I am contemplating a switch in sanitizer from bromine to chlorine in my 650 gallon gunite spa and am wondering any issues to consider. I am aware of the benefits of bromine on a traditional spa with hot water and jets but here is why I am considering switching. I have a 3 yr old and 5 yr old and my “spa” basically gets treated as a kiddie pool and never gets turned up above 80 or so. When I am outside with the kids they won’t leave my side so into the tub they go so can’t crank the temp. Or if they get out and hop in the main pool (salt water) there I go with them. Not much traditional spa usage going on here. More kiddie pool sanitizing issues instead. I’m leaning towards traditional chlorine because it seems more straightforward to me and less confusing. (No bromine reserve) Plus since it is more like a mini pool than hot tub I just figured traditional chlorine was the method to go. Am I off base in my thinking? Are their any pitfalls or issues I am not considering in making this switch? Any thing special I need to do when switching? I plan to probably use this exclusively until late spring when the 27k main swg pool is warm enough to swim in (cheaper to heat the 650 gallon tub)
Considering a switch from Bromine to chlorine. Here is why
- Thread starter Salt_Water_Sam
- Start date
You are so on the right track! Make it all chlorine and life will be easier!
So your siggy says the hot tub is a separate body of water. The pool and spa do not share ANY water at all?
Kim
So your siggy says the hot tub is a separate body of water. The pool and spa do not share ANY water at all?
Kim
Thanks Kim! Correct, I know, it’s not the typical set up at all. My spa is on a completely separate system and body of water from my pool. (Heaters, filters, pumps, plumbing, etc. ~ all separate). I’ll have to post a pic later to better explain. One thing that has been nice is if I mess up something on the tub it has no effect on the swcg pool. Easier to start over on a 650 gallon body of water compared to 27k. I didn’t build or design the pool though.
Have you considered putting in one of the smaller SWG systems for spas? I have an after market salt cell that keeps my hot tub in plenty of FC.
https://www.amazon.com/Saltron-Mini...way&sprefix=salt+water+chlorin,aps,156&sr=8-3
Maddie
https://www.amazon.com/Saltron-Mini...way&sprefix=salt+water+chlorin,aps,156&sr=8-3
Maddie
Have you considered putting in one of the smaller SWG systems for spas? I have an after market salt cell that keeps my hot tub in plenty of FC.
https://www.amazon.com/Saltron-Mini-Saltwater-Chlorine-Generator/dp/B01KQUVJH6/ref=sr_1_3?crid=9V7K7EGYKHB2&keywords=saltwater+chlorinator+for+hot+tub&qid=1554226410&s=gateway&sprefix=salt+water+chlorin,aps,156&sr=8-3
Maddie
Oh wow! Had not even considered salt?!? Interesting! Never heard of this portable version before. My side is brick but maybe I could drill in ? Something to consider for sure. Thanks!
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What a beautiful set up! This is the first one like I have seen. You know they say to clean the pipes in spas with Ahh-some I wonder if you should do the same thing with this set up. I bet it would be helpful to make sure everything is clean for the new set up. You can look in my siggy below for a place to buy it (TF Test Kit link).
Do you a heater for the pool and/or the spa?
Kim
Do you a heater for the pool and/or the spa?
Kim
Thanks for the tip. I will have to look into getting some ahhh-some for sure. I just updated my sig for the heater on my Spa (sta-rite). I need to do a little research to figure out what type of heater I have on my pool (both are really old but still work ?) I am getting ready to do a SLAM here in a few weeks once the pollen and seeds stop falling so much so I will be hanging around here for awhile. Love this forum!
Okay I am back and forth on switching between bromine and chlorine for my spa. For those that use bromine do most of you have a cover for your spa to protect the bromine from UV breakdown? I was reading up on the sticky for using bromine in the spa (super helpful by the way) and came across a comment from Chemgeek that got me wondering about this. Someone had asked in the sticky if bromine was ever used to sanitize pools and chemgeeks response seemed to indicate it wasn’t common due to bromine breaking down faster in sunlight.
Since my spa doesn’t have a cover and really acts more like a mini plaster pool I am wondering if bromine is not the proper sanitizer for this spa? On the flip side, the sticky does have a lot of compelling benefits to sanitizing with bromine with one of them being more stable level of sanitizer (using 3 step method) which makes me lean towards bromine. I guess my question is, do these benefits of bromine in a spa hinge on using it in a true proper spa with a cover over it when not in use? Without a cover will I not be getting the full benefits of a bromine system and have tremendous amounts of off-gassing?
Since my spa doesn’t have a cover and really acts more like a mini plaster pool I am wondering if bromine is not the proper sanitizer for this spa? On the flip side, the sticky does have a lot of compelling benefits to sanitizing with bromine with one of them being more stable level of sanitizer (using 3 step method) which makes me lean towards bromine. I guess my question is, do these benefits of bromine in a spa hinge on using it in a true proper spa with a cover over it when not in use? Without a cover will I not be getting the full benefits of a bromine system and have tremendous amounts of off-gassing?
In your case with the spa so close to the pool, I would not recommend bromine. You don't want folks to go back and forth between pool and spa and carry bromine back into your chlorine pool.
Over time I would imagine you'd end up having a bromine pool and that would, IMO, be disastrous to try to manage.
I also don't feel Ahh-some is going to be easy to use on that spa, unlike a hot tub. I guess I just don't understand your plumbing? I'll go back and read more.....
ok, I see no mention of your plumbing and how you would drain that spa and confirm that your water between spa and pool do NOT mix, right??
Maddie
Over time I would imagine you'd end up having a bromine pool and that would, IMO, be disastrous to try to manage.
I also don't feel Ahh-some is going to be easy to use on that spa, unlike a hot tub. I guess I just don't understand your plumbing? I'll go back and read more.....
ok, I see no mention of your plumbing and how you would drain that spa and confirm that your water between spa and pool do NOT mix, right??
Maddie
Oh very good point. I have a pool blaster vacuum that I sometimes use between pool and spa which probably brings trace amounts of bromine into my pool. Plus since my kids really treat it more like a kiddie pool there can be at times (once it warms up ) constant moves between spa and main pool.
Regarding plumbing, I will have to post a pic later to better explain but my spa was built as an entirely separate system from my main pool. It has its own separate pool pump, sand filter, and heater from the main pool. The spa also has two other pumps for a waterfall that comes out of the wall and jets. (I will try to post a pic later on this too) The pvc pipes for the spa don’t connect at all to the pool. To drain the spa I use the drain function on the multi-port valve on it’s sand filter. In fact the two sets of equipment (pool and spa) are on opposite ends of the yard far away from each other.
Regarding plumbing, I will have to post a pic later to better explain but my spa was built as an entirely separate system from my main pool. It has its own separate pool pump, sand filter, and heater from the main pool. The spa also has two other pumps for a waterfall that comes out of the wall and jets. (I will try to post a pic later on this too) The pvc pipes for the spa don’t connect at all to the pool. To drain the spa I use the drain function on the multi-port valve on it’s sand filter. In fact the two sets of equipment (pool and spa) are on opposite ends of the yard far away from each other.
Have officially drained and refilled to dichlor/bleach method !!
You've got one neat set up there..... very unusual to have a stand alone plumbed separately spa. Glad the kids like it so!
Maddie <posting from sunny, crowded Italy today!>
Maddie
<posting from sunny, crowded Italy today!>Do you think I could do an ahh-some treatment with this type of setup? Most of the spa posts I have read with ahh-some are regarding standalone fiberglass tubs.
Hello Salt_Water_Sam: Very nice set-up on your pool/spa combo. The builder was thinking ahead on this one.
Yes, you can absolutely do a plumbing and jet bio-purge on your spa. Add 4 level teaspoons of the product, run the jets for 20 minutes, drain, wipe and rinse. Be sure to clean the filter after you do the purge. Usually, one purge does a great job but you may need additional purges to get all the gunk out. When you refill, balance and test that all is good, you should be a very happy hot tubber.
Yes, you can absolutely do a plumbing and jet bio-purge on your spa. Add 4 level teaspoons of the product, run the jets for 20 minutes, drain, wipe and rinse. Be sure to clean the filter after you do the purge. Usually, one purge does a great job but you may need additional purges to get all the gunk out. When you refill, balance and test that all is good, you should be a very happy hot tubber.
Thank you @Ahhsomeguy Just some I am clear, I would need to take a part and clean the sand filter after the ahhsome purge correct? Would putting the filter on recirculate or whirlpool be okay (maybe the ahhsome would bypass the sand filter)
We recommend Backwashing. You must shut pump off, turn selector handle to backwash, turn pump on, let backwash run for one minute, shut pump off, move selector handle to,Rinse, turn pump back on for 15 seconds, shut pump off, move selector handle back to,filter. Turn pump back on. That is what you need to do. Never move selector valve with the pump running and Always Rinse for a short time after the backwash cycle.