Changing from BBB to Bromine help

[rodjm]

Been using BBB method adding about 6oz after every soak with generally good results.

D1 Amore Bay, 415gal with ozone and UV used about 3 times a week by 2 people.

AL 60ppm
CA 150ppm
PH 7.7
Borate 50ppm
CYA 30ppm

Leaving town for 2 weeks in a few days and thought Bromine would be better to leave it unattended for that time. Added "SpaLife Bromine Boost" as per package labeling (60grams) then added 10 oz bleach (6.25%) to activate.
Tested with Taylor k-2006 (fas-dpd) adjusted for bromine with no visible bromine detected. Then tested with Aquacheck test strips still nothing!

Thought that maybe the chlorine was being used up to oxidize something in the water before activating so tried 2 tbls of MPS. Had a slight indication on the the test strips then the next morning nothing. Thinking that maybe the MPS was detected not the bromine. Oh ya ran out of DPD powder and not easy to get where I am and have to order it and it takes a few days so I am stuck with strips for now!!

Today added an additional 40gr of SpaLife Bromine Boost and added 10oz of bleach. Just a slight indication, but was gone 5 hours later! I even tried to dilute test sample to rule out bleaching out with no luck. Also tried a small sample size of SpaLife Bromine boost in a large bowl and activated with a drop or two of bleach to test both the strips and the boost. Worked fine!

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[PoolGuyNJ]

Shock with chlorine just before you go. Toss 3 bromine tabs in the skimmer. It'll be fine for a week if the lid is left on. Ask a friend to toss 3 more tabs in the skimmer in a week. When you get back, everything should be fine.

Scott

 

[rodjm]

Although where is the bromine now....Like I said I wanted to try it with a bromine bank first, but I can't seem to test for any active bromine.

Also I live in Canada where it is averaging around -10C / 12F what would be a good temp to bring it down while not being used for 2 weeks?

Thanks again everybody!

 

[chem geek]

That is odd that aren't measuring bromine, especially since you established a bromine bank and have an ozonator (which makes bromine from bromide). Maybe you've got a high bromine level and is bleaching out your test strips. With the FAS-DPD test (where you ran out of DPD powder), perhaps there was a flash of pink and you needed to add another DPD scoop.

 

[rodjm]

I tried to see if I was bleaching out by diluting the spa water and it did not register anything. That is also why I got the strips to confirm that I was testing it correctly.

I did get some results but the quickly disappeared within a few hours. Is it possible that there is something consuming the active bromine?

 

[chem geek]

It is certainly possible that there is something consuming the bromine, but it should have been consuming chlorine earlier as well so that's why it's a bit of a mystery. You can just shock by adding an oxidizer (such as chlorine bleach) to see if you can get ahead of whatever is consuming the bromine.

 

[rodjm]

Well just tried shocking again with 18oz bleach!!! Registered bromine for an hour then gone! I guess it a flush & decontaminate when I get back from vacation. Its funny because the water is great! Clear, no odor and no history of any skin problems. Go figure

I will leave it running with the floater when gone and hope that there isn't a green swamp when we get back. Can you recommend a temperature to set it at? I would prefer not to have it at full blast for energy savings as well as reduce the amount of biofilm growth, if that is indeed what it is.

Thanks

 

[chem geek]

Wow, even biofilms won't consume that much disinfectant/oxidizer that quickly. Something really strange is going on. It's almost as if someone dumped in some neutralizing chemical or other substance that reacts with bromine. So right after you added the bleach you were able to measure significant bromine levels and an hour later it was gone?

 

[rodjm]

Well this is all based on the dip sticks because I am all out of DPD powder till next week. I may have been detecting the bleach instead of bromine (10ppm ) on the dip stick but regardless it is gone within an hour....nothing on the strip!! I even diluted the sample to see if it was bleaching out still nothing!

Does a UV system affect Bromine or chlorine?

 

[chem geek]

A UV system will break down either, but usually not enough to be that noticeable. Usually, it's ozonators that noticeably react with chlorine if you do not use the spa regularly while with bromine they generate more if you have a bromide bank. At any rate, the UV wouldn't use up the bromine that quickly and you didn't have this problem before.