bromine or chlorine

[Jostudly]

I am having difficulty keeping my bromine levels between 3-5ppm and always adding bromine pucks every couple days. I am considering getting a floater to help with this. A co worker of mine said they switched to chlorine and it is easier to maintain. Is this true?

[av8r]

Easier for him, yes.  Easier for you?  Only you can say.

I went with Chlorine because it's less expensive, there is the BBB method and I don't like the smell Bromine leaves on anything that touches the water.  Seems pretty easy to me so far.

[JustAnotherNewbie]

Here is opinion piece regarding the bromine vs chlorine  question. I found it easy to understand. But if course, you will decide what is right for you.

http://www.hottubworks.com/blog/bromine-vs-chlorine-for-spas-hot-tubs/

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

"Opinion piece"? On a retailers website, you you think there's no bias? Since they start off talking about trichlor, which should NEVER be used in a hot tub, one can easily surmise that the rest of the article is filled with many more "inaccuracies".

[JustAnotherNewbie]

Hence the word "opinion", "a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge."

[Tman122]

Here is opinion piece regarding the bromine vs chlorine  question. I found it easy to understand. But if course, you will decide what is right for you.

http://www.hottubworks.com/blog/bromine-vs-chlorine-for-spas-hot-tubs/

There is a whole bunch in the advertisement, yes advertisement that I don't agree with but you found it easy to understand. Who wrote it?

[Vinny]

I never used bromine but from what I've seen many people use chlorine without any issues.

It is easy and if you can time the dosing you can soak in little to no chlorine. But chlorine is not automatic like putting a bromine feeder and if you leave the tub for any length of time will get funky. But with that being said I have left my tub for a week or two while on vacation to no ill effects. One common newbie mistake is trying to keep chlorine levels at 3 ppm all the time.

You an try chlorine and if it doesn't work out you can convert back to bromine without draining the tub.

[av8r]

I never used bromine but from what I've seen many people use chlorine without any issues.

It is easy and if you can time the dosing you can soak in little to no chlorine. But chlorine is not automatic like putting a bromine feeder and if you leave the tub for any length of time will get funky. But with that being said I have left my tub for a week or two while on vacation to no ill effects. One common newbie mistake is trying to keep chlorine levels at 3 ppm all the time.

You an try chlorine and if it doesn't work out you can convert back to bromine without draining the tub.

I'm following your lead, Vinnie.  Soaking in .5ppm and then dose it when I get out. 2 weeks and the water looks great. 

[Racenut]

"Opinion piece"? On a retailers website, you you think there's no bias? Since they start off talking about trichlor, which should NEVER be used in a hot tub, one can easily surmise that the rest of the article is filled with many more "inaccuracies".

So enlighten us rather than generalize and hint at inaccuracies?   Because just about every other source I find via Google reaches the same conclusion that linked article does... Bromine for spas, Chlorine for pools.  And yes, I'm sure this has been covered over and over but for the searches I have done here, it's usually "Do it this way because that's how I do it"

Main points being Bromine works better at higher temps and higher ph levels typical in a spa.  Also Ozonators compliment bromine better.

Though it does seem Dichlor is the more popular option around here and I'm not sure why?

[Tman122]

Bromine is introduced via floater even when it is not required. Why add sanitizer when your tub is sanitized? Chlorine kills and then off gases. So you have very little smell. Bromine kills and then more is added. Always smelly.

[hottubdan]

While it is correct that bromine works better at higher temps, it has its negatives.  Tends to dry skin more.  Worse odor.

[Vinny]

PH levels in a spa and pool should be the same - 7.2 to 7.6 range. Spa water being a little less forgiving can get lower or higher PH due to too much or too little of something being added. Running jets/air can make your PH do things as well.

I personally like the idea of not soaking in sanitizer just because hot tubs open your pores. Definitely no trichlor use although I would tend to think that using non chlorine shock a lot would be bad do to it's acidic nature.

If it ain't broke don't fix it ... if bromine is the sanitizer of choice then so be it and the same holds true with chlorine. I know that some people were experimenting with hydrogen peroxide and I don't know how that all turned out. I will say stay away from things like Baqua and the like - big money drain ... considering I can get close to a gallon of bleach for $2 or a 5 lb bucket of dichlor for $30.

[chem geek]

So enlighten us rather than generalize and hint at inaccuracies?   Because just about every other source I find via Google reaches the same conclusion that linked article does... Bromine for spas, Chlorine for pools.  And yes, I'm sure this has been covered over and over but for the searches I have done here, it's usually "Do it this way because that's how I do it"

Main points being Bromine works better at higher temps and higher ph levels typical in a spa.  Also Ozonators compliment bromine better.

Though it does seem Dichlor is the more popular option around here and I'm not sure why?

Not just around here, but according to industry surveys they show that 50% of hot tubs use chlorine, 32% use bromine, and the rest are other systems such as Nature²/MPS, ozone alone (not always disinfected, but some people do it anyway), copper/silver ion systems, and other techniques (e.g. hydrogen peroxide, Baquacil/biguanide/PHMB).

Some of what that article said is just plain wrong.  Bromine is not as strong an oxidizer NOR a disinfectant compared to chlorine.  It is true that bromamines are still effective disinfectants while chloramines are not, but chloramines don't last long in spas (i.e. proper dosing makes the point irrelevant).  People without ozonators and using bromine often report dull/cloudy water problems and need to shock periodically with chlorine (the same is true for Nature²/MPS).  As for hot water, chlorine in a spa with the proper amount of CYA and no ozonator doesn't dissipate any faster than bromine.  Bromine and bromamines smell different and some people don't like it especially the smell on the skin.  The main difference is that bromine can be added in slow-dissolving bromine tabs while chlorine cannot (Trichlor tends to dissolve too quickly and spa manufacturers frown on it because if not dosed carefully the acidity can damage equipment if the pH crashes).  The downside to this is that it's hard to not soak with a higher-than-desired bromine level (at least when using tabs) while with chlorine one can start a soak with minimal chlorine and then just dose right after one's soak.

As a general rule, if one is using a hot tub regularly, then chlorine works better and will keep the water clearer longer and allow longer times between water changes, especially if the Dichlor-then-bleach method is used to avoid CYA buildup.  If one is using the hot tub less frequently, especially if one has an ozonator, then bromine is easier.  If one uses a saltwater chlorine generator (e.g. ControlOMatic Technichlor), then that mitigates the dosing in between soaks though some spa manufacturers void their warranty if higher salt levels are used.

[Quickbeam]

I know that some people were experimenting with hydrogen peroxide and I don't know how that all turned out.

Hi Vinny. It is my wife and I that use hydrogen peroxide in our tub. Have been using it for a little over 1 1/2 years now with no problems. It is inexpensive and easy to use. So far at least, no downside for us.

[sue_in_texas]

" considering I can get close to a gallon of bleach for $2 or a 5 lb bucket of dichlor for $30."

You mean, I can just add liquid bleach....like the kind I use for laundry....and not have to fuss with going to a pool store for chlorine?