Major Bromine Help Needed

[Hottub195]

I recently purchased a brand new Jacuzzi hot tub (J-275). My wife and I love it.

I'm having issues keeping the Bromine levels up. It's gotten to the point where my dealer is not helping me anymore and told me to switch to Chlorine. I'm hoping the community here can help me as a last resort.

My PH, ALK, and Hardness are at the recommended levels. I put more than the recommended sodium bromide and shock when starting up the hot tub. I've done this step more than once. I have 6 Bromine tablets in my feeder which is more than the recommended amount, and the tablets are dissolving. When I shock the hot tub (Non Chlorine Oxidizer) the bromine levels go up, and within 1-2 days, the bromine levels on my test strips are under 2PPM, usually on the lowest end of the colors. We use the tub 4-5 days a week for around 20-30 minutes. The maintenance guy who came to help me with my water said that I have very clear water and to keep doing what I'm doing...

The only reason I could come up with for my Bromine not being stable is that my tub has a UV bulb installed in it which could be using up my bromine. If this is the case, is it ok to keep shocking once a week and not worry about what the strips say?

On top of all this, I'm now noticing small white particles floating in the tub. When I touch them, they're a little slimy. My water is still very clear and you have to look hard at the water to find anything, but this is new and becoming a concern.

Any help would be amazingly appreciated. I feel like in 3 weeks this tub has become a burden to me and my family instead of a place of relaxation.

[cranbiz]

I don't use Bromine but I do know that new tubs are filthy and loaded with biofilms from factory testing. These cause troubles with sanitation. UV light will break down sanitizer but it's reported that Bromine is slightly more stable that Chlorine with UV light.

Buy some Ah-some and purge the tub then drain and refill and start over. You would be surprised as to how much gunk comes out and how much easier that sanitation will be.

[A.O.]

I agree with your dealer, switch to chlorine. Much easier!! Why do you want to stay with the Bromine?

[Hottub195]

I agree with your dealer, switch to chlorine. Much easier!! Why do you want to stay with the Bromine?

I preferred Bromine because of the smell and maintenance (I was told to shock once a week and add tablets). I just got the tub and would feel bad to purge it after 1 month, however can be convinced.

What does the maintenance with Chlorine look like? What do I need to do to switch over?

[cranbiz]

It's pretty easy. You need dichlor to build your chlorine reserve (CYA to 20-30 PPM) then switch to liquid chlorine to keep the right FC level roughly 3-6 PPM. Once a week elevate to 12 PPM and use MPS (non chlorine shock) once a week or after heavy bathing. Keep your PH between 7.2 and 7.8, calcium hardness at ~150 PPM and TA at ~50 PPM.

I wasn't a believer in purging a brand new tub but I did it. I'm a believer now. The amount of gunk that came out of my new tub that was in effect, 2 weeks old (from final assembly to delivery) was unbelievable.

[Tman122]

I agree with your dealer, switch to chlorine. Much easier!! Why do you want to stay with the Bromine?

I preferred Bromine because of the smell and maintenance (I was told to shock once a week and add tablets). I just got the tub and would feel bad to purge it after 1 month, however can be convinced.

What does the maintenance with Chlorine look like? What do I need to do to switch over?

Bromine smells more than chlorine.

[A.O.]

I agree with your dealer, switch to chlorine. Much easier!! Why do you want to stay with the Bromine?

I preferred Bromine because of the smell and maintenance (I was told to shock once a week and add tablets). I just got the tub and would feel bad to purge it after 1 month, however can be convinced.

What does the maintenance with Chlorine look like? What do I need to do to switch over?

A properly maintained chlorine hot tub has no smell!!

Chlorine is a very easy maintenance way to go.. read this, it explains it well!  https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/how-do-i-use-chlorine-in-my-spa-or-pool.9670/

My new tub has been running now for 9 months, never shocked it yet because there is no need, and some people are allergic to the MPS..

I used to do all that stuff, then I tried this way on this tub oh man what a difference, and SO many less chemicals to have to get/use! Have a look.

[TomDedrick]

Flakes that are in your spa resembling pieces of skin, or may be akin to pieces of tissue paper in the water are indicative of white mould in your plumbing.
 
White mould is an airborne spore and develops in areas left damp such as garden hoses, dehumidifiers, sump holes, children's bathtub toys, hot tub filters that are left outside and reinstalled while not completely dry, swimming pools and hot tubs.
 
White mould can be introduced to spa plumbing from wet testing at the time of manufacturing, or in the time between when it was drained at the showroom till the time it gets to your house.  It can occur if you drain your tub and don't refill it for a few days. White mould can also be introduced to spa water when filled from a garden hose that has developed some white mould while lying out in the sun and sometimes it just drifts into your spa water while the lid is open. 
 
White mould can even remain in your tub and be kept at bay for months and years by conventional sanitizers such as bromine and chlorine. Left unattended white mould can overwhelm your spa.
 
To kill white mould, you need to decontaminate the spa by super-chlorinating the water with granular chlorine (you can substitute granular bromine for chlorine).   

To do so, add AT LEAST 2.5 ounces (5 tablespoons, 75 grams) of chlorine for every 100 gallons (400 litres) of spa water or part thereof (adding more is fine and never a bad idea).  For this treatment to be effective it is imperative that the chlorinated water is distributed throughout the entire plumbing system. Ensure that diverter valves are midway and that all jets, valves, waterfalls, water features, and aerators are open and are subjected to the chlorine. If your tub has a drain next to the pump or at the base of the cabinet to which you can attach a hose to facilitate draining, ensure that some of the chlorinated water is bled through the drain at the onset of this procedure.  This is very important to do because any built-in drains are a dead end in the plumbing and the chlorine will not naturally make its way down to that part of the plumbing, but the white mould will.

Check the chlorine reading after 24, 48 and 72 hours.  If at any of these intervals the chlorine is anything less than ridiculously high (if it shows less than the maximum on your test strips) treat the tub again with chlorine and start the clock over on the 72hour time period.  Do not use the spa during the decontamination process.

It is important to note that the chlorine will kill the white mould so that it doesn’t continue to grow, but it will not make the flakes vanish.

After 72 continuous hours of successful chlorination:

•   Remove your filter and clean it.
•   Use a plumbing cleanser such as Spa Marvel Cleanser to clean the plumbing.   
•   Drain the spa.
•   Install the clean filter and refill the tub as per manufacturers directions.  When a tub is drained there are still several gallons of water that are in the plumbing, and this water can contain leftover flakes of white mould.  When you fill the spa, turn all of the jets on and if you see a lot of the flakes come out of the plumbing, drain and fill the spa again. If there are only a few flakes your filter will pick them up or they can be manually removed.
•   Carry on as you normally would.

If you have ANY questions, just ask.