Pool Stabilizer Calculator & Charts (How Much to Add)?

Adding the right amount of pool stabilizer, or cyanuric acid, is critical to maintaining a proper chlorine level in your pool. In this article, you’ll find a pool stabilizer calculator as well as quick reference stabilizer charts to help you determine how much stabilizer to add to your pool.

Pool Stabilizer Calculator

About the Pool Stabilizer Calculator

The pool calculator will work out how much stabilizer (cyanuric acid) you need to add to your pool. It’s based on using a granular stabilizer, not the liquid form. 

Here’s how to use it:

1. Select units (imperial for gallons/Oz, metric for liters/grams)
2. Enter your pool water volume
3. Enter your current stabilizer (cya) level. Test the water first.
4. Enter the desired stabilizer level. The ideal stabilizer is 30-60 ppm.

Summarized: How Much Stabilizer To Add To Pool

Working out the required stabilizer for your pool is very simple. Just follow these steps.

1. Test the water

Before you add any chemicals to your pool, you need to know where the chemical levels are. Start by testing the water.

Stabilizer levels should be between 30-60 ppm. 

Add stabilizer if the levels are low.

2. Work out Stabilizer Dose

The dose of stabilizer, for your pool, to raise stabilizer level by 10 ppm is 13 oz per 10,000 gallons (100 grams per 10,000 litres) of pool water.

You can save time using the calculator above or use the charts below. Our stabilizer charts are in both gallons and litres. They are based on using granular stabilizers (not liquid stabilizer). 

Pool Stabilizer Chart (Gallons)

Increase by PPM	10,000 gallons	15,000 gallons
10	13 oz	20 oz
20	26 oz	40 oz
30	40 oz	60 oz

Pool Stabilizer Chart (Litres)

Increase by PPM	1,000 Litres	10,000 Litres
10	10 grams	100 grams
20	20 grams	200 grams
30	30 grams	300 grams

Pro Tip: Use less stabilizer than you think to avoid over-stabilizing the water.

You don’t want to add too much stabilizer as this will decrease the effectiveness of the free chlorine level and can actually cause an algae bloom. It’s best to add small amounts of stabilizer at a time, say 10 or 20 ppm. 

This way, you’re still adding protection but not overdoing it. After adding a small amount of stabilizer, retest after four days and readjust the amount as necessary. 

Different Types of Stabilizer & When to Use Them

When you buy a stabilizer, it’s also known as a water conditioner, cyanuric acid, or CYA. 

And it comes in different forms. There are three types of stabilizer sources you can use:

• Liquid 
• Granular
• Stabilized chlorine

I recommend a liquid stabilizer, as it is the easiest to use.

Liquid Stabilizer

Liquid stabilizer is the easiest stabilizer to use. It has a thick viscosity that can be mixed in a bucket with your pool water if this concerns you. 

The correct liquid stabilizer dose is 40 oz per 10,000 gallons (285 ml per 10,000 liters) of pool water to raise the cyanuric acid (CYA) level 10 ppm. 

It’s important to note that the exact dose depends on the brand.

Add it to the pool while running, and the circulation will disperse the stabilizer. The major benefit of liquid stabilizer is that it doesn’t take time to dissolve and acts immediately instead of the usual four-day period. 

Granular Stabilizer

Granular stabilizer is the most common way to add stabilizer. 

The correct amount of granular pool stabilizer to add is 13 oz per 10,000 gallons (100 g per 10,000 liters) of pool water to raise the cyanuric acid (CYA) level 10 ppm.

It’s important to remember that it has to be added to the skimmer or diluted in water before adding it to your pool. The size of the granules is bigger than other granular chemicals and are harder to dissolve. 

If you add it directly to the pool, you will have an undissolved mess on your hands unless you dissolve it in water first. A small granule stabilizer on the market now can be added straight to the pool, but I still recommend adding it to the skimmer. 

This is faster than dissolving it in water, but it takes up to four days to make a noticeable difference in CYA levels.

Stabilized Chlorine

Stabilized chlorine is simply chlorine with cyanuric acid added to it. Chlorine tablets are generally a type of stabilized chlorine (trichlor or dichlor). Stabilized chlorine gives you peace of mind, knowing that you are taking care of two things at once. 

However, adding stabilized chlorine weekly without testing your CYA levels could cause you to over-stabilize your pool. This is the biggest drawback of stabilized chlorine and if this happens, you will have the reverse effect than what you’re looking for.

If your pool turns cloudy, it’s probably over-stabilized. Before it reaches this point, test your CYA levels before you add stabilized chlorine. If the levels are getting high, you can drain a little water and refill with fresh water, or you can use standard chlorine, like liquid chlorine (12.5%) or calcium hypochlorite (cal-hypo), until the levels come down.

How Often to Add Stabilizer

Pool stabilizer (cyanuric acid) should be added to pool water when the cyanuric levels are below 30 ppm. Add at a rate of 13 oz per 10,000 gallons (100 g per 10,000 liters) of water. This will give approximately a 10 ppm increase. 

When you open the pool for the season, test the CYA and add the correct amount. Generally, this is the only time you’ll have to add CYA. But the level should be tested bi-weekly to be on the safe side. 

Pool stabilizer doesn’t dissipate like other chemicals. The only way it reduces is through splashing water out of the pool, backwashing, draining, or dilution. 

If any of the pool water is drained and refilled, you should definitely test the CYA level because you will probably require a little bit. Also, checking the levels after heavy rains is a good idea. Fresh water is the fastest way to dilute cyanuric acid, so any time there is a water issue is a good time to check your CYA level.