Just Filled Up My Hottub

[stump1000]

I used my hot tub last year but only put bromine in it, in a floater. I drained and filled it every 3-4 days while it was being used.

I left it empty for a long time, my wife was pregnant and couldn't get in it with me so it wasn't really any good for much. Now I'm ready to start using it again.

I want to maintain the proper water chemistry from now on. I filled my tub, got a water sample and took to my local pool store. They tested it and I done exactly as they said.

Now I've tested the water twice on two different days, and the strips say there's almost no bromine in it. I filled the bromine floater and set it at the 350gal setting for my tub. I turned it to 450gal yesterday and it reads the same on the strip. (0ppm-.5ppm)

The other stuff reads dead on reading with the strips. I've read some of the other threads about bromine and I think maybe I have algae or some build up in the pipes/pump because the hot tub sat for a while and the chemicals weren't maintained before. Should I put 1 fl oz of bleach in the tub and go from there?

 

[stump1000]

I've read more and now the bromine bank thing makes sense. But, where should I go from here? Can I just add Sodium Bromate or should I add 1oz of bleach?

 

[chem geek]

Welcome to TFP!

You haven't used the bromine tabs long enough to build up a sufficient bromide bank. I would add sodium bromide and then activate it by adding some bleach. Then you can use the bromine tabs in a floating feeder to maintain the bromine level. Do you have an ozonator? An ozonator can also help maintain a bromine level by converting bromide to bromine.

 

[stump1000]

Thanks for the reply. I ordered some sodium bromide and crushed a few brom tabs and put in it for now. That seems to have worked for now according to the strips. I'm going to put bleach in it today when I get out and check it again tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[chem geek]

You should, of course, get yourself a better test kit, but I'm sure you already knew that. If you know you're sticking with bromine and not going to switch to chlorine, you can get the Taylor K-2106; otherwise you can get the TFTestkits TF-100 which can be used for bromine as well by taking the chlorine reading and multiplying by 2.25 (or by using a different multiplier when counting the drops).

 

[stump1000]

I'm going to order a K-2106. Thanks!