Your pool water can look “chlorinated” on a test and still be unsafe or algae-prone. The missing piece is cyanuric acid (CYA), the pool stabilizer that quietly binds most of your chlorine and changes how much active sanitizer you actually have working for you. We sit down with Bob Lowry, inventor of liquid pool conditioner, to get brutally clear on why high CYA is a real problem and how to fix it without guessing. 

We dig into what cyanuric acid really does beyond UV protection, how the chlorine to CYA equilibrium works, and why the same free chlorine reading can mean totally different sanitizing power depending on your stabilizer level. Bob lays out an easy operating rule for pool maintenance: target free chlorine as a percentage of CYA, with different guidance depending on whether you use borates. If you’ve ever fought recurring algae, this is the chemistry that explains why. 

We also connect the dots to the most common cause of runaway stabilizer: trichlor tabs. When CYA rises week after week, the required chlorine level rises with it, creating a vicious cycle that catches a lot of pools in midsummer. We cover practical ways to transition to liquid chlorine, plus simple feeding options that keep levels steady between service visits. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a pool owner who keeps battling algae, and leave a review. What’s your current CYA level and how are you chlorinating right now?

We break down why high cyanuric acid quietly weakens chlorine and forces you into higher and higher dosing just to prevent algae. Bob Lowry explains the real stabilizer to chlorine relationship, plus simple target ranges and practical ways to stop CYA from spiraling out of control.  
• why cyanuric acid does more than block sunlight  
• how CYA binds chlorine and slows sanitizing action  
• the 7.5% of CYA chlorine target without borates  
• the 5% of CYA chlorine target with borates  
• recommended CYA ranges for outdoor pools and saltwater chlorine generators  
• why trichlor tabs raise CYA and create a vicious cycle  
• switching to liquid chlorine and options for midweek dosing  
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