Active free chlorine in your swimming pool is one of the most crucial elements to making sure your water is safe from dangerous viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms. Pool stabilizer also known as cyanuric acid is used in swimming pool water to bond with the free chlorine. Once it has bonded with the free chlorine, it protects the chlorine from being destroyed by the sun’s UV rays. The question is though can you use a pool stabilizer alternative instead of using cyanuric acid.
If your pool is chlorine free, then you do not need to use stabilizer.
If the stabilizer is not used in conjunction with chlorine or is too low, then half of the chlorine in your pool water will be destroyed within only one hour. Your pool water is in danger from diseases, viruses, and microorganisms living in the water, once the sun’s UV rays destroy the chlorine.
High levels of stabilizer in affects the Oxidation Reduction Potential, also known as ORP. ORP is the measurement of the oxidation capacity to kill bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms present in the water. Chlorine is an oxidizer, and the ORP range needs to be between 650 and 750mV. Cyanuric acid levels should not exceed levels over 80ppm to 100ppm.
If the levels are too high, then the time to kill off dangerous bacteria, viruses and microorganisms are shortened. Reduced killing time from your chlorine allows some of the strong organisms to escape the chlorine. Your stabilizer levels need to be tested weekly for the safety of your water.
Now that we know how cyanuric acid works, the question is there a pool stabilizer alternative? Well if you are using chlorine or a salt system (remember salt systems are still chlorine pools) then the answer is no. You will need some form of cyanuric acid in your pool to keep the chlorine safe from destruction.
How to get away from using Stabilizer?
So, to answer the question about using a pool stabilizer alternative. Your pool water can only go without using a stabilizer if you are a chlorine free based pool. Using any chlorine or salt system, you are not able to go without stabilizer or your water will be in danger from dangerous viruses, bacteria, and microorganisms.
