Bromine Issue

[bradleyabell]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

[Tman122]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

[bradleyabell]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

 How could it get used up when I haven’t even been in the tub yet?

[bradleyabell]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

 How could it get used up when I haven’t even been in the tub yet?

Also I did test it immediately after shocking and still there was no result.

[bradleyabell]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

Just went outside and once against shocked with MPS and tested a few minutes later and still no bromine readout.

[Tman122]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

Just went outside and once against shocked with MPS and tested a few minutes later and still no bromine readout.

The MPS is burning off (oxidizing) the bromine. Stop shocking. Use only bromine to sanitize.

[bradleyabell]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

Just went outside and once against shocked with MPS and tested a few minutes later and still no bromine readout.

The MPS is burning off (oxidizing) the bromine. Stop shocking. Use only bromine to sanitize.

How do I get a bromine readout then?  I've read it takes weeks for just a floater to show a reading.

[Tman122]

Hi All...

I had a big issue with my tubs water, most likely caused by a lack of sanitizer...read on), so I purged it, drained it, cleaned it, and refilled it.  I balanced the chemicals, added sodium bromide (along with a bromine tablet floater)...Am also using a frog mineral floater.  I followed the directions and shocked it with MPS and yet I am not getting any sort of bromine readout on any of my test strips (I've tried multiple brands now).  Any idea as to what is going on or why I am unable to maintain a level of bromine in my tub??

It's getting used up. Wait for the MPS to burn off then add more and check it.

Just went outside and once against shocked with MPS and tested a few minutes later and still no bromine readout.

The MPS is burning off (oxidizing) the bromine. Stop shocking. Use only bromine to sanitize.

How do I get a bromine readout then?  I've read it takes weeks for just a floater to show a reading.

Put in the booster, drop in the floater and set it high. Can't tell you how high but it may be as high as it will go for a while. Use your tub, most people take the floater out when they use it. But put it back in when your done. Then check the bromine level the next day. Repeat. After a couple weeks shock it.

[Sam]

I'm guessing that there are contaminants in the water using up the bromine as fast as it dissolves.  Could be from a variety of sources, including the remaining water in the plumbing from after your drain/refill.  Since bromine tablets dissolve at a slow rate, I usually recommend that my bromine customers keep some chlorine on hand when they can't get a reading.

Also, as far as I'm aware, adding MPS will convert bromine salts into active bromine.

[hottubdan]

This s such a common issue.  Hard to build up that bromine bank.  That is why I like chlorine. If you like the floater, try @Ease.

[Hottubguy]

When you had the water tested did they test for phosphates?  Common problem I have been seeing more and more of

[bud16415]

I messed around with bromine for a year before I threw in the towel as well. I know many people have great success with bromine I just haven’t met one in person. My tub came with the inline frog feeder before @ease cartridges were available and they also sent a frog floater with the tub. The dealer told me to throw the floater away. I ended up using both and eventually I could get the level to come up. The problem then became trying to keep the level stable as the bank would build and after shocking I would get a super high level.

When I gave up I first went with dichlor and then eventually the dichlor switching to Clorox method once my stabilizer was at the level I wanted.

I liked the immediate feed back with this method. I add the dichlor or Clorox and run the clean cycle for a couple minutes and I see the result on my test strip.

At first there is a learning curve for a week or so I was going thru test strip pretty fast as I wanted to know what the level was before getting in and after treating after getting out. After a week it became clear how much product to add and what the result would be and now I might only test 2 or 3 times a week. My tub is 400 gallons and 1 tablespoon of dichlor or one Dixie cup of Clorox is what it takes per day if the two of us use it every day. If we have company or extra heavy usage of the tub I might go one and a half or even double if we don’t use it for a day I mostly feel free in skipping a day.

The method is simple and cheap but the draw back is it is not automatic. You have to keep a close eye on the tub and adjust PH and such anyway so I figured I might as well go this way.   

[castletonia]

I have also found it best to not use the hot tub for a day or two so that the bromine can actually dissolve enough to register.  If you use it as soon as its warm, the bromine is trying to catch up to the demand and the tabs don't dissolve fast enough.

[bradleyabell]

I messed around with bromine for a year before I threw in the towel as well. I know many people have great success with bromine I just haven’t met one in person. My tub came with the inline frog feeder before @ease cartridges were available and they also sent a frog floater with the tub. The dealer told me to throw the floater away. I ended up using both and eventually I could get the level to come up. The problem then became trying to keep the level stable as the bank would build and after shocking I would get a super high level.

When I gave up I first went with dichlor and then eventually the dichlor switching to Clorox method once my stabilizer was at the level I wanted.

I liked the immediate feed back with this method. I add the dichlor or Clorox and run the clean cycle for a couple minutes and I see the result on my test strip.

At first there is a learning curve for a week or so I was going thru test strip pretty fast as I wanted to know what the level was before getting in and after treating after getting out. After a week it became clear how much product to add and what the result would be and now I might only test 2 or 3 times a week. My tub is 400 gallons and 1 tablespoon of dichlor or one Dixie cup of Clorox is what it takes per day if the two of us use it every day. If we have company or extra heavy usage of the tub I might go one and a half or even double if we don’t use it for a day I mostly feel free in skipping a day.

The method is simple and cheap but the draw back is it is not automatic. You have to keep a close eye on the tub and adjust PH and such anyway so I figured I might as well go this way.

If you add dichlor to tub daily, do you do it before or after getting in?  And do you still “shock it weekly?

[bud16415]

 
[/quote]

If you add dichlor to tub daily, do you do it before or after getting in?  And do you still “shock it weekly?
[/quote]

Always after getting out. That way an hour after using it the level is about 5ppm ideally the next day it is down to 1ppm and we are getting in nice clean water where the chlorine has done its job and is out of the water. Doing this and when just the two of us are using it daily I would say we shock about every other week with an oxidizing non chlorine shock. I would also do that when we are done for the night and if we want to get in it the next morning it is good to go.

We bought our tub to use and I don’t like having to miss a few days waiting around for things to get going.

When we were running the “carefree bromine cartridges” I was spending more time working on the tub than using it or so it seemed. Now I really don’t think I spend 5 minutes a day on spa care.

When we change the water maybe 3 times a year it is just because it has lost its sparkle. I have been experimenting the last year with after 3 months open the drain valve that I have plumbed to the waste water line and drain the tub down about 1/3 and refill it with hot water. Doing that I think you could make your water last forever, but I then make it to 6 months and do a good drain and blow out the pipes scrub the tub down with vinegar and micro fiber cloths and refilling. One of the nice things about a partial drain is if it is February and I do that it keeps me going till the weather warms.

Right now I’m ready for a water change and will do it the next nice day in mid November that comes along and should be good till spring.