Plus, the tablet dispenser it comes with is not the type of design I would recommend. The only options left are a peroxide-based system or silver or copper-based ion generators. For spas and hot tubs you can use either, but bromine is king in hot water. A good amount of it remains active and working, even after combining with contaminants. Chlorine and bromine are both very effective sanitizers, but chlorine is much cheaper! Yes, bromine tabs can be used in outdoor pools, but the problem with bromine is that it cannot be stabilized or protected from the sun with cyanuric acid. Chlorine is both an oxidizer and sanitizer. With a little practice, bromine can be a very low-maintenance and convenient way to sanitize a spa. So, Chlorine or Bromine? Those with very sensitive skin may prefer bromine because it generally does not cause as much skin and eye irritation as chlorine sometimes can (though this really shouldnt be much of an issue if you keep your pool properly balanced). store them next to each other. Product label directions should be consulted to identify the type and frequency of supplemental oxidation treatments. Matt Giovanisci is the founder of Swim University and has been in the pool and spa industry since 1995. Care should be taken when selecting the appropriate delivery system since the two predominant types of bromine tablets dissolve at different rates. The two most popular sanitizing options are chlorine1 and bromine. If you end up with too much chlorine in your hot tub, you can try a few things to lower the levels. The money you will save by purchasing chlorine over bromine for use in a spa is usually negated rather quickly due to the fact that you will need to use much more chlorine to keep the spa sanitized. This is important in the spa environment, where 4 people jumping in suddenly can cause extreme swings in the spa pH level. If you have a large spa, you will likely need to increase the dose, but start cautiously because you can't easily remove bromide once the tablets have already dissolved in the water. As it works, the chlorine dissipates and turns into a waste product called chloramines. The sodium bromide creates bromide ions in the water, often referred to as a "bromide bank." You can never have enough pool tab buckets, right? In fact, it is actually easier to go from chlorine to bromine than the other way around. In your opinion, would bromine tablets in a brominater work for our setup? To keep chloramines at bay, youll need to add chlorine on a regular basis, usually at least once a week. To ensure safe use and handling, all individuals involved in the manufacture, distribution, sale or end-use of bromine must be properly trained and aware of product label sections that address the "Precautionary Statement, Environmental Hazards, and Physical and Chemical Hazards." However, sodium bromide alone will not kill algae. Bromine will combine with organic contaminants in the water to form combined bromine (bromamines). Get to know the germs that cause Recreational Water Illnesses and how to kill them. Never place bromine tablets or compounds in any chemical feeder or floater with any other chemical, including chlorine. While chlorine may work more quickly, bromine is more stable than chlorine, especially in warm water. The exception to this rule is ultraviolet (UV) light, which destroys bromine more quickly than chlorine. And wheres our holiday? Bromine can be generated on site with a two-part system. Chlorine tabs are much cheaper than Bromine, almost half the cost. OF SHOCK TREATMENT TO SPA EACH WEEK FOR 150-250 GALLON SPAS. 2022 AB Media Inc. All rights reserved. If it gets really bad, though, and the chlorine isnt doing the job on its own, you can shock your hot tub to get rid of chloramines. Chemicals and devices that will help maintain a healthy and clear pool. Bromine: The ideal level for bromine is 3 ppm to 5 ppm, with 5 ppm being ideal. You want to do that on a regular basis anyway, to keep your water clear and pristine. The greater the amount of oxidation and the greater the amount of sunlight present, the shorter that conversion time. Turn the hot tub on, if it isnt already running. IF WATER IS 106 OR OVER YOU MUST ADD COLD WATER TO COOL DOWN. Reaching breakpoint chlorination is an important threshold, where everything in the pool is oxidized, and the strong chloramine bond can be broken. Dimethylhydantoin (DMH), a chemical incorporated into bromine tablets provides some minor protection to HOBr against sunlight degradation. Check the sanitizer levels next time you shock your spa, to make sure it's still within the 2-6 ppm range. PHTA Recreational Water Quality Committee, Bromine Generation in Hot Tubs: A Chemistry Primer, Squeeze Those Service Vehicle Fuel Dollars, Pool Bob's Hydro-Eclectic Musings: Kicking the Buckets, Mythbusters: Pool Chemistry Truisms That Don't Pass the Sniff Test. This is the ultimate maintenance guide that hot tub manufacturer doesnt provide you. And, like above please do not use a brominator for chlorine tablets, replace with a new chlorinator, or use a chlorine floater. At pH of 8.0, HOBr formation is still 83 percent compared to HOCl formation from chlorine at 23 percent. Even worse than red eyes and brittle hair is the debilitating effect chloramines have on a sanitizers ability to fight contaminants. And chlorine is more convenient to apply in pools. ADD ONE SHOT OF CLARIFIER EACH WEEK IN ALL SPAS. Tests for 7 important chemistries in seconds: Total Hardness, Total Chlorine, Total Bromine, Free Chlorine, pH, Total Alkalinity, and Cyanuric Acid. You must know how to shock your hot tub to keep it clean and sanitary. Which one is right for you? How long after adding bromine can you use a hot tub? The better known sanitizer you've probably heard of from swimming pools is chlorine, but bromine is a popular alternativeparticularly for hot tubs. I found that it works well in both cases, but a little goes a long wayespecially for regular top-ups. Fixr.com provides cost guides, comparisons, and term cheat sheets for hundreds of remodeling, installation and repair projects. A 20,000-gallon pool used year-round will cost about $600 annually to sanitize with chlorine. Chlorine does not share this phenomenon. use the same feeder for both, whether you use chlorine or bromine tablets or granules. Got too much chlorine or bromine in your hot tub? Sodium bromide, as a source of bromine, has been EPA registered as an algaecide. Always store in original container and avoid getting the product wet in storage. The most prevalent forms of bromine tablets are 1-bromo-3-chloro-5, 5-dimethylhydantoin (BCDMH) and a tablet composed of a mixture of three chemicals: BCDMH, 1,3-dichloro-5, 5-dimethylhydantoin (DCDMH), and 1,3-dichloro-5-ethyl-5- methylhydantoin (DCEMH). Find manufacturers and suppliers in the most extensive searchable database in the industry. Pool Bob's Hydro-Eclectic Musings: Pool Com Sync Chat. When added to water, bromine tablets dissolve and react to produce HOBr, HOCl and dimethylhydantoin (DMH) residue. So why doesn't it work the other way around? A popular misconception is that the pool must be drained to switch to chlorine. The tablets stack up inside the tube, and you partially unscrew the bottom to expose the lowest tablet(s). Granular products are introduced into the pool or spa through manual dispersion onto the water. Hold the feeder under the hot tub water for a few seconds to push the air out and keep it more stable while it floats. I used up some of the products quickly, and still haven't finished others to this day. Bromamines do not gas off the water surface, as chloramines do. A safety data sheet should be read and understood by all individuals involved in the use of these products. Also, when chloramines linger in the humid air around a spa, they can cause breathing difficulty and even trigger asthma attacks. THE FLOATER SETTING SHOULD BE 2 TO 3 OPEN FOR BROMINE. (not true the other way around, if it was formerly bromine, draining would be required). Here's how to lower them quickly and easily. If your spa already has bromine in it, every time you add shock (whether chlorine or non-chlorine), this existing bromine will get reactivated, and you will still have a bromine spa. The sodium bromide alone is not a sanitizer. It is used for cleaning and showers. It will need an occasional shock with chlorine to keep the water as clean as possible. Read the instructions on the chlorine or bromine container carefully. It's hard to talk about bromine without mentioning chlorine, its main complement in leisure water sanitizing. Chlorine can be protected from UV Rays with Stabilizer, Bromine cannot. This could lead to a higher incidence of dermatitis associated with the use of bromine than chlorine. We present the pros and cons of each so that you can make an informed decision. Even in tablets where chlorine is a component, or in systems that employ sodium bromide and chlorine together, HOBr is still the primary sanitizer present in the water. ADD 1 CAP (OF NATURAL CLEAR QUART BOTTLE) IN 250-450 GALLON SPAS EACH WEEK. Either one can irritate your skin and damage your spa. Same goes for bromine. As these compounds continue to build up over time they reduce the killing power of the chlorine, and a shock treatment is needed to burn off these inactive chloramines so that fresh chlorine (or free chlorine) can continue to disinfect the pool. If youre going to switch from one to the other, youll need to. Bromine tablets can be used in small floating feeders in spas or hot tubs because they hold such a small amount of water and the bromine can disperse more effectively. Sodium bromide only needs to be added periodically to maintain the system. Love your hot tub but hate what chlorine does to your skin and hair? If you have one of the better designed floating dispensers like this one, it's safe to add up to 6 1-inch tablets at a time. Measure the amount of chlorine or bromine recommended by the manufacturer for your hot tubs volume. For this reason, in systems where pH may drift upward for short periods of time (i.e., hot tubs and spas) bromine is a popular choice. But no matter how it is applied, the end goal is the production of hypobromous acid (HOBr) and hypobromite ion (OBr-). The second is a mixture of sodium bromide and dichlor (packaged as a single product). Bromine has a low odor and is effective over a wide pH range. You dont have to add these as often as granules, but tablets are still not completely a set-it-and-forget-it method. According to ANSI/APSP/ICC-11 Standard for Water Quality in Public Pools, the ideal range for bromine is 3 to 4 ppm for pools and 4 to 6 for spas. The question is, which one should you use? The spa chemicals you use are all safe in the proper amounts. Can be stabilized when exposed to UV rays, Less effective at temperatures above 75F, Cannot be stabilized when exposed to UV rays. Bromine tablets dissolve best as water rushes over them through a bromine feeder. Avoid contact between bromine tablets or bromine compounds and easily oxidizable materials such as ammonia, urea, nitrogen-containing compounds, strong reducing agents and other oxidizers regardless of their structure. And that's really all that's involved. While that is the quickest method of converting a pool to chlorine, a pool with bromine or bromide ions can switch back to a chlorine pool over time. Specialty Maintenance Chemicals & Devices. The biocidal properties of bromine are primarily due to HOBr. The reason for this is that bromamines (compounds of bromine and organics that naturally occur), do not gas-off the surface like chloramines. Consequently, while combined chlorine readings in chlorinated pools and spas serve as a reminder of the need for oxidation of contaminants, there is no such indication in brominated pools and spas. Simply stop adding chlorine, and start adding brominating tablets instead. IF THE BROMINE IS 2.0 OR LESS ADD GRANULAR BROMINE.- GRANULAR ADDITIONS FOR CHLORINE & BROMINE. If you do use a bromine floater, it's fine to take it out while you're using the spa if you find it gets in the way. Oxy-Spa Non-Chlorine Hot Tub & Pool MPS Oxidizing Shock, Life Deluxe Spa/Hot Tub/Pool Chemical Floating Tablet Dispenser, Applied Biochemist Thio-Trine Neutralizer, Leisure Time Spa & Hot Tub Test Strips 4-Way Bromine Testers, Why You Might Feel Weird After an Epsom Salt Bath. Should you use a floating bromine dispenser in a hot tub? DOUBLE DOSAGE IF THE SPA HAS COMBINED CHLORINE OR BROMINE PRESENT ON TEST. This design gives you fine-grained control over exactly how much tablet is exposed to the water at once, so not all the tablets will start to dissolve right away. You dont have to completely start over with fresh water. Switching a small spa from chlorine to bromine. Adjust the feeder (if its adjustable) according to the manufacturer directions to control the release of sanitizer. ADD ONE SHOT OF SPA DEFENDER OR OTHER SCALE PRODUCT EACH WEEK FOR ALL SPAS. Raising Pool Equipment for Flood Protection, Flooded Inground Pool: 10-Steps to Recovery. When the oxidizer is added to the water, the bromide ions are oxidized into HOBr which is the active sanitizer in the system. If the levels are properly maintained, it should be barely detectable, and certainly not overpowering. Chloramines continue to rise, and even in the air strives to continue working, or oxidizing. Bromine remains effective at higher pH levels than chlorine. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Bromine tablets are white solids that are typically sold as compressed tablets or as capsule-shaped briquettes. Without a sanitizer in your spa, youre basically stewing in a tub of hot water filled with skin cells, soap residue, and bacteria. But you may shock a bromine pool for other reasons, to oxidize contaminants and bacteria or to create bromine. Chlorine: It oxidizes contaminants, invading them and destroying them from the inside out. This will kill the contaminants your bromine has encountered, and convert it back to 'free bromine' so it can be effective again. An outdoor pool is inevitably going to be in the direct sun, and both chlorine and bromine break down easily when exposed to UV rays. Many people assume chlorine is for pools and bromine is for spas, but that doesnt have to be the case. Bromine tablets, granular bromine and bromine systems are oxidizers and must be handled properly. Start by adding a teaspoon of crushed brominating tablet powder to the water. Allow the water to circulate for 20 minutes to allow the sanitizer to disperse. Leisure Time Brominating Granular is a bromide booster and shock in one. One is bromo-chloro hydantoins similar to those used in bromine tablets. Can I just get a new floater for putting the bromine in? But unlike combined chlorine, which is a slow-acting sanitizer, bromamines retain their efficient sanitizing properties. Store products in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from heat, open flames, organic material, and direct sunlight. Basically, it can rust out the building, unless the pool chemistry is very carefully managed, and the HVAC systems are built to constantly eject internal air to the outside, while pulling in a constant supply of fresh air. Bromines lower pH makes it less efficient at removing organic debris, leading to a cloudier appearance. Here's what chemicals you need and how to add them. The more chloramines in your hot tub, the higher the probability of algae growing and bacteria breeding. This is a concern if you have an outdoor hot tub, and makes using your hot tub cover all the more important. As with chlorine sanitizers, it is recommended to periodically shock oxidize the water when using bromine tablets. For indoor pools that receive very little sunlight, Bromine is preferred or recommended. You twist the bottom to try to limit how much water can get inside, but it's not the most accurate mechanism in my experience. This helps keep the pool water sparkling clear. It's not bromide booster, but shock, that will alter the bromine levels and determine whether you can safely use your spa. Adding one or two packets of pool shock regenerates bromine levels, creating essentially free bromine. Follow along as they work to keep the pool in tip-top shape! Whenever you shock your spa, you need to wait for the bromine levels to drop before using it. Specific requirements or preferences may allow of choice of one over the other. It can be harder to get the dose right this way, so you'll often find your sanitizer levels either much too high, or too low (too high is more common in my experience). The water cannot reach the tablets above. IF THE CHLORINE IS OVER 10 PPM ADD THIOSULFATE. As chlorine begins disinfecting the water or killing algae it forms compounds called chloramines. All you really need to get started with bromine is: Get exclusive tips on how to make the most of your hot tub. How long should bromine tablets take to dissolve? Bromine produces compounds called bromamines as it works to disinfect the water, but unlike chloramines, they still remain active and continue to disinfect and dont produce odor, or burn the eyes. THE FLOATER SETTING SHOULD BE 1/8 TO 1 OPEN FOR CHLORINE. varies greatly by region (and even by zip code).To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours. Bromine has a mild, clean, slightly bleach-like chemical smell. I started with one of these, but to be honest, it wasn't as good value as it seemed. And each year, he continues to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. Chloramines (mono, di and tri -chloramines) tend to rise to the surface and gas-off, with highest concentrations measured close to the water surface, where swimmers are breathing deeply. It's important that the two chemicals don't mix directly. OF SHOCK TREATMENT TO SPA EACH WEEK FOR 250-450 GALLON SPAS. For more information on shocking the pool, see Laurens post on The Many Types of Pool Shock. If you don't use one, you'll need to add bromide booster regularly yourself, or just put brominating tablets directly into your spa's skimmer basket if it has one. Build an In-ground Concrete Swimming Pool, Build an In-ground Fiberglass Swimming Pool. If you're ready to try bromine in your spa for the first time, there are all-in-one starter kits available. Read the instructions on the chlorine or bromine tablets container carefully. At pH levels above 8.0, chlorine becomes sluggish and its efficacy drops below 50%. If you use tablets, you must spend around $20 for a floating feeder to dispense the chlorine. OVER 4 TABLETS ONLY IF HEAVY USE OR PROBLEM SPA. You can use crushed bromine tablets, either to establish an initial bromide bank or reserve in your hot tub, or (in small amounts) to top up your spa's bromide reserve in place of tablets. Typically, BCDMH will dissolve more slowly than the blended BCDMH, DCDMH, DCEMH tablets. Bromine: Kills bacteria in your spa for a longer period of time than chlorine. The same pool maintained with bromine will cost about $1,000 a year for pool chemicals. Youll have to weigh the benefits against the cost to determine whether its worth the extra expense for you. You'll save $100 right away with this easy-to-follow digital ebook and video course. This can also cause a dangerous chemical reaction. Bromamines can also be reactivated by a shocking treatment and be returned to their full strength, while chloramines are simply burned off and removed from the water. Although demand stayed high and kept service businesses booming, the pandemics toughest challenges namely, supply and labor shortages bled over into 2022. Hi Wanda, sure you can use bromine, and non-chlorine shock. The one on the right is my preferred type. While chlorine is the most common sanitizer for swimming pools, bromine is used to sanitize hot tubs more often, with good reason. CLEAN FILTER IF SPA FOAMS UP BEFORE RUNNING JETS OR ADDING FOAM-OUT. Due to its slow-dissolving nature, bromine can take longer to build up a residual in the water and can be more difficult to raise quickly if the bromine level drops. The need for oxidation is often overlooked as irritating contaminants, such as brominated disinfection byproducts, accumulate in the water. Chlorine oxidizes when it is working, removing not only bacteria but also organic matter such as body oils from the water. Then you should check out The Hot Tub Handbook and Video Courseto help you save hundreds on chemicals and less time on hot tub maintenance all year long. One application of bromine can last up to a week, while chlorine needs to be added every other day or so.

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