Swg spa. No set timer

[Ame]

I have SWG portable intex bubble/jet spa. I usually turn on swg sanitation for 5 to 8 hours after soak. Question is: If I leave town for a week. Can I supplement with bromine tabs? Since I can't manually turn on swg.

 

[chem geek]

If you do, then your spa will become a bromine spa until your next water change. You can certainly do that if you want to -- up to you. Or if you want to keep it a chlorine spa you can have your SWG on for a short time each day to maintain a chlorine level, though it sounds like maybe you don't have a timer for the SWG and it is turned on only manually?

 

[Ame]

yes that's my understanding, it wont turn on on its own. I was told I could use bromine tabs to supplement? I guess not. Can I use chlorine tabs?

 

[chem geek]

Technically, spa manufacturers say not to use Trichlor tabs in a spa. The reason is that with the hot water they dissolve too quickly unless you have a special feeder and they are acidic. You'd have to watch the chemistry and that's not something you can do while you are away. Probably the best thing to do is to elevate the chlorine level and lower the spa temperature. Cooler water will use up chlorine more slowly. Normal daily chlorine demand in a hotter spa is 25% (with no ozonator) but if you get the temperature down the loss rate may be only 15% per day so that 10 ppm FC will be 10*(0.85^7) = 3.2 ppm FC when you return. This assumes the spa is covered and not exposed to sunlight.