Bromine, Ph, Alk, oh my.... feeling like a newbie

[Brookenstein]

OK, I changed my water a week ago Sunday.  I started with dichlor until I got my bromine stuff in the mail.  Upon fill up my PH was over 8 and ALK was 100.  I put in a capful of lowering stuff.  The next day I was even brighter pink on the PH and ALK was 110.  I put in 2 caps of lowering stuff.  I think I checked 2 days later and I was 7.4 on PH and didn't have a chance to check the ALK.  I added the bromine starter crap and my bromine floater.  The next day I check my bromine (note:  tub has not been used at all at this point... or possibly once when on dichlor).  I'm at about 1.5 so I raise the dispenser a bit so more comes out.  My kids and mom used the tub Sunday night, didn't check the levels before.  I check Monday morning and I have about .5 on the bromine a PH of over 8 and ALK of 50.  I raised the number on the dial again (think I'm at 6 now).  Monday night DH and I use the tub.  Today I check numbers and I have no readable bromine, PH way over 8 and ALK of 60.  Now, I used old test strips in addition to the Taylor kit yesterday.... and I was right in the normal range for both PH and ALK.... so I don't know how much to micromanage this???

Oh, I threw in about 1/2 TBS of dichlor this morning to shock things up a bit.

Any feedback?  I used test strips pretty much only the first 2 years of ownership and my water was always perfect.... so I'm new to this adjusting stuff.  

[Repeat_Offender]

You need to use enough granular bromine to acheive the level you want (3-5ppm?) then use the floater to maintain. Trying to raise the bromine level with the floater is time consuming and difficult. Once you get it set it's easy (mine is set on 2-2 1/2). No need to constantly change the floater setting, just add 2-3 tablets, (or whatever works for you) each week.

[Brookenstein]

I started with the 6 or 8 oz of the granular stuff as reccomended on the bottle.

[Repeat_Offender]

Did you test afterwards? Gotta get that level up first. Just like the first time you used dichlor you had to check it to get it right, same with bromine.

[Brookenstein]

How soon am I supposed to check?

[hottubdan]

There are different Bromine systems.  Which brand are you using?

[Brewman]

I don't know if this is going to be helpful or not, but when I was on bromine I had the same experience.  With new water I'd put in the starter packs, and get a reading.  Then toss in the floater and in a day or so, no reading at all.  
  Then after a couple days it would finally read.  But I had trouble getting the reading to stay consistent.  One day nothing, then bam- off the charts.

I was using brilliance with their floater- never could get the hang of it.  Plus it stained some of the plastic brown.  

Just test every day for a few days, and see if your bromine doesn't start registering.  
Are you using an adjustable floater?  Or the built in dispenser in your spa?  

[Brookenstein]

I'm using docs stuff.... the All-Clear bromine tablets and the GLB brand granular stuff.  I'm using an adjustable floater.  It is at a 6, I think it said a 4 was appropriate for my size tub.

This morning my bromine is at 1 (did not use the tub yesterday) PH is still over 8 and alk is about 60.  Is there a way to lower the ph without lowering the alk?  What I have lowers both.

[Brewman]

As far as I know, you really can't lower Ph without lowering alk.  I have the same problem as you do.  I use some type of acid (Ph down, or whatever) to lower Ph, and then boost up my alkalinity with baking soda.  It appears in my case anyway, that the baking soda has a direct impact on alk, but not so much on Ph.  
 Are you going to use dichlor to shock, or MPS?  I think both bromine and MPS drag down Ph over time.  
That was my expereience, anyway.  

[Brookenstein]

What I hate is the test strips all say that i'm in the norm range.... but I'm also sure I'm doing the Taylor test kit right.  I really don't want to micromanage this stuff.  I also don't get why for a day or two the PH was perfect.  Oh well.  

I hadn't made a decision one way or the other on the dichlor vs MPS.  I have both.  I through the dichlor in yesterday because I thought maybe it would help get the bromine # up.  Guess I will throw another capful of the PH down stuff in today and check and see where I'm at tomorrow.  

[Brookenstein]

Ok, I tested this morning (didn't use tub last last night).  PH is down to 7.6 ALK is at 50 and Br is about 1.5.  Should I start raising the alk with baking soda now?  If so, how much?

[Lars]

A very handy page.

http://www.rhtubs.com/info/water.htm

Just plug in your numbers.

[Brookenstein]

Cool.  Thanks for that handy little thing.  2.5 oz it is.

[Brookenstein]

Ok, Its only been about 3.5 hours or so... but the ALK came up the 30 points needed, but the PH is now over 8 again.  I'm not messing with it anymore today, I'll wait and see what it looks like tomorrow.

[Chad]

Ok, Its only been about 3.5 hours or so... but the ALK came up the 30 points needed, but the PH is now over 8 again.  I'm not messing with it anymore today, I'll wait and see what it looks like tomorrow.

Don't know about Bromine but with a regular Dichlor routine, pH seems to always drift down over time as you may already know being a past user yoursexyfeetself. So my advice, let ride for a few days and see where it goes.