What's the Best Hot Tub

Author Topic: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor  (Read 11840 times)

Spatech_tuo

  • Mentor Level Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6340
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2005, 05:46:10 pm »
Quote
If you use the Vermonter's strategy (rhtubs.com) you will soak in chlorine free water as he advocates adding dichlor after your soak.  Several hours later the dichlor is gone but so are the bugs.  The Vermonter's approach makes dichlor much nicer for those of us with sensitive skin.


AMEN!! I've been soaking that way and passing that on to customers for the past 6 years.
220, 221, whatever it takes!

Hot Tub Forum

Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2005, 05:46:10 pm »

hair

  • Junior Member
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • artesian gives lust, jealousy gives regret
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #16 on: August 06, 2005, 05:32:48 pm »
do you use a nature 2 stick with your dichlor?  didn't anybody mention that?

Vinny

  • Ultimate Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4338
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2005, 05:39:00 pm »
Quote
do you use a nature 2 stick with your dichlor?  didn't anybody mention that?


Vermonter has stated on Doc's site he does use N2 and ozone in his tub. Whether or not anyone needs it is another story.

hair

  • Junior Member
  • *
  • Posts: 49
  • artesian gives lust, jealousy gives regret
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #18 on: August 06, 2005, 06:14:06 pm »
are you telling me nature 2 isn't good to use with dichlor?

Vinny

  • Ultimate Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4338
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #19 on: August 06, 2005, 08:41:28 pm »
N2 is OK with dichlor, don't use it with bromine. If you want to try bromine get the frog system.

Basically the only sanitizers proven effective on hot tub 'bugs' are chlorine, bromine and whatever Baqua is made out of. You don't need N2 or ozone or enzymes or anything else to help your sanitizer do it's job. You just need the correct amount of sanitizer.

They MAY help but it's basically scientifically unproven that they do anything. A lot of people swear by them on the fact that their water is nice and clean and is easier to take care of. And those people may be right.

I run my pool with just chlorine and proper water chemistry and am trying my hand with my spa close to that also. I do run my ozonator 8 hours a day and do add enzymes (hot water strips the body of everything) to break up the body oils and stop foaming. I do add a dichlor with MPS enhanced shock so that I can use the tub the next day, but even then I could just add 3 tablespoons of dichlor and let it do it's job!

tony

  • Ultimate Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2331
  • 2002 Optima
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #20 on: August 07, 2005, 09:49:06 am »
Both Vermonter and Northman use Nature2 sticks.  Vinny is correct that there is no hard data that N2 does a whole lot, but there is strong evidence that minerals, especially silver, makes chlorine a more effective sanitiser.  In my experience I've found my water "stays" longer with N2.  If you are a very consistant user, you are adding chlorine on a very regular basis and it probably has little effect.  I like the idea that when the chlorine has done its job and my free chlorine level is near zero, I have my N2 or Frog and ozone doing their thing.

tootall

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 120
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #21 on: August 07, 2005, 07:13:02 pm »
Ok just a quick qestion for this newbie on this subject.
at what levels "parts per million" ppm is bromine to be at? vs. Dichlor ppm to be at? readding the information I have on my spa using the Spa frog minerals Silver and Limestone with an ozonator I should have 1-2 ppm of bromine? ok at that looks like a little bit to me what I would like to know is what ppm is dichlor to be maintained at?

Bill_Stevenson

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 504
  • Hot Spring Envoy
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #22 on: August 08, 2005, 11:53:12 am »
Vinny,

Your claim that ozone is not scientifically proven to be an effective sanitizer (tell me that I misunderstood you) is not correct at all.  Ozone in fact is the most effective of all sanitizers, which is quite definitely a proven fact.  I think the confusion might be that although ozone is a proven sanitizer, the use of ozonators has not been substantially proven to be effective.  The problem is not with ozone, but with the fact that the ozonators on the market only can generate a very small quantity of ozone and it is very difficult to get it dissolved in the water.  

An ozonator is a nice thing to have, but it may or may not kill a lot of bacteria in a spa.  It certainly must help, but it is not enough by itself.  This information comes from the manufacturers of ozonators.

For the person who asked how much dichlor to use, the answer is 1-3 ppm, which should be measured approximately 10 to 20 minutes after being added to the spa with the jets on high to thoroughly mix it.  Approximately 3 to 4 hours later, the chlorine reading should be half or less as much.  The reason for this is that chlorine does not survive for long in hot water, but 3 or 4 hours is more than enough time to sanitize a typical spa.  Then once a week you should shock your spa with 5 to 7 times the normal dose rate of dichlor.  This will burn off combined chlorine which is the stuff that gives off the chlorine smell and does no useful work as a sanitizer.

To round this out, for bromine the level is typically 1-2 ppm but it must be at that level constantly because it is much less effective and it needs more time to kill bacteria.  Combined bromine is still effective as a sanitizer, but you should still shock especially if your "bromine" is three quarters chlorine anyway.  You can use dichlor to shock bromine, but be careful to keep dry dichlor and dry bromine separate as they are dangerous when combined in the dry state.  Alternatively you could use MPS to shock and that is true for both dichlor and bromine.

Regards,

Bill

tootall

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 120
Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #23 on: August 08, 2005, 12:26:35 pm »
Thanks Bill for your helpfull In formation. :)

Hot Tub Forum

Re: Here We Go Again: Bromine vs. Dichlor
« Reply #23 on: August 08, 2005, 12:26:35 pm »

 

Home    Buying Guide    Featured Products    Forums    Reviews    About    Contact   
Copyright ©1998-2024, Whats The Best, Inc. All rights reserved. Site by Take 42