UTILS.
100% in-browser
🧪

Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer) Calculator

Work out how much cyanuric acid (chlorine stabilizer) to add to reach a target CYA level, or how much water to drain to lower it.

Enter your pool volume and CYA levels. Set the target below the current level to see the drain-and-dilute amount instead.

About this tool

The Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer) Calculator is a free, in-browser pool tool that tells you exactly how much cyanuric acid (CYA, also sold as stabilizer or conditioner) to add to bring your pool to a target CYA reading. Cyanuric acid shields chlorine from being burned off by sunlight, so keeping it in range is what makes daytime chlorination actually work. Because CYA is added at roughly 99% purity and reads about 1:1 by weight, the dose is lb = gallons × Δppm ÷ 120,000 (equivalently gallons × 8.34 × Δppm ÷ 1,000,000), and in metric grams = litres × Δppm ÷ 1,000.

Everything is computed locally in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded or stored. Enter your pool volume, current CYA, and target CYA and the tool returns the amount to add in pounds and ounces (US) or grams and kilograms (metric). As a sanity check, about 13 oz of stabilizer per 10,000 gallons raises CYA by roughly 10 ppm.

Cyanuric acid cannot be removed chemically — the only way to bring a high level down is to drain and dilute with fresh water. If your target is below the current reading the calculator switches to dilution mode and shows the fraction of the pool to drain and refill, drain % = (1 − target ÷ current) × 100. Typical targets are 30–50 ppm for a traditional chlorine pool and 60–80 ppm for a saltwater pool; over-stabilizing ("CYA lock") weakens chlorine, while too little lets the sun destroy it. CYA dissolves slowly, so add it via a sock in the skimmer and allow 24–48 hours before retesting.

Frequently asked questions

How much cyanuric acid raises CYA by 10 ppm?
About 13 oz (roughly 0.8 lb) of stabilizer per 10,000 gallons raises cyanuric acid by about 10 ppm. The general formula is lb = gallons × Δppm ÷ 120,000, or grams = litres × Δppm ÷ 1,000 in metric.
What CYA level should I aim for?
Around 30–50 ppm for a traditional chlorine pool and 60–80 ppm for a saltwater (salt-chlorine-generator) pool. Too little lets sunlight destroy chlorine; too much weakens chlorine's sanitizing power.
How do I lower cyanuric acid?
CYA can only be reduced by draining and diluting with fresh water — no chemical removes it. Set a target below your current reading and the calculator shows how much of the pool to drain and refill: drain fraction = 1 − target ÷ current.
Why does stabilizer take so long to work?
Granular cyanuric acid dissolves slowly. Add it in a sock hung in the skimmer or dissolve it separately, run the pump, and wait 24–48 hours before retesting so the reading reflects the fully dissolved product.

More tools