor pools have limited sun exposure.
- Cyanuric acid is an organic compound designed to protect chlorine from the sun, and keeping the proper amounts of the stabilizer in the pool water will minimize the drop in chlorine level. According to the Inyo Pools website, you should have a minimum of 30 to 40 parts per million of cyanuric acid in the pool water for effective protection. Residential pools should have a maximum of 200 ppm to remain in the acceptable range. To obtain the 40 ppm recommendation, add 1 lb. of cyanuric acid for each 3,000 gallons of pool water.
- Pool stabilizer dissolves very slowly in the pool water. Until it is dissolved it cannot work its magic. Backwashing a pool filter is the process of reversing the flow of water through the filter media and ejecting the dirt and pollutants from the filter outside the pool along with some of the water. If you backwash the pool too soon after adding stabilizer, any of the compound that has not yet dissolved in the ejected water is lost. Refrain from backwashing your filter for at least 48 hours after adding the stabilizer.
- The idea that if some is good, more is better does not apply for pool stabilizer. According to the Pool Plaza website, there are concerns that levels of stabilizer above 100 ppm can be hazardous to your health. While those concerns are not unanimous, the fact remains that adding too much stabilizer will reduce the effectiveness of the chlorine. It will be unable to kill bacteria as effectively and can make algae a more significant problem in your pool.
