As a newcomer to Hot Tubs, we obtained ours some two weeks ago and I have been struggling with the water chemistry balancing. I am OK with Alkalinity and Ph but struggling with Total Bromine and Free Bromine levels and also total hardness.
I am using test strips which are 6 in 1, but they appear to measure Total Chlorine and free Chlorine/Bromine. I have done some research and there is a suggestion that for total chlorine test strips, if you are using bromine (as I am) you should multiply the result by 2.25. Is that true? Also, should I multiply the free chlorine/bromine by 2.25 also? From what I understand bromine is heavier than chlorine by a factor of 2.25, thus the multiplier.
Regarding water softness, we live in a very hard water area and I have been adding water softening agent (sodium bicarbonate) in quantities that would seem excessive. However, I cannot get a result on my test strips that indicates a level below 1000ppm? What am I doing that’s wrong? Is there a link between water hardness/ softness and any of the other chemicals used in the balancing process?
