No bromine?

[kellyredhair]

Hey y'all,
We bought a new in-line brominator last year, and it worked just fine. Hooked it up this year, filled it, and pool has been running for about 3 weeks. I haven't been able to get a bromine reading at all, but the pool is clear and smells normal - I mean like chemically normal. I bought a new test kit and still no reading. I emptied & re-filled the brominator and still no reading.
Why would the pool still smell and look fine if there isn't bromine? I'm really confused by this and I hope someone can offer some insight as well as some suggestions as to what to do next.
Thank you!

 

[MarianParoo]

Try throwing a jug of bleach in there. Chlorine can reactivate your bromine bank.

 

[kellyredhair]

Thanks for the quick reply!
I used some Go-Bro (I think that's what it was called). Nothing happened...maybe I didn't use enough?
Would one jug of bleach be enough?
I shock with chlorine-free shock.

 

[kellyredhair]

I should also say that pH, Alk, Hardness readings are totally fine. I am at a loss.

 

[MarianParoo]

I just tried to google go-bro and that wasn't a good idea....

I would try one jug and see what happens. When I had a bromine pool, sometimes it took 8-10 gallons to reactivate the bank, sometimes just 1 or 2.

When I got a new liner, I switched to chlorine. I have never, ever regretted it. Think about it when it comes time to replace your water.

 

[kellyredhair]

The pool was chlorine when we first moved in. I am too sensitive to the smell and the chemical itself. Bromine works great for us! I know it can be a pain, but we think it's worth it.

 

[MarianParoo]

Ha! So were we... until I learned how to properly balance a chlorine pool. Since then, NO smell, NO irritation, and super-easy maintenance. Much cheaper too! I still have my brominator/chlorinator in-line in case I ever decide to go on vacation. Otherwise, it stays empty.