Indoor Bromine Pool Causing Cough

[NNic]

Hi all!

New to the site. We have just taken possession of a house with a 19K gallon indoor pool in Ontario, Canada. The pool uses bromine to sanitize and we are finding that we are coughing (along with our guests) when we use the pool or enter the room. We have taken samples of the water to the pool store numerous times and all levels are testing as normal. The room has a ventilation system (and its own furnace), so I don't think it is an airflow issue. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Did you do any environmental air tests in the house as part of the purchase process? Was a mold test performed?

 

[JamesW]

This happens sometimes with hot tubs and indoor bromine pools.

I'm not sure what causes it.

Maybe bromates or other contaminants in the water.

You're probably due for a water replacement if you can do it safely.

Draining a pool can cause it to pop out of the ground if the ground water is high or ruin a vinyl liner.

Don't drain without consulting a professional.

If tabs have been used for a while, the level of DMH might be too high.

 

[NNic]

This happens sometimes with hot tubs and indoor bromine pools.

I'm not sure what causes it.

Maybe bromates or other contaminants in the water.

You're probably due for a water replacement if you can do it safely.

Draining a pool can cause it to pop out of the ground if the ground water is high or ruin a vinyl liner.

Don't drain without consulting a professional.

If tabs have been used for a while, the level of DMH might be too high.

Please excuse my ignorance, what is DMH?

 

[JamesW]

DMH is the compound in bromine tabs that the bromine is bonded to to make the tabs.

Over time, the level increases until the bromine becomes ineffective at normal levels.

It's analogous to cyanuric acid in trichlor tabs, which can also build up and interfere with the chlorine.