What is Cyanuric acid in swimming pools?
Cyanuric acid is a chemical compound, identified as an odorless white solid substance. It is produced in vast quantities across the world, being used as a bleaching agent, an additive in disinfectants, and for the herbicide industry.
In swimming pools, the substance is used often in conjunction with chlorine to sanitize pool water and oxidize contaminates. Cyanuric acid is most beneficial in outdoor swimming pools where it is used to stabilize chlorine, as chlorine with a cyanurate is chemically named trichloroisocyanuric acid, or “trichlor”, and is the common name for chlorine tablets. The addition of cyanuric acid to chlorine reduces the rate chlorine is destroyed by ultraviolet (UV) radiation found in sunlight.
[sc:ad_middle]The key disadvantage of cyanuric acid in pools is that it accumulates over time, and there is no practical chemical way to reduce the cyanuric acid level in the water. The reduction can be accomplished by partial or full drainage of the swimming pool, after which it is refilled or diluted with unsaturated water.
Source:
- Wikipedia: “Cyanuric Acid”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanuric_acid