Converting to bromine in spa; can I use skimmer basket?

[chef_m]

Hi.

Now that I have my control board / motor issue resolved, I'm turning to the new world (to me) of spa chemistry having mastered pool chemistry in the past months thanks to this excellent site.

Started with newly filled tub and followed the spa chlorine sticky thread, since I now understood more about sanitizing with chlorine than I ever thought possible. Didn't take long to figure out that without a chlorine generator (and given the small quantities of water), I needed a different approach rather than the T&A (that's test & add) every day.

Turned to the bromine sticky because the BBB method makes sense and is straightforward. Mostly get it and ready to put it into action. Here's the question:

After establishing a bromine bank by adding sodium bromide, can I just add a 1-inch bromine tab as needed to the spa skimmer basket to maintain levels (with periodic bleach shocking)? Or do I have to use a floating dispenser for the tab, which is what I don't really want to do? Note that I have the controls set for a 2-hr filtration cycle which means it runs 4 hrs per day.

Given the turnover rate of the water during filtration, I don't see how a dispenser is going to substantially restrict the tab dissolution rate dramatically more so than just the skimmer basket.

Am I missing something? Is this a big no-no?

 

[chem geek]

You add sodium bromide (not bromide sulfate -- that does not exist). Yes, you can use a bromine tab to try and maintain bromine levels in between soaks while you add an oxidizer (such as chlorine bleach) after a soak to handle bather waste. Normally you use a floating dispenser because putting a tab in the skimmer can concentrate the chemical when the pump is not running. It's not as acidic as Trichlor so probably not as damaging, but not ideal. It's a hard call.

 

[chef_m]

Chem Geek, Oops. Sorry for the brain lapse typo -- it's corrected. I really do read your commentary quite closely and appreciate its exactness (where possible).

It's just sinking in -- unlike chlorine, I don't have to constantly add bromine, it just needs to start with the bank and at some future point replenish the bank. (Yes, I've read your interesting discussion on it's life cycle. And I understand that the future point is determined by testing.)