The importance of stabilizer (cyanuric acid) in a saltwater pool.

Here is why stabilizer is so important on a salt pool: If you don’t keep enough stabilizer in your pool, then a chain reaction takes place which is not good.

• First, the chlorine that you generate via your salt system does not stay in the pool.
• Second, you have to run your salt system more hours to try to make up for the lost chlorine.  This causes the cell to be used up more quickly.  Most salt cells have a lifespan of about 10,000 hours.
• Third, running your salt cell longer hours, results in the creation of more and more sodium hydroxide which causes your pH to rise higher and higher.

Not maintaining proper stabilizer levels can cause a lot of issues.

Why don’t I have this problem with my chorine tablet pool?

Pools that use chlorine tablets have exactly the opposite problem because chlorine tablets are literally 50% stabilizer by weight.  The result is that your stabilizer level in tablet pools rises uncontrollably and this eventually creates a strong bond with the chlorine and this reduces its effectiveness.

But if you are a salt pool owner, you don’t have to worry about your stabilizer level being too high, but you do need to check it regularly so it does not get too low.

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