Bromine

[kjcole]

My test strips are showing moderate bromine levels (I haven't tested for bromine more accurately) - with the color closest to the blue-green shown on the bottle color comparison meaning moderate-high I suppose. This is a SWG pool finished and opened in June, and maintained with Bioguard's beginnings and Renewal, until I found this forum! Do I have bromine in the pool, and where did it come from?

 

[chem geek]

The tests for bromine and chlorine are the same except for their units of measurement. You cannot distinguish between having bromine vs. chlorine with normal test kits. Unless you've added bromine (or bromide) to your pool, then what you are measuring is actually the chlorine level. If the numeric scale in the test kit you are using is designed for bromine, then divide the number by 2.25 to get the chlorine level. Note that bromine test kits when used testing water for chlorine are actually measuring Total Chlorine, not Free Chlorine or Combined Chlorine separately. I would strongly recommend that you get yourself a good test kit such as the TF100 at tftestkits.com here or the Taylor K-2006 kit here. The TF100 kit has 36% more volume of reagents so is comparably priced "per test" and the service is the best.

Richard

 

[kjcole]

Aha! Once again TFP is making me smarter. That explains why the test strips always show the chlorine and bromine levels moving together.

I will be ordering a test kit (TF-100) before I open the pool in spring. My 7th grade daughter loves doing the titration for the color-change tests with the kit I got from Walmart before I discovered TFP. Better living through chemistry!

Kelly