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| Spa
Chemistry
Chlorine/Bromine
Bromine
& Shock
Shock & Bromine Levels In Spa
Bromine & UV Light / Environmental Concerns
Bromine & Corrosion
Dichlor, Trichlor & Spas
Can Trichlor Tabs Be Used In A Spa
Bromine And pH
Difficulty Maintaining Bromine Level In Spa
Lowering Bromine Levels
Chlorine Vs. Bromine In Pools And Spas
Bromine Vs. Chlorine In Spas / Function Of An Ozonator
Maintaining Correct Bromine Level - Spa With Ozonator
Switching From Chlorine To Bromine
Bromine
& Shock
Q:
Once bromine is activated what does it change into? An inert compound
and remain in the water, or is it filtered out, or does it evaporate?
Is bromine always present in some form even after activation. We are
concerned about chemical usage and want to use bromine as a shock
backup to ozone and ionization generators.
A:
Adding shock (non chlorine type) will convert the bromide salts in
the water into active bromine (hypobromous acid). After this reacts
with waste it reverts to bromide and is available to be converted
into hypobromous acid by the addition of shock.
You must replenish the bromide salts after refilling the spa. Generally
some bromide salts are added monthly to assure an adequate presence.
Too much bromide is not a problem.
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Shock
& Bromine Levels In Spa
Q:
We have had our spa (which includes an ozonator) about 2 months and
are still trying to figure out how to keep the proper levels of Bromine,
PH, and Alkalinity. Any time I add oxidizer/shock, my bromine level
shoots real high, and the ph and alkalinity drop real low. I then
try to raise the ph and alkalinity, and don't adjust my bromine dispenser
at all, and before long I have acceptable ranges of ph and alkaline,
but my bromine is too low. So every 3 to 4 days, I have been shocking
it again, which raises my bromine levels, but reduces my ph and alkaline.
Should the shock be effecting the bromine, ph, and alkaline levels
in this manner? If so, do you have any suggestions as to how I can
maintain the proper levels of each? Or should I adjust the bromine
dispenser to allow more bromine, and shock less often?
I am currently using 3-way test strips. Would I get better results
with a test kit?
A:
The addition of non-chlorine shock/oxidizer will raise the bromine
level of the water, so long as the spa water contains bromide ions.
This is the situation in your case. It is normal for this to occur.
Some of the shock/oxidizer brands, particularly those intended for
swimming pools, may be acidic in nature and have a lowering affect
upon the pH and total alkalinity. SUN for the Spa SUN-BRITE and Spa
Clear OXY-SHOCK are buffered in order to avoid this lowering affect
upon these parameters.
It is normal for the bromine levels to drop over time. As the bromine
reacts with bather wastes and organic matter, it is consumed and needs
to be replenished.
Try and maintain the pH in the 7.2-7.8 range and the t/a in the 80-120
PPM range. This will help stabilize the pH and make adjustments less
frequent. It is normal for these parameters to decrease over time.
The test strips are perfectly adequate for your purposes.
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Bromine & UV Light / Environmental Concerns
Q:
Can you explain specifically why bromine is less effective when subject
to UV rays. What happens to the bromine? If it is broken up and heads
into the atmosphere, then isn't it going to deplete ozone in the stratosphere?
But I have read that bromine is preferable to chlorine from an environmental
perspective.
A:
Good questions!!! Chlorine is protected from destruction by UV light
by the presence of cyanuric acid (chlorine stabilizer) in the water.
No such chemical affords bromine protection against UV light. Bromine
that is "used up" converts to bromide ions and does remain
in the water. Bromide ions are not active as sanitizers. Chlorine
will form chloride ions (common salt) and also remains in the water.
The environmental concerns about chlorine have little or nothing to
do with the swimming pool industry. Compared to major consuming industries,
the swimming pool usage is a drop in the bucket. In the treatment
of drinking water there is concern that the chlorine will react with
organic contaminants and form undesirable chlorinated products such
as chloroform. The manufacture of elemental chlorine involves the
use of a mercury catalyst and this has caused concern regarding mercury
discharges. None of this relates to the swimming pool use which is
regarded as safe and backed by a long history of use.
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Bromine
& Corrosion
Q:
I was visiting with a friend who said he was advised to use chlorine
instead of bromine in his spa because the bromine would cause damage
to the metals in the pump and other hardware. Is this a valid concern?
A:
If a bromine-maintained spa is allowed to remain in the acid state
(pH below) for extended periods of time, this can lead to corrosion
of copper heater coils and other metal parts. It is important to maintain
a proper pH and total alkalinity, in order to avoid this possibility.
Chlorine and bromine have similar chemistries and exactly the same
corrosive effects will occur under similar circumstances. Both materials
are used successfully in spas.
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Dichlor, Trichlor & Spas
Q:
What is the general difference between trichloro-s-triazinetrione
(Trichlor) and dichloro-s-tri (Dichlor)? The D-S-T is many times more
expensive than the T-S-T, and of course the spa shop owner says only
to use the D-S-T in a spa. Why is this? they both have equal amounts
of available chlorine.
A:
Trichlor is most commonly sold as a tablet and is approx. 90% available
chlorine. It is also available in a granular form at 90% available.
I believe that the product your are referring to is a trichlor and
soda ash mixture with an available chlorine of approx 60%. THESE PRODUCTS
ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN SPAS. Trichlor is too acidic and may result
in pH problems and heater damage. Dichlor is a neutralized sodium
salt of the basic chlorine compound. It is essentially neutral and
has little effect upon the pH of a spa. This is the chlorine of choice
use in a spa.
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Can Trichlor Tabs Be Used In A Spa
Q:
My parents have a hot tub & want to know if Chlorine is o.k. to
use in it. They say the tablets are much cheaper.
A:
The chlorine tablets are indeed less expensive, but there are several
reasons that they are not recommended for use in spas.
Trichlor tablets are approximately 10 times more soluble than are
bromine tablets at the temperature of the typical spa. Simply put,
they would dissolve too fast, produce too high a chlorine level and
would produce odor and possible irritation.
Chlorine can be used in a spa, usually in the form of dichlor granular.
The Spa Clear and SUN lines of spa chemicals offer several choices
of chlorine and/or bromine alternatives. Your local spa professional
can acquaint you with the various choices.
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Bromine
And pH
Q:
I have been told that if I started to use bromine instead of chlorine
in my pool (inground, plaster, 10,000 gal. ) that the bromine will
maintain it's own proper Ph. levels and there will be no more need
to adjust the Ph. levels again. Is this true?
A:
Positively, absolutely not true!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bromine will have a lowering effect on the pH, that is very similar
to the effect associated with trichlor. You must test and adjust the
pH and Total Alkalinity as necessary.
A word of caution. Some phenol red solutions may not be properly formulated
for use with bromine. Such test solutions allow the bromine to react
with the phenol red forming a pink-purple color. This color makes
it look as if the pH is always too high. In fact it has nothing to
do with the actual pH. To avoid the problem, add chlorine neutralizer
test solution prior to adding the phenol red.
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Difficulty
Maintaining Bromine Level In Spa
Q:
If you could please advise me, it would be GREATLY appreciated! I'm
having a difficult time maintaining bromine level in a spa. I have
tried changing the water, changing brands of chemicals, adding sodium
bromide. When spa is first shocked, readings are great, next day,
almost no reading. (PH, however, IS good & STAYS good) I have
never seen this problem before, and am about out of ideas!
A:
The reason that the bromine levels drops is because it is reacting
with the organic wastes introduced into the water by the bathers.
You have to add sufficient bromine to destroy the waste. The excess
bromine will be available as a reserve to maintain sanitation for
day to day.
Test the water before bathing and add product to raise level to 3-5
PPM. After bathing, add additional product to destroy the contamination
and restore a reserve of bromine.
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Lowering
Bromine Levels
Q:
The PH & Alkalinity are in ideal range. Bromine is off the chlorine
scale and has a very strong odor. How can I get the level back down?
A:
There are products that are designed to lower excessively high levels
of CHLORINE. The same product can be used to lower the bromine level.
Follow directions and add one-half the recommended amount.
Such a product is Swim-Free De-Chlor. Make sure that the spa conditions
are in the optimum range before resuming use.
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Chlorine Vs. Bromine In Pools And Spas
Q:
Would you please let me have your scientific opinion on the relative
merits of using chlorine versus bromine as a pool and/or spa water
treatment additive. Does either chemical cause skin rash or any other
undesirable affect to a greater extent than the other?
A:
In a pool, I would choose chlorine. It is available in a variety of
forms, is safe and effective, costs less than bromine and can be stabilized
against UV light from the sun.
In a spa, I would choose bromine. It is available as a 2-part system
or slow dissolving tablets, is less adversely affected by high pH
allowing a range of 7.2-7.8 as opposed to 7.2-7.6, is less prone to
form odorous by-products and has a safe and effective history. In
as much as spas are covered most of the time, the issue of protection
against the sun's UV is not relevant.
The possibility of a rash exists with most sanitizers. The cause is
much more likely to be due to an inadequate level of sanitizer, than
it is to be an adverse reaction to the sanitizer.
Maintain a pool or spa within the suggested parameters and use common
sense and the likelihood of problems is at a minimum.
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Bromine Vs. Chlorine In Spas / Function Of
An Ozonator
Q:
Will you please give me a more in-depth answer to Bromine vs. Chlorine
usage in a spa. Also, what exactly happens with the use of an ozonator?
A:
Bromine is better suited for use in spas than is chlorine. It is less
odorous, irritating and less affected by pH than is chlorine. It is
available in a variety of forms to suit various preferences. With
chlorine there will always be the omnipresent odor of chloramines.
With bromine there is little or no odor under proper conditions. Either
product will sanitize effectively, when used properly.
An ozonator introduces ozone into the water, destroying micro-organisms
and contamination. The ozonator only works on low speed and, therefore,
is introduced into the water at certain intervals. Ozone is very fleeting
and once the ozonator is shut off, there is little continuing sanitation.
Because of this, most manufacturers recommend the use of a backup
sanitizer system, such as bromine, in order to provide sanitizer residual
during the periods that the ozonator is not operating.
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Maintaining Correct Bromine Level - Spa With
Ozonator
Q:
I just added an ozonator to my spa. Now I do not know what the correct
bromine level is. Any help is appreciated.
A:
If your ozonator is operating properly and for an appropriate amount
of time, all you need do is maintain a small bromine residual to sanitize
the water whenever the ozonator is not operating (pump on high speed
or pump off). A level of 1-2 PPM should suffice. A level of 3-5 PPM
should provide a maximum degree of protection.
Much depends on your individual pattern of use. Try to have some bromine
present between uses and you should have a minimum of problems with
water quality. Don't forget about the pH and other parameters.
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Switching From Chlorine To Bromine
Q:
I had heard that you should not change from using chlorine to using
bromine within the same system. My maintenance person wants to switch
my spa system over from chlorine to bromine, saying it would be more
effective. Would this be a good idea? I have looked on the net for
an answer and haven't found any info on this problem. Thank you.
A:
Bromine has several advantages over chlorine:
It is less odorous and creates a more pleasant setting.
It is effective over a broader pH range.
It is available in slow dissolving form or as a 2-part system.
Bromine has always been my choice over chlorine in spas. Switching
from chlorine to bromine requires no special treatment other than,
perhaps, adding some bromide salts to assure complete conversion to
bromine.
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