Categories: Pool Chemicals

What Is Pool Stabilizer: The Truth About Pool Stabilizers

The transparency, cleanliness, and beauty of the pool are achieved not only thanks to the pool filter pump: to keep your water as clean and safe as possible, you are required to add additives that help regulate the water balance in your pool. Some people ignore this and then have some problems.

A pool stabilizer is needed for regulating the chlorine level and ensuring the effectiveness of cleaning that reduces the chance of the pathogenic organisms in the water that are harmful to human health. In this article, we will tell you honest reviews of pool stabilizers.

Important 
To keep your water clear and clean on a constant basis, you need to have a pool filter pump. Choose the best one among the top 5 above ground pool filter pumps!

What is a pool stabilizer and why is it important?

Pool stabilizer — is one of the chemical additives in liquid or granular form, which is needed to correct water balance in the pool (pH, alkalinity, etc.). It is also called pool conditioner or cyanuric acid (CYA).

UV rays, as scientists say, can reduce chlorine up to 50% in one hour. A pool stabilizer helps to support the correct chlorine in your outdoor pools that are under direct sunlight.

Regulating the level of chlorine is essential for prolonging disinfecting your pool water (killing bacteria and algae). The pool stabilizer provides 4 times more water purity support than without using a stabilizer. Keep in mind that this chemical is only one way for pool disinfection. To keep your water clean all the time, it is essential to use an above ground pool filter pump. It helps water to stay clear and transparent all the time without excessive use of chemicals. Also, due to the filter pump’s effectiveness, you can use your pool safely whenever you want: the filter eliminates all bacteria and debris.

How to understand that your pool needs a stabilizer?

To understand that you need a pool stabilizer — use test strips that also help assess the water balance in general: pH, alkalinity, etc. You can buy them in local service or the pool equipment store. 
Below you can see how it looks like:

Water balance test strip
Source: Clorox

The most optimal value on the test is 40 parts per million (ppm)Parts per million (PPM) — is a unit of measure for the concentration of a diluted chemical.. But for “home” pools, the norm is up to 50, and the lower relatively safe limit is 25. The World Health Organization recommends doing the test no more once a week, depending on the frequency of using the pool. The test should be carried out the first time the filter is started after cleaning and backwashing it so that the result is the most accurate.

❗️ Important
To keep the pH and alkalinity of your pool stable, using a pool stabilizer isn’t enough. Check our article, get to know how a pool filter pump can help with this, and choose the best model among the 5!

So, if your test shows below 30 ppm, you need to add a pool stabilizer. If higher than 50 ppm — reduce accordingly. The easiest way to do this is to drain some of the water from the pool and add clean water back. Nothing complicated.

How much pool stabilizer needs my pool?

On average, pools need 1 pound of the pool stabilizer per 3,000 gallons — such simple math.

Also important to understand that the chlorine level depends on the pool stabilizer level. Use this formula to determine the optimal chlorine level:

💯Rule
The chlorine level should be 10 times less than the stabilizer level (you can determine both of these values ​​using test strips). Thus, if the stabilizer level is 30 ppm, the chlorine should be 3 ppm, and so on.

How to add a pool stabilizer to your pool?

Most often, the packaging of the product indicates how to add the stabilizer to the pool. Some of them need to be added directly to the filter, some directly to the pool. So carefully read the instructions for use!

A pool stabilizer is a chemical that takes time to dissolve and can negatively affect both the surface of your pool and human safety, so we recommend using this life hack:

💡 Tip
For the concentration of the product to be uniform, dissolve it first. For this, you can use a bucket with a little water. Stir the mixture gradually and let it dissolve completely, then just pour this into the pool — and voila, no problem. Simply and easily!

Summary

In this article, we told you the whole truth about pool stabilizers and answered the most basic questions that a buyer may have. With this overview, you will now be able to make an informed decision about using the pool stabilizer and use it correctly and without problems. Have nice swimming!

FAQs

⌛️How often do I need to add a pool stabilizer?

It depends on various factors, so everything is determined by the test strip, which shows the level of the stabilizer. On average, The World Health Organization recommends doing such a test should be carried out no more than once a week and look at the result.

⚖️How much a pool stabilizer do I need for my pool?

To calculate how much the stabilizer you need for your pool use this rule: “1 pound of the pool stabilizer per 3,000 gallons”.

❗️Why is a pool stabilizer important?

A pool stabilizer regulates chlorine levels and provides a lasting cleanliness effect, which reduces the likelihood of pathogens harmful to human health.

🧐Which form of pool stabilizer is better: liquid or granular?

It does not matter. Use what you think is better and more convenient. We recommend using a liquid stabilizer as it is easier and faster to dissolve in water than a granular stabilizer.

Peter Rossi

Hi, I’m Peter Rossi, a professional hot tub designer and founder of ByRossi. After having spent over 10 years designing hot tubs for Jacuzzi Group, I started a private practice. Now I design bespoke hot tubs for high-end apartments. I am based in New York, but my clients are all over the world – from San Francisco to Paris, Dubai, London and Tokyo. One thing I enjoy is writing. Hot tubs manufacturers have always been notorious for pushing cheap, subpar products for crazy prices, making profits on naive first-time buyers. So I consider it my social mission to share my expertise and educate clients on who is who in the industry. Lately, I started to work with other people who help me to develop the business. In particular, a couple of great researchers and veteran journalists help me convert my raw thoughts into beautiful articles which you might enjoy reading on ByRossi. Hope my efforts help.

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