Converting from Bromine to Chlorine

[MrSpacelySC]

VERY timely topic... we have a 5k IG fiberglass 3.5' pool which has used Bromine fore years which cannot be emptied due to the water table popping it out of the ground! We want to convert to chlorine for financial savings and have also heard very positive things about the Nature2 Mineral clarifier (silver/copper) and want to try it as well so the chlorine level can be lower.

We were told to DRAIN all water that had been brominated, but we can't...

I guess a "automatic brominator is different than an "automatic chlorinator" so I'll get one of those as well IF it works better than a floating dispenser.

ANY advice as to how to make the transition would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

You will find ZERO support for the mineral systems here. They are a complete waste of money. You are not happy with the Bromine expense? Just wait until all the minerals stain your pool and cause green hair ... then you will think the bromine was cheap to fix.

There are a LOT of threads here discussing the safety of chlorine ... it is simply the cheapest and most effective method for keeping your pool safe and clean.

And you CERTAINLY do not want to start using chlorine tablets or you will be in a situation with high stabilizer levels (CYA) ... solution for that ... draining the pool.

I suggest you do a LOT of reading in Pool School (button at the upper right of the page) and searching the forums before you make any decisions ... ask questions as they come up.

 

[chem geek]

Welcome to TFP!

You can replace the water in your pool using the "sheet" method. You get a very large sheet or tarp that covers the pool and has enough leftover outside the pool so that it can fill the entire pool shape (i.e. gets pulled to the bottom and sides of the pool). You then add fresh water on top and drain from underneath. The sheet/tarp moves down between these layers and when it gets to the bottom you remove the sheet/tarp. Voila! Your water is replaced without any risk of popping out the pool.

I don't know why you would want the chlorine level any lower since with the proper use of Cyanuric Acid (CYA) the active chlorine level at the minimum FC level in the Chlorine / CYA Chart is equivalent to only 0.07 ppm FC with no CYA so a very low level of active chlorine. When CYA is used, most of the chlorine is bound to it and essentially not reactive. It is the unbound chlorine which disinfects, oxidizes, and reacts with swimsuits, skin and hair.

See this post for comparative kill times for chlorine vs. copper and silver. There is no comparison, but at least you are proposing still using chlorine and not using the metal ions alone. Hardly anyone does this, however, since it's really not necessary. I think you should see what a properly managed chlorine pool is like before deciding to add other chemicals or devices.

If you really, really wanted to lower the chlorine level even further, then you could use an algaecide that didn't have the staining or green hair risks of copper. You could use Polyquat 60 weekly, for example.

 

[jblizzle]

Here is an example of the tarp method:
foreclosure-swamp-in-pensacola-florida-t54326-40.html#p449932