Salt water pool cyanuric acid
A CYA reading between 30 and 80 ppm (parts per million, the unit on your test strip) suits most salt cells used outside. The cell mounted on your wall sets the figure you're after. A band of 30 to 50 ppm fits Pentair, Jandy TruClear, CircuPool and the Hayward AquaRite 900. Adding 40 ppm to a 20000 gallon pool calls for 6.7 pounds.
Which CYA reading does my cell call for?
Units from the older Hayward AquaRite line call for 60 to 80 ppm. The sweet spot is 80 ppm, per Hayward's manual. For pools outside, the newer AquaRite 900 lowers that goal to 30 to 50 ppm. Inside, the target drops to 0 ppm. You'll find this in Hayward's 900 guide.
Lower numbers suit Pentair, Jandy TruClear and CircuPool; Pentair's guide sets 30 to 50 ppm. Hold salt between 3000 and 4500 ppm. Shoot for 3600 ppm. Units from Jandy TruClear and CircuPool run in that same 30 to 50 ppm window.
Cells from Jandy AquaPure call for extra stabilizer. Jandy's manual gives 50 to 75 ppm as the range, going up to 75 to 85 ppm above 30 C. With Intex Krystal Clear setups, stabilizer sits at about 1% of the salt's weight.
| Chlorinator | Free chlorine | pH | Alkalinity | Calcium | Stabilizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward AquaRite | 1 to 3 | 7.2 to 7.8 | 80 to 120 | 200 to 400 | 60 to 80 |
| Pentair IntelliChlor | 2 to 4 | 7.2 to 7.8 | 80 to 120 | 200 to 400 | 30 to 50 |
| Pentair IntelliChlor Plus and LT | 2 to 4 | 7.4 to 7.6 | 80 to 120 | 200 to 400 | 0 to 50 |
| Jandy AquaPure | 1 to 3 | 7.4 to 7.6 | 80 to 120 | 200 to 400 | 50 to 75 |
| Jandy TruClear | 1 to 3 | Not given | Not given | Not given | 30 to 50 |
| CircuPool | 1 to 3 | 7.2 to 7.8 | 80 to 120 | 200 to 400 | 30 to 50 |
Every figure is ppm apart from pH. Each manufacturer's manual is the source, linked on its salt level page.
What's the right stabilizer dose?
Work out your dose from the pool's volume and the weight of the water. One gallon of water comes in at 8.34 pounds. Picture a 20000 gallon pool sitting at 0 ppm. Bringing that up by 40 ppm means adding 6.7 pounds of stabilizer.
Take your gallons and multiply them by 8.34. Then multiply that result by the ppm you're trying to add. Next, divide by 1000000. The answer is how many pounds of stabilizer you need. Put it on a scale before adding any.
What if my CYA runs too high?
CircuPool tells owners not to go past 50 ppm. The manual cautions that excess stabilizer can weaken your chlorine.
2 systems prefer a higher reading. Older Hayward units go as high as 80 ppm, while Jandy AquaPure permits 75 to 85 ppm above 30 C. Over the limit in your manual? Consult the manual first if you plan to raise it further.
Questions people bring to the counter
Does a salt water pool need cyanuric acid?
Outdoor ones do, yes. For outdoor setups, most cell manuals ask for 30 to 80 ppm. Indoor pools get 0 ppm, per Hayward's AquaRite 900 manual.
What's a healthy CYA level for a salt water pool?
Shooting for 30 to 50 ppm works for Pentair IntelliChlor, Jandy TruClear, CircuPool and Hayward AquaRite 900 units. A Jandy AquaPure calls for 50 to 75 ppm of stabilizer, and the older Hayward AquaRite models sit at 60 to 80 ppm. With Intex Krystal Clear pools, the target is roughly 1% of how much salt is in the water.
Does 80 CYA count as too much?
For the older Hayward AquaRite models, 80 ppm is the ideal reading. A level of 75 to 85 ppm also suits Jandy AquaPure above 30 C, but for CircuPool it's too high. Stay at or below 50 ppm, CircuPool advises, because too much stabilizer can weaken chlorine.
How do I boost cyanuric acid in my saltwater pool?
Your dose of dry stabilizer depends on water weight, and a gallon of your water is 8.34 pounds. Adding 40 ppm to a 20000 gallon pool means using 6.7 pounds of stabilizer. Test first. Don't go outside the range your manufacturer sets.