Trouble with bromine testing

[epic_mel]

Following Chas’ law, we dumped our spa water on January 4th, after about a month of ownership, and everything looks good.  Thanks to Chas and others for their suggestions.

We also got a Taylor K-2106 Complete FAS-DPD bromine test kit and have been trying to keep our new water on track.  Most aspects of the testing have been straightforward and controllable, but we are really confused by our bromine readings and suspect we’re botching the test somehow.  A typical test is as follows:

Bromine 9 ppm (sometimes as high as 12!)
      80 AK
      7.8 pH
      90 hardness

The 25mL water sample for total bromine does not turn pink, as Taylor suggests it should, when we add two droppers of R-0870—it turns deep red, and it takes a whole lot of R-0872 to get to the colorless endpoint.

So we decided to have the water read at a local pool store to double check.  Here’s what we got:

Bromine 0.7 ppm (ok . . . 8 ppm difference?!)
      103 AK
      7.8 pH
      120 hardness

Clearly, hardness is low in both readings and all other readings are in the ballpark, but we’re confused that the bromine reading is so radically different.  Has anyone experienced this issue, or might anyone have suggestions that could help us understand what we might be doing wrong with the Taylor Total Bromine Test?  Thanks for any advice.

[fdegree]

I am far from being an expert on this stuff.

I've only owned my spa for 1-1/2 years, and I use the exact same test kit.  The procedure that you described for checking bromine sounds correct to me.  I have trusted the readings that my Taylor test kit shows and have had absolutely no trouble with my water condition.  Now, I am not familiar with the Pool Store procedure for checking bromine so I can not comment on that.

Perhaps someone else can comment on this next thought:
How old is the powder in the R-0870 canister, and how old is the liquid in the R-0872 bottle?  Could they be expired and causing false readings?...I don't know anything about the shelf life of this stuff.

One question for you:
How do you put bromine in your spa...tablets in the filter basket...floater with tablets inside...frog system...etc?

[epic_mel]

fdegree, we just purchased the Taylor kit. I can't comment on how old the reagents are but I assume (hope) they are in good shape since we just got the kit.  The kit has been stored in the box out of sunlight, exposure to moisture, etc.

We put bromine in the spa with an inline system (Spa Frog).

The local pool store was Rec Warehouse, and they used the PINPOINT Computerized Water Analysis System.  

[fdegree]

Like I said, I'm relatively new and still learning this stuff too.  I'm not at all familiar with the Spa Frog system.  I'm going to be of no help to you.  Does your local pool store have any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Hopefully, someone with more knowledge will chime in soon and add some helpful suggestions.

Good luck!!!

[MarKee]

Did you leave your green bromine cartridge in the spa while it was heating up?  This is a common cause for a high bromine level.

Also, what do you have the green bromine cartridge set at?

[epic_mel]

MarKee – interesting questions. I think you might have hit the nail on the head. Yes, we left the inline system in while the spa was heating up (after the recent Jan. 4 dump).  And we changed the bromine cartridge at the time as it was about played out (a yellow Spa Frog bromine cartridge this time, not green).  

The bromine cartridge has been on 3. After this most recent testing with us getting high values with the Taylor kit we did in fact adjust the bromine cartridge down to 2 for about 24 hrs until we got this reading by the spa store after which we put it back to 3.  My husband called Taylor today as they weren’t open on the weekend, and they felt that the spa store test was false due to high bromine levels.

Our spa is set up to filter twice a day, 12 hours apart, for 2 hours. Do you have any further advice on the setting of the bromine cartridge or filtration duration?  Thanks for responding.

[MarKee]

It is important to take the bromine and mineral cartridges out while the spa is initially heating up.   If your bromine level is still high, I would run the spa for several hours with the cover off.  This will dissipate some of the bromine in to the air.  

[NE-Phil]

It is important to take the bromine and mineral cartridges out while the spa is initially heating up.   If your bromine level is still high, I would run the spa for several hours with the cover off.  This will dissipate some of the bromine in to the air.  

Markee,
Thanks for that tip. Leaving the bromine & mineral cartridges out while filling and heating is not something I have ever done.
That must be new information from King Technologies since I bought my spa in '05. I looked on their web site but didn't see that image or anything referring to this.
Shame on them!  
Appreciate it!  

Phil

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

If you test the water shortly after shocking with MPS or chlorine it will read high also because you are re-establishing all the "used" bromine. Test the day after shocking.