Very high bromine ... Help please?

[wes8398]

Hey all. I've recently started up our new (used) hot tub and thought I was doing quite well with it. I've been doing the 3 step bromine sanitizing system. Unfortunately I'm finding myself with very high bromine readings lately. I've been using the FAS/DPD test from my TF100 pool test kit to test bromine levels. As advised by ChemGeek, I've been multiplying my results by 2.25 to adjust for bromine. Today it took about 17 drops in 10 ml of sample water to turn it clear again. That'd be 8.5 if it were chlorine, but over 19ppm in bromine. This is with only having the floater open one little notch.

I wasn't sure if the spa had an ozonator or not, as I'm not sure what one looks like. When I was adding insulation and hooking the tub up, I did notice that a small wallet sized control box which had something about ozone on it was present, but I assumed there would be more to it than just that little box.

So, do I have too many pucks in the floater? Is the pool floater (all they had at walmart) too big for the spa? Or is the floater unnecessary if I have an ozonator?

Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[chem geek]

Because you started off with adding sodium bromide and you have an ozonator, you don't need the floating feeder with pucks. It sounds like the ozonator is able to provide more than enough bromine, at least in between spa uses. You might need to add extra oxidizer after a soak if the ozonator isn't able to keep up -- just check your bromine level the next day and if it's too low then you can add chlorine after your soak to give a small boost; otherwise don't add anything if your ozonator is keeping up.

 

[wes8398]

Thanks for the response! So that little box must be the ozonator, eh? I pictured something much larger.
Is there an easy way to bring the bromine level down bedsides partially draining and refilling? I've had the floater out for a few days now and the bromine level has only come down about 2ppm.

 

[benavidescj]

One thing to watch out for is if your floater is floating around the tub. It is difficult to maintain a consistent release of bromine if the floater is constantly moving around the tub. I tie a piece of string to mine and keep it out of the return jets. This gives a consistent release of bromine. Also, it is good to keep chlorine reducer (yes, I said chlorine reducer) around in case the bromine level gets real high by accident. This will eat up the available bromine so you don't have to wait for days to get back in.

 

[chem geek]

Ozonator for spas are relatively small. I can't say that the small box is an ozonator, but given your bromine level take out the floater and see if the bromine level is maintained. If it is, then you most likely have an ozonator since the bromine will not stay high on its own. You may have to adjust something like circulation pump run time if the ozonator doesn't have a separate control for handling its on-time or output level.

 

[wes8398]

I researched pictures of ozonators last night and found the exact box I'd seen in my spa; definitely an ozone generator. It's a Pacific Spa XL50 or XL60 "corona discharge" unit which says that it's output is adjustable from 50-100mg. I don't have any separate control for the unit, so I'm assuming that it's factory set or automatically adjusts to the appropriate output for the size of the spa.

I'll leave the floater out from now on and just see how levels are once they get back down to a reasonable level. I'm a little afraid that it won't do this on it's own though, since the ozonator will continue to oxidize and maintain bromine levels where they are, won't it?

On the note of ozonators, I've read that the model I have is one of the most reliable, but I still want to know what to look out for. It seems that a lot of failures are to do with the bypass valve. How does one know when something like this fails?

Also, chlorine REDUCER...really? I've never heard of the stuff. What is it, straight contaminates to use up the free sanitizer? lol

 

[benavidescj]

Also, chlorine REDUCER...really? I've never heard of the stuff. What is it, straight contaminates to use up the free sanitizer? lol

Not sure what it is. Maybe our resident chemist can answer that one. Many companies sell it. A very reputable company, Jack's Magic, has one called After Shock.

 

[JamesW]

Chlorine reducer is usually sodium thiosulfate or sodium sulfite. I would recommend against using it on a regular basis.

 

[benavidescj]

Chlorine reducer is usually sodium thiosulfate or sodium sulfite. I would recommend against using it on a regular basis.

What are the drawbacks?

 

[JamesW]

Chlorine reducer is usually sodium thiosulfate or sodium sulfite. I would recommend against using it on a regular basis.

What are the drawbacks?

First, it's not good procedure to rely on neutralizers. Careful management of the levels should keep the bromine in line. Second, you end up with unnecessary sulfates in the water.