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Cyanuric Acid (CYA), also called stabilizer or conditioner, protects chlorine from sunlight. But CYA is a double-edged sword, causing a dramatic impact on chlorine efficacy and sanitization. CYA is so important to keep to a minimum that we decided to make Minimal CYA our fourth Pillar of Proactive Pool Care.

What kinds of phosphates might be in a swimming pool? There are several variations, and this article will outline some of them. Mainly, we want to illustrate that some phosphate compounds will not show up on an orthophosphate test kit.

This article discusses dissolved metals in swimming pool water, and how they impact water chemistry. For instance, when metals are oxidized, what do they do? We will cover oxidation, staining, sequestration and chelation, and more.

Breakpoint chlorination is an important concept in pool chemistry. Let's explore what it means and the difference between breakpoint chlorination and superchlorination (shocking).

The LSI calls for the carbonate alkalinity of pool water...but this is a confusing term. Pool chemistry test kits only measure Total Alkalinity (TA). So what is Carbonate Alkalinity? And how is it different from TA?

Enzymes are proteins and amino acids that catalyze certain chemical reactions. Swimming pool enzymes like CV-600 are made to break down and remove non-living organics and oils, which helps reduce chlorine demand and clarify the water.

If you have ever opened a winterized swimming pool in the spring and found calcification on the walls and floor, it is most likely not scale. The odds are it's actually calcite crystals in your pool. This article will explain the differences between scale and crystals, as well as how to treat and prevent the crystals from coming back.

NOTE: This article has been revised from its original version due to learning more from laboratory results. We still have more unanswered questions about crystals than we have answers. Why do they harden? How many forms are there (we know of at least 3)? Why are some crystals easy to clean up, and others stubborn? What common denominators are involved, beyond cold water and lack of calcium hardness?

Seasoned pool operators know the triad of great pool water: filtration, circulation, and chemistry. Filter channeling is a problem that undermines the efficacy of sand filters. Let's learn what channeling is and what can be done to fix and prevent it.

The Orenda App and Orenda Calculator™ are some of the most widely-used tools in the pool industry. Here's an overview on how to use them.

While chlorine is the most commonly-used residual sanitizer in the world, there are some alternatives. But not every chlorine alternative is capable of doing everything chlorine does, nor is it capable of doing the job as well as chlorine does. Free chlorine is the most popular sanitizer for a reason. That said, here are some non-chlorine alternative sanitizers.

After the initial fill/startup, the vast majority of damage done to a swimming pool occurs during the winter. This is because cold water lowers the LSI, making water more aggressive. In other words, etching and corrosion are more likely to happen in cold water.