just got a salt water generator and my pool man told me i did not need cya stabilizer!! is this correct
new to salt water
- Thread starter joel0711
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 48,028
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Nope, the pool man was wrong. With no stabilizer (CYA) you can expect any free chlorine to disappear very quickly. This can lead to algae and certainly cause the SWG to work very hard. We at TFP recommend a minimum CYA of 70 for salt pools. At the very least, get it up to about 50-60 and you can always increase it a bit more as needed. But we've found a CYA of 70 to be the sweet spot for summer.
If you have ANY doubt about algae (green, cloudy water, etc) be sure to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test BEFORE increasing the CYA level. Once you know you are in the clear, yes, increase the CYA.
Also see the TFP Recommended Levels found in our ----> Pool Care Basics
If your pool is indoors, this is correct.
If it is outdoors and you want to buy a replacement cell in 2 - 3 years, this is correct.
If outdoors and you want to get a 'typical' life out of your cell, then TFP recommends CYA of 60-90. You run an appropriate amount of FC for your CYA level and that is achieved by programming the SWG output % and pump run time after you've gotten a feel for the system.
If it is outdoors and you want to buy a replacement cell in 2 - 3 years, this is correct.
If outdoors and you want to get a 'typical' life out of your cell, then TFP recommends CYA of 60-90. You run an appropriate amount of FC for your CYA level and that is achieved by programming the SWG output % and pump run time after you've gotten a feel for the system.
Run and hide from your poolman 
CYA has an upper limit as well. Keeping CYA between 60-90 (but never more than 90) is a good summertime plan for your climate
CYA has an upper limit as well. Keeping CYA between 60-90 (but never more than 90) is a good summertime plan for your climate
The OP will still want 20-30ppm CYA even for an indoor pool to buffer the harshness of chlorine.
