Bromine Spa

[sevver]

My brother in law has inherited a house with a spa, and from the looks of it, it is bromine based. Is this good for sanitation?

Also, there are some oxy type chems and some anti foaming chemicals he got, are these really necessary? Can I just get him going on BBB for the spa? Is it ok to just switch over to chlorine from bromine? Should we do a drain and refill first, I almost wouldn't mind doing that just to start over with the water.

 

[JasonLion]

Bromine is often preferred for spa's because chlorine doesn't last as long at higher temperatures, but it is quite possible to use bleach for spas if you want.

 

[sevver]

What is a good product to use for bromine then? Do you have to get the pool store one, or is there an alternative?\

And, as far as that goes, his TA is around 280, is that a big deal for a spa? His Ph was around 7.5 also, if the Ph remains stable, is the TA really an issue? I can see the thing is always covered up so gas release would be sort of hard so the TA would naturally rise.

What would the anti foaming stuff be used for?

 

[Guest]

What is a good product to use for bromine then? Do you have to get the pool store one, or is there an alternative?\
You would need to get bromine at a supply store or one of the big box stores. There is a sticky on how to use bromine
And, as far as that goes, his TA is around 280, is that a big deal for a spa? His Ph was around 7.5 also, if the Ph remains stable, is the TA really an issue?
IF the pH remains stable it's not an issue as long as it stays under 8.0. (With TA that high it probably won't.) One of bromines big advantages is that it is effective over a wider pH range. This is one of the things that makes bromine a more attractive choice for spas since the constant aeration wehn the spa is in use does cause ph to rise.
I can see the thing is always covered up so gas release would be sort of hard so the TA would naturally rise.
Outgassing of CO2 makes pH rise, not TA. TA can only rise when bicarbonates are added to the water, either from the fill water or by adding baking soda or washing soda.
What would the anti foaming stuff be used for?

Because of the higher bather to water load in spas they get much higher levels of organics in the water. These are almost soaplike and cause foaming (you can sometines see this effect at the beach as 'seafoam' btw). Foamers help break this foam down so the spa doesn't become a bubble bath when all the jets and bubblers are going. However, If you maintain proper bromine levels (this means regular testing just like with a pool), shock weekly to destroy organics, AND make sure that the water in the spa is 'hard' (Ch is at least around 150 ppm) then foaming can be minimized or elimiated WITHOUT having to use defoamers.
Foaming water indicates a water balance problem. You can fix the problem or cover it up. Defoamers cover it up. Here is an analogy. If your dog messes on the rug you can clean up the mess or you can spray it with a deoderizer to cover up the smell. If you just cover up the smell the mess is still sitting on your rug! The best thing to do is clean it up.