spa Frog system run away?

[Rosebud]

Ok, I am new to the tub...two months of ownership...I just put in a new spa frog bromine cartridge this Monday in my marquis epic with in line system (my third 3rd ish cartridge since purchase). They seem to last about 2-3 weeks max, I test water daily with the strips. I set the frog at setting number 3 and I do shock weekly....bam I have very high bromine (max out strip and you can smell it). I turned the cartridge down to number one, cut the clean cycle down to 3 hrs twice a day...and still two days latter very high bromine, I took the cartridge out today, it appears to be just kinda low on material or just about empty (only four days total) is it possible that it is a defective cartridge? Should I not shock the tub this week? Should I just leave a cartridge out of the system a couple days until Bromine levels reduce? Can I refill these cartridges with granular bromine (I see the top pops off the top of the cartridge and you remove the spacer)...hope the experts responds soon...I have some hot guys coming over this weekend!

[stuart]

Yes you could have had a defective cartridge...I will give them a call in the morning and see what advice I can find. Leave your cover open for a couple of hours and run the jets. If you have MPS (shock) without Chlorine you might also throw in some of that at the same time.

[Bonibelle]

Rosebud, I think we probably got our spas around the same time. I am also on my 3rd bromine cartridge. I posted on here with the same problem, the bromine level was glowing. I did exactly what Stuart said and I also opened my air jets. Watch if you leave your frog on the 1 setting. I did that too and ended up with a cloudy tub. It seems that 2 is the magic number and that the once a week shock routine is really a baseline and more dependent on your usage.  If  you are using the test strips, I wonder how accurate the bromine readings really are. If you don't read it within the several seconds that the manufacturer recommends, the reading will continue to go up. I kind of depend on the smell to verify the levels that I get on the strips. Don't panic over your company coming. If I understand correctly, the high level of Bromine will be reduced anyway with heavy usage and maybe it is better a little high if you are having a bunch of people in the spa. But Stuart will be the best guide.
Oh also, I had changed my filter cycle and times  but then reset them back to the default settings after my tub became cloudy.
I think that it is an experience thing that you acquire. It is surely very different than a swimming pool! I take a peek every morning to be sure the tub looks clear and I test about every 3 to 4 days. Things seem to be working out now. good luck with your hotties!

[NE-Phil]

Rosebud,
BK in another thread was asking about bromine & the inline system. To save time, I just copied my response to him in this post:
I've been using the inline bromine & mineral cartridges since my Marquis Reward was installed in July. This system works well for me. Bromine doesn't have much of a smell (I noticed last night I couldn't smell it at all & the test strip showed it was at optimal level) and maintenance is minimal.  
They recommend replacing the bromine cartridge every couple of weeks but then I realized it's just a container for bromine tablets. It's cheaper to refill the cartridges. I  now have two cartridges so one is always ready to be switched out.  
I haven't found a substitute for the mineral cartridge but that only gets replaced at the water change.  

To specifically answer your question, don't use the granular bromine, use the bromine tablets. The granular bromine is used to raise the bromine levels immediately. Tablets are to maintain the levels over time.
You'll find refilling the cartridges much cheaper. At first, the cartridges are kind of tough to open. I use a small screwdriver to pry the pieces apart so I can refill them. Inside, there's a small piece about 2" long that acts as a filler - it just takes up space. Throw that away and you'll have more room for additional tablets. This lets the cartridge last a longer. You end up using the two long pieces and the cap. One long piece fits inside the other, fill it with tablets, cap it and - Voilá - longer lasting cartridges!
if any of this is not clear, let me know.

Also, from what I have read here, bromine dissipates in contact with sunlight. You may need to open your cover awhile to bring down the levels. Someone else may have a better suggestion.

Phil

[stuart]

Most of the time when bromine is to high in a frog system and the containter is set for less than 4 it is because of filteration modes. You should have 2 filter cycles of 2 hours and your constant clean cycle at 1 hour then if your water seems to be not cleaning enough you can bump it up a bit at a time. I bump up the constant clean first.

When your #1 pump is running you bromine is being dispersed. Be aware that every time you push a jet or light button the constant clean will come on. This includes the in-home remote so if someone is playing with that your running alot of filter cycles.

You can easily disable this feature if you need to.

[Bonibelle]

Stuart, Are the settings that you are suggesting the default settings? And when you say not cleaning enough, are you saying that there isn't enough sanitizer being introduced in the tub, or do additional filter cycles help the sanitizer work and thereby reduce the bromine levels? I hope this doesn't sound stupid but now I am confused????I just put a new cartridge in and I am also glowing green now, should I add another
constant clean cycle? or am I actually increasing the cycles by turning the jets on to dissipate bromine and making the tub think it was used...darn whose idea was it to let these tubs think on their own anyway?

[Mendocino101]

It is hard to give blanketed statement as to what works best for everyone as use and number of people and even our body chemistry are different. What we have have found to be work very well for most people is that two filter cycles of 2 hours each twice day and than upping the clean up cycle to 2 hours seems to work well for most......the thought being that after the spa has been used is when it is at it most dirtiest and that's why we bump the clean up cycle .....as for the frog it is just one way of sanitizing your water .....Marquis has done a very nice job of incorporating into its water management system but if you for example like dichlor ....than I would suggest to use the mineral from the frog and not the bromine..or some of our customers keep the bromine down to 1 and once a week add some dichlor sorta as a kicker about 3 days after shocking it seems to again well for those who use it.....and also if you have extra guests in the spa for a day add some extra sanitizer regardless of the brand of your spa.....

[orlandoguy]

I use a bromine floater, set on 3 and only occasionally add a shot of bromine booster and seem to do well with this system.

[Rosebud]

Thanks a ton for all the great suggestions, its great to have the support of so many pros!

Stuart I  took the cartridge out of the inline system and ran the tub with air and the top off for a couple hours (running outside in the cold to turn the jets back on every 15/20 minutes because they automatically shut off) and noticed a slight reduction in Bromine. Based upon your suggestion I shocked the tub and the next day it was at least not glowing but high. Its been five days now and its where it should be and I will try a new cartridge. Thanks again for your help

Bonibelle, Thanks for the tips and I will try setting number two on the new cartridge.

NE-Phil, I excited to try the tablets and I assume that its ok to use the same setting ( number two or three). I use the tub daily.

[NE-Phil]

...NE-Phil, I excited to try the tablets and I assume that its ok to use the same setting ( number two or three). I use the tub daily.

Rosebud,
That will probably be fine but every tub and owner are different depending on your usage.

Fortunately, most of this is seat of the pants stuff. Try it. If the bromine levels are low, bump it up a notch!

Phil

[Cola]

Rosebud
You may want to consider ditching the frog system
It's more expensive than running a Lexmark printer
I got three cartridges with my tub and have refilled them with a high quality bromine puck, but then I switched to dichlor.  I found that I had to adjust the filter times to achieve proper sanitation levels.  Three hours twice a day is a lot of filtering time.  (electrical cost is about 6 to 8 cents per hour in low speed pump mode)  If you like the bromine, mps will keep the levels up and let you keep the dial down.  Dichlor is a good shock as it is a better sanitizer.  Add bromine salts after a water change to get your bromine level up right away if you stay on it.  I have a cupboard full of this stuff sitting there now.  Oh well!
Later

[cappykat]

Cola...you're right.  Replacing the bromine cartridges every 2-3 weeks is expensive.  I'm not having any problems with my water and it looks great, but I'm going to try the refilling the cartridges once mine are gone.  

[Rosebud]

Cola, thanks for the input but what is mps? and I can use Dicholor with a bromine set up? What are your thoughts on the using the tablets in the used cartridges?

[Cola]

MPS is the shock for bromine that converts spent bromine back into sanitizer.  The dichlor is completely ok with the bromine.  There are some others here that could explain it better than me.
Good luck
Later

[Snyper]

What size tablets should be purchased to fit inside the cartridge?

Snyper