Stabilizer ? - Liquid vs Granular

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nupoolsoon

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Jan 7, 2008
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I have been using the liquid stabilizer since installing our pool last year, but with all of this rain we have received here, I am going through it and adding it every week. The liquid is getting too costly for me.

Here are my questions regarding the granular stabilizer

1) I read in a TFP post that someone said granular stabilizer actually lasts longer than liquid. Is there any truth to this? My friend who lives in the same town as me has not adjusted her CYA at all even after 6 inches of rain over the past 10 days. I have had to add 2 gallons of liquid stabilizer.

2) It seems people have an issue with dissolving the granular. Just curious if there is a brand that is more easily dissolved than others or if it is all the same. I know I read on InTSwim's website people are not happy with their brand of granular stabilizer.

3) Are all stabilizers the same or do some brands have "other ingredients" that will affect the balancing of your water.

Thx for the help.
 
Something doesn't seem right. I have never heard that the liquid doesn't last and your level shouldn't have changed that much just from 6 inches of rain. With CYA, by adding rain water, the CYA level becomes diluted (lowers). When the water level evaporates, the CYA goes back up (unless you drain the rainwater out).

That being said, I'm not super familiar with the chemistry of the liquid. Waterbear will comment, he'll know.

I don't know why so many people are impatient with the CYA dissolving issue. I say what's the rush? :wink: There is no rush for it to dissolve, it starts working even though it's not fully registering on tests.

For example:

1. Add recommended amount of CYA to a sock; hang sock in front of return flow or set to the side in the skimmer (which ever method allows it to dissolve quicker-low speed or variable speed pumps owners will probably see better results from hanging it in front of the return-I know I did).
2. Leave Pump running while it's dissolving.
3. The CYA should fully dissolve within 24/48 hours depending on flow of water. Leave pump running for additional 24 hours.
4. After adding the CYA, assume your levels are now higher and you bump-up your FC levels according to the chart. So if your level was 30 before adding enough to reach 50, assume your level is now 50 and keep your FC at the recommended amounts for 50 CYA.
5. After 5-6 days after the CYA dissolved, run a test to confirm level.

It's very straightforward, not complicated at all. :wink:

All brands are not the same: I learned the hardway to read "active ingredient" concentrations before purchasing, I bought "Malibu" brand and it was 50% CYA and didn't realize it until I tested (post addition) for CYA and didn't hit my target. Checked the label, voila. :grrrr: :hammer:

I've since seen 96% CYA, 99% CYA....at pool stores, Wal-mart and Meijer.

(Some labels instruct the owner to dissolve in a bucket and pour it slowly into the return, skimmer or around the pool. You do not want undissolved CYA on your pool floor. If it is, vacume it up in the filter. If CYA is added to the filter directly thru skimmer or via vacuming, it's important to allow the filter to run nonstop for a full 24 hrs so it can dissolve.)
 
Well, rain diluates the CYA, then if you pump some out, the level isn't gonna go back up. The effect shouldn't be that big, though; for a 20K gal pool, 6" is probably around 10%, so you could see it going from say 40 to 35.

Maybe posting some numbers would help.
--paulr
 
I shouldn't have said I added 2 gal of stabilizer. I did have to add one last weekend. My CYA was 50, so I added one gallon and estimate it should now be somewhere around 65. I did not retest b/c I am trying to conserve my CYA testing liquids.

I am anticipating having to add another one after all the rain from this week and tomorrow as well. Since adding the gallon last w/e, I have drained another 3inches of water out of the pool and more heavy rain forecast for tomorrow. Maybe I will be wrong and not have to add more CYA, but my guess is most likely I will need to add my last gallon of liquid stabilizer.

Hope this info helps a bit more.
 
If your pool is 4 feet deep, and you drain 3" of water, which is replaced by 3" of rainfall, your CYA level will go down by about 6%. If CYA starts at 50, it will go down to about 47. That would need to happen about seven times before you would need an entire gallon of liquid stabilizer.
 
Rapid dissapearance of CYA may also be indicative of a leak...I know you've actually been draining water from the storms but do you by chance have an auto-fill that could have been making up for a leak?

If you can find it, powdered stabilizer dissolves much quicker than the granular but is around the same price. It's hit or miss on availability though...most stabilizer comes in from China and is repackaged here and it's gotten harder to get over the last couple years.
 
No, we do not have an autofill and we do not have a leak. Our pool does get sun from sunrise to sunset though **the days we get to see the sun**. I have not added any stabilizer since opening in May and if I could find out from the NWS how much rain we have had since then, it is ALOT. I have drained our pool probably 6x's since we opened it May 5th, each about 2", so a total of 12". Yes, we did add some water one time since opening, but insignificant..maybe 1-2" added.

I understand the 6% calculation somewhat, but if I drained the water 2" down , I am losing some CYA by draining it, then it rains and that is diluting the CYA b/c the rain is just rain and then I drain it again 2" which means I am pulling more out of the pool, it seems the 6% would be more.

I don't know....I will test the CYA after the forecasted 1-2 inches of rain for tomorrow into Sunday and see how much it dropped and let you know. Maybe it was just time for me to add more CYA after 6 weeks and I will be fine this time around.
 
Ok, so not wanting to start another thread I am going to continue on this one.

I added granular CYA last night...in a sock, in the skimmer basket. Do I still need to wait one week b/f testing the CYA level again or does that only apply when you add the CYA directly to the skimmer without dissolving it in a sock?

Thank you.
 

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