Cyanuric Acid For Salt Water Pool: 5 Important Things To Know!

thepoolanddeck.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com . The website is also an affiliate of a few other brands. The affiliate links never increase your purchase price. We do appreciate your support. Thank you very much!

Do I Need Cyanuric Acid for Salt Water Pool?

Do you have a salt water pool? Great! You can enjoy your pool more because the water is softer on your skin and eyes. You also do not have to store chlorine granules, chlorine tablets or liquid chlorine. But can you get rid of all the pool chemicals? Do you still need Cyanuric Acid for Salt Water Pool?

The short answer is YES, you do need Cyanuric Acid for Salt Water Pool! The chlorine from the Electrolytic Chlorine Generator (ECG) of a salt water pool is not stabilized.

Without a chlorine stabilizer, the UV rays from the sun will deplete the Free Chlorine (FC) by 90% in just 2 hours. So you must add Cyanuric Acid (CYA) to your salt water pool to protect the chlorine.

When it comes to the chlorine sanitizer, a salt water pool is no different than a regular chlorine pool. The chlorine source may differ, but at the end of the day, it is still Free Chlorine (FC) going around killing the germs, bacteria and algae. 

Just like regular chlorine pools, you need the Free Chlorine (FC) level to be between 2-4 ppm. The UV rays from the sun will deplete the Free Chlorine (FC) levels fast, unless it is protected by Cyanuric Acid (CYA). 

How Much Cyanuric Acid do I Add to my Salt Water Pool?

For a regular chlorine outdoor pool the recommended Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level is 30-50 ppm. However, for a salt water pool the recommended Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level is 60-80 ppm. 

Hayward is a well known manufacturer of salt water pool Electrolytic Chlorine Generator (ECG). Below is a snapshot from their Aqua Rite Owner’s Manual.

In case your pool sees a lot more than normal sunlight you may want to go for an even higher range of 80-100 ppm.

In salt water pools, chlorine is not added directly to the pool. Instead salt is added to the pool water. Salt and water form Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl). Sodium Hypochlorite will undergo photolysis when subjected to UV rays from the sun. 

Both, Sodium Hypochlorite (Liquid Chlorine) and Calcium Hypochlorite (Cal-Hypo) are un-stabilized forms of chlorine and deplete very fast under UV radiation.

You need Cyanuric Acid (CYA) to protect the salt in the pool water from the UV radiation. This is in addition to the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) required to protect the chlorine produced from the Sodium Hypochlorite using the Electrolytic Chlorine Generator (ECG).

Because of the double requirement, the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level in a outdoor salt water pool must be maintained at 60-80 ppm instead of the 30-50 ppm for regular chlorine outdoor pools. For an indoor salt water pool, maintain the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level at 20-40 ppm instead of 10-20 ppm for regular chlorine indoor pools.

How to Add Cyanuric Acid to a Salt Water Pool?

You must test the water chemistry of your salt water pool every week. Based on the results and the pool volume determine the amount of pool chemicals that need to be added.

I recommend using Rx Clear Stabilizer and Conditioner. It will reduce chlorine loss caused by the UV radiation from the sun. Adding stabilizer in the spring greatly increases chlorine effectiveness and will actually cut chlorine consumption. Rx Clear Stabilizer Contains 100% Cyanuric Acid.

The procedure of adding Cyanuric Acid (CYA) to a salt water pool is the same as that for a regular chlorine pool. Dilute the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) in a bucket of pool water and then add the solution directly to the pool or pour it in the skimmer.

Make sure to run the pump for at least 8 hours to ensure the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) is thoroughly mixed and spread across the entire pool. You could run the pump & filter on “recirculate” position if you like.

How do I Lower the Cyanuric Acid Level in my Salt Water Pool?

If the Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level is higher than 100 ppm for an outdoor salt water pool and over 50 ppm for an indoor salt water pool, then you will need to reduce the level. You can do this by partially draining the pool and then replacing it with fresh water.

Remember that by following this procedure you are reducing the salt level in your salt water pool too. Make sure to put back the salt lost due to draining. The recommended salt level for a Aqua Rite Electrolytic Chlorine Generator (ECG) from Hayward is 2700-3400 ppm.

However, if you do not want to lose swimming pool water (and the costly chemicals in it) you can use Bio-Active Cyanuric Acid Reducer.

It is a new biological and natural approach, that has been proven to reduce Cyanuric Acid (CYA) levels by disintegrating it at the molecular level. It won’t cause adverse effects on your pool and is also non-toxic, non-polluting and completely biodegradable.

Recommended Swimming Pool Chemicals

Best Stabilizer and Conditioner

Rx Clear Stabilizer and Conditioner will reduce chlorine loss caused by the UV radiation from the sun. Adding stabilizer in the spring greatly increases chlorine effectiveness and will actually cut chlorine consumption. Rx Clear Stabilizer Contains 100% Cyanuric Acid.

Best CYA Reducer

Bio-Active Cyanuric Acid Reducer, a new biological and natural approach, has been proven to reduce Cyanuric Acid (CYA) levels by disintegrating it at the molecular level. It won’t cause adverse effects on your pool and is also non-toxic, non-polluting and completely biodegradable.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.