Filter Magic
GreenStory Global uses filtration instead of chemicals to manage CYA levels
Cyanuric acid buildup in swimming pools has long been a headache for pool professionals. The essential stabilizer helps prevent UV from quickly degrading chlorine, but as more and more CYA accumulates in the pool, it eventually prevents chlorine from doing its job.
The conventional approach of draining the pool and starting fresh is time-consuming, costly and can affect the pool’s overall condition, and most available solutions involve adding more chemicals to the water. However, GreenStory Global Pool & Spa Filtration, a part of AquaComfort Water Group, has introduced a product to tackle the CYA problem in an environmentally friendly and direct way.
GreenStory Global began as a company dedicated to keeping pools clean through filtration, specifically with its melt-blown filter that can strain particles down to 3-5 microns. The company wanted to take contaminants out of the water to provide a cleaner experience for homeowners, and it applied the same mission to developing a CYA remover.
Unlike other options, GreenStory Global’s CYA remover is a filter that relies on contact time to extract CYA from the water.
“This is not a chemical, so you’re not going to see immediate results,” explains Meghan Stout, senior vice president of business development for GreenStory. “It’s not something that you dump in and you can test [the water] and the numbers are miraculously changed. This is a filter, so it takes time.”
The time required to achieve an acceptable CYA level will depend on the pool’s size and the initial CYA concentration. The filter fits into any skimmer or pump basket, an in-line leaf canister or inside the cartridge filter housing (as long as it is fully submerged). It doesn’t alter the pool’s water chemistry, can be used at any temperature and reduces the need to drain the pool. Additionally, unlike other products on the market, the filter is easy to use.
Tom DeHerrera, director of operations for E-Konomy Pool Service and Supplies in Tucson, Arizona, was willing to give GreenStory’s product a shot because of its simplicity.
“I have used other products with extremely mixed results,” DeHerrera says. “The other systems out there work but are far harder to use because there are so many steps and specific chemistry levels that have to be met in order to get results, and that can be difficult for novice pool customers to follow, so we have discontinued using any CYA remover other than GreenStory’s.”
GreenStory Global recommends running the pump continuously for 24 hours until the desired CYA levels are reached. At that point, the filter can be used for maintenance of CYA levels. The process is more efficient with variable-speed pumps, which can be managed around the clock, and GreenStory Global offers two filter sizes, 1 pound and 1.5 pounds, to cater to different pool sizes and requirements.
GreenStory Global also offers a demo program where servicers can order a case of the product at a discounted rate to try it out. Pool servicers have found this offer particularly beneficial because many owners are often reluctant to drain their pools, making GreenStory Global’s alternative an attractive solution.
“[Servicers] can sell it to their customers [by explaining they are] not going to have to drain [their] pool and have a huge water bill,” Stout says. “The MSRP on the 1.5 pounds is $79.95, which is a drop in the bucket compared to draining your pool and refilling it. So, why not try it?”
Michael Dennis, director of operational resources for NPP, knows how hard it is to convince customers to drain their pools, so he was willing to test the product. His company saw some initial results during the first season they tested it, so the next season they took a more scientific approach with a dedicated supervisor overseeing the product on the same pools and using the same test kits.
After testing a dozen swimming pools over 8-10 weeks, Dennis can confidently say the filters are a “game-changer.” Across all the pools, they removed between 30-50 ppm of CYA.
The feedback from servicers who have tested the product has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Stout. After successful trial periods, many have fully integrated the GreenStory Global CYA remover into their pool maintenance services.
Like many servicers, Matthew Horowitz, owner of Poolponics in Scottsdale, Arizona, was skeptical, especially after interacting with other products that have attempted to reduce CYA.
After testing the product and seeing CYA levels drop by around 70 ppm, he changed his mind. “It actually worked,” Horowitz says. “I followed the instructions and put it in the skimmer. I tested [the water] before and tested it once a week for four weeks after. It’s working; I’m a believer.”
GreenStory Global’s products are available for purchase through independent pool and spa distributors across the country, as well as retail stores like Leslie’s Pool & Spa and e-commerce retailers such as Commercial Water Distributing.
Beyond homeowners, Dennis believes the product can even help guide conversations with local water districts and municipalities concerned with water conservation.
“It shows our industry is [using] science to help mitigate draining swimming pools and that we are committed to finding solutions,” he explains. “It checks a lot of boxes.”
