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Author Topic: bromine floater or not  (Read 11687 times)

Jostudly

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bromine floater or not
« on: October 23, 2015, 10:32:56 am »
I am told by me dealer to add bromine pucks in the basket above the filter in my tub. Another dealer said that is hard on the heater and I should use a floater when not in the tub and to add a bromine powder when in the tub. What are your thoughts on this?

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bromine floater or not
« on: October 23, 2015, 10:32:56 am »

chem geek

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2015, 11:28:59 am »
It is Trichlor tabs that are quite acidic and where having them in a pool skimmer can be bad for pump seals and copper heat exchangers due to not having water flow and then getting a blast of low pH water.  Bromine tabs are not nearly as acidic where a 1% solution has a pH of 4.2 compared to Trichlor where a 1% solution has a pH of 2.7-2.9.  While this doesn't sound like a big difference, it's a factor of 25 difference in acidity since pH is a logarithmic scale.

So their advice is still reasonable since it's safer to use the bromine tabs in a proper feeder (one that does NOT open from the top), but it's not as critical as it is for pools when using Trichlor.

Jostudly

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2015, 01:21:31 pm »
Okay so if I am using bromine pucks in the basket does that mean I am okay with it not breaking down the heater?

lehacf

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2015, 08:29:21 pm »
Hello,

Few questions:

1. Could you please explain difference between bromine floater that opens from the top and the one that does not. Is the gasses that might (and probably will) escape is the concern?

2. I have purchased bromine tabs from Lesslie (http://www.lesliespool.com/leslies-48102-brominating-tabs-15-lbs/48102.htm) and put them in the floater which I have then put inside filter compartment. My tub has two filters with large circular plastic enclosures above them and floater fits perfectly inside  without obstructing water flow. After few days sitting inside those baskets (which was directly above one of the filter cartridges) I have noticed that plastic on top of the filter turned from blue to green, probably as the result of chemicals. Is it normal and expected?

3. Can the specs of bromine that seem to constantly fall out from the floater's bottom cause damage to spa's acrylic?

Thank you very much

Dr. Spa™ Ret.

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #4 on: October 24, 2015, 09:55:59 pm »
...
« Last Edit: October 24, 2015, 10:00:12 pm by Dr. Spa™ Ret. »
If you can't sell it on eBay, it may not even qualify as landfill.

Retired (mostly) from the industry after 33 years...but still putzing around with a consumer information website, and trying to sell obsolete owners manuals

chem geek

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2015, 12:09:00 am »
If you have the circulation pump on all the time then having the bromine tabs in the basket should be OK.  If the circulation pump cycles on and off then there is some risk.  There's a reason bromine floaters exist.

If the top of the bromine floater is not sealed (i.e. is like a Trichlor feeder where tabs are put in at the top) then the gasses from bromine will oxidize the hot tub cover faster.  This is why bromine feeders are loaded from the bottom and have solid tops that do not allow outgassing.

As for the discoloration, if the circulation pump was not always on then the tablets could still dissolve slowly and create very high bromine fairly low pH water near the floater and that can cause problems nearby.  Even floaters in the main tub can risk degrading the acrylic of the tub if the floater gets stuck in one place.  Again, this is more of an issue with Trichlor feeders in a pool, but there is still some effect from bromine in feeders as well.  That's the nature of dosing concentrated chemicals that are strong oxidizers.

Normally specs of bromine shouldn't fall out of a feeder because normally the openings for the feeder are a little above the bottom so that small particles from bromine tabs should fall to the bottom of the feeder.  As to whether any that fall out will cause problems to the acrylic floor of the spa, they might cause some minor problem because acrylic is reasonably strong, but it would be better not to have undissolved bromine tabs (or portions thereof) come in direct contact with the spa.
« Last Edit: October 25, 2015, 12:16:15 am by chem geek »

lehacf

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2015, 02:04:49 pm »
Got it. Thank you!

1. How much bromine does it make sense to put in the floater?

2. I don't have circulation pump but I have two one-hour long filtration cycles. Is it a good idea to put bromine floater with couple tablets float freely in the tub based on this?

3. What would be the first sign that chemicals start affecting acrylic?

Thank you again.

chem geek

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2015, 02:02:14 pm »
1. You add whatever amount of bromine tabs are needed to add enough bromine between soaks for what you can dial-in from the feeder.  Others can give you their experience with how much that is for them.

2. When I referred to circulation, the filtration cycle is what I meant.  Yours is infrequent so yes I'd use a floater instead of putting them in the skimmer, but again the risk is lower compared to Trichlor in pools.

3. Good question that I'll let others with experience let you know.  Maybe they've never seen any damage from bromine floaters stuck in one place in a spa.  I would guess that discoloration of some sort would be a symptom.

Jostudly

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Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2015, 07:59:35 am »
I have my tub filtering twice a day for 4hrs. I am adding 2 bromine tabs in the basket every couple of days. Is seems when they are in the basket above the filter they dissolve quickly. I will try a floater and hopefully they will not dissolve as fast.

Hot Tub Forum

Re: bromine floater or not
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2015, 07:59:35 am »

 

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