A lot goes into keeping a swimming pool fresh and clean. Literally! Different chemicals are added to the water to help it remain clean and safe to use.
If we were to ask you, ‘what chemical is widely used in swimming pools?,’ your first thought would probably be ‘chlorine.’ While this is correct, chlorine should not be added to a pool without a pool stabilizer (see also ‘How To Add Stabilizer To Pool Without Skimmer‘).
Did you know that you could be putting yourself and others at risk if you don’t use a pool stabilizer? This chemical is essential for keeping your water clean for longer.
Not only does stabilizing your pool’s water keep it safe to swim in, but it can save you money on maintenance in the long run. In fact, there are many benefits to adding pool stabilizer to your pool’s water.
Read on as we discuss what pool stabilizer is and why you should always use it in your pool’s water.
What Is A Pool Stabilizer?
So, what exactly is a pool stabilizer? It’s known by a variety of names, including pool conditioner, chlorine stabilizer, and chlorine pool stabilizer.
Basically, it’s a chemical addition that works to stabilize and increase the life of chlorine in your pool water.
Knowing when to add stabilizer to a pool is critical in keeping the water clean and healthy, as well as free of germs. This is whether you maintain a commercial or public pool or a personal one in your backyard.
Using pool stabilizer is critical if your pool is located outside. This is because it will be exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
When the sun’s UV rays strike the water, chlorine begins to evaporate. This leaves your pool water with little to no free chlorine.
If you don’t use a pool stabilizer, your pool’s chlorine will typically dwindle until there is hardly anything left within just a few hours.
It has been found that UV light can decrease chlorine by up to 90% in only two or so hours. If your pool lacks chlorine and stabilizer, it increases the chance of bacteria and algae forming, leading to increased risk of illness.
Pool Stabilizer Benefits
As you can see, pool stabilizer is a crucial component with any pool, whether it’s used for commercial or personal purposes. The main benefits of pool conditioner are:
- It is super convenient – Once you add pool stabilizer to the water, you shouldn’t have to add any additional cyanuric acid (CYA). Just add it when needed, and it will do the job.
- It’s easy to use – You can usually buy just one product that includes both pool stabilizer and chlorine.
- It can help save money – By using a pool stabilizer, you won’t need as much chlorine in the long run.
- It saves time – You don’t need to measure chlorine and the stabilizer separately, as it is done together.
When To Add Pool Stabilizer
Before you add pool stabilizer to a pool, you should get the water tested to confirm that the right dosage is applied, or whether any volume is needed at all. CYA doesn’t quite evaporate like chlorine.
It will stay in the pool until it is removed (usually splashed out), drained, or backwashed. CYA can also be diluted by adding water or through heavy rainfall.
Just adding pool stabilizer to your pool once a year should suffice, in most cases. Since the chemical isn’t used up while functioning and doesn’t gas off like certain pool chemicals, it just sits there in your pool water.
Unless there is a lot of evaporation or a splash out, you will need to add water to keep the levels from falling.
Dilution reduces the concentration of stabilizer in your pool. This can be in the form of either rain or a top-up from yourself.
Test the water each week. If it needs a top-up of stabilizer, do so, but only add a little. Do this using pool chemistry test strips such as this one.
In Summary
Pool stabilizers do exactly what the name suggests – they stabilize the pool’s water to ensure it remains healthy and free of harmful pathogens.
Be sure to add these stabilizers to your pool for a germ-free, healthy swim.
