hot tub question

[msachen]

Good morning,

I clean and disinfect 2 hot tubs. We use bromine. When draining/refilling or topping off we use non-chlorinated water. Today, I used a chlorinated water source (<1ppm) and the water turned amber... almost yellow, but more golden.

Is this what happens when chlorine and bromine mix?

Is there a reason why bromine is being used as a sanitizer? Is there a downside to changing over to chlorine?


Thanks,

Mike

 

[JVTrain]

When I ran my spa as bromine for a short time, I would oxidize with bleach all the time. This is the same as adding chlorine to a bromine tub. Never had any signs of the water changing shades or a yellow color. Yellow or amber or orange color can be an indicator of metals such as iron in the water when the pH is relatively low, such as low 7s. Is there a chance of metals contamination in the water you added?

Bromine and chlorine are both acceptable disinfectants/sanitizers in spas. I prefer chlorine as I do not like the smell of bromine and I have a chlorine pool so it simplifies my chemicals that I keep on hand.

 

[chem geek]

If you add a LOT of chlorine to a spa with bromide, then you can have a yellow/brown color from the bromine, but this should dissipate as the chlorine gets diluted (unless you added way too much). This is more likely to happen if the pH is low as well.