Why aren't Naure2 and Bromine compatible?

[TreeFiter]

I was told today that Nature 2 and Bromine are not compatible, and that if used together, the bromine will create a film on the beads inside the Nature 2 rendering them useless. Can anyone shine some light on what would be going on there? Why doesn't chlorine do something similar?

Since Nature 2 is a mineral ion system, why would it be susceptible to this problem while other mineral ion systems aren't? I'm thinking of the bullfrog system where there is a blue mineral cartridge, and a yellow bromine cartridge floating side by side. What is the difference?

 

[gwegan]

We will see what kind of responses you get to this question. Generally most folks on this forum and the Trouble Free Pool system strongly discourage the use of mineral systems like the Nature 2 and Bullfrog finding they increase the risk of copper staining and make it more difficult to keep the pool properly sanitized. Neither system can provide a consistantly reliable chlorination level as a function of the current cya and metal ion levels in the pool.

So I doubt you will find someone on here who will respond , but we shall see.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Which Nature 2 system is it?

The mineral cartridges for the pool systems all contain copper sulfate (aluminum oxide binder with silver metal particles and copper sulfate embedded in them). Copper sulfate will react with bromine (hypobromous acid/hypobromite anion) to form copper bromide (a solid yellow compound). Cupric ions are stable in a low FC solution if the pH is low enough but copper bromide is almost completely insoluble in water and forms a thick, paste-like compound due to the polymeric nature of Cu-Br bonding.

 

[TreeFiter]

I'm talking about the Nature 2 system for spas. I'm not sure if they are chemically the same as the systems for pools.

 

[pabeader]

They're the same and in either case, use is not a recommended practice of TFPC.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The spa cartridges are silver only. Silver reacts with bromine as well and forms insoluble silver bromide which would be equally as bad.

Typically, when using the nature 2 system in spas, one simply uses the ion cartridge and MPS as the EPA approves this system as a sanitizer. At high spa temperatures, the kill rates of silver ions (with MPS present) are sufficient for sanitation; no chlorine is necessary.

 

[TreeFiter]

The spa cartridges are silver only. Silver reacts with bromine as well and forms insoluble silver bromide which would be equally as bad.

Typically, when using the nature 2 system in spas, one simply uses the ion cartridge and MPS as the EPA approves this system as a sanitizer. At high spa temperatures, the kill rates of silver ions (with MPS present) are sufficient for sanitation; no chlorine is necessary.

Thanks JoyfulNoise. I'm not a fan of any system that won't allow me to test and verify sanitizer levels, so I try to hedge my bets when I have to deal with nature 2. Does chlorine have any negative effects on the Nature 2?

 

[pooldv]

No, chlorine won't hurt the nature 2.