Pinch-a-penny has me confused...

[bild]

I have 350 gallon bromine hot tub. I follow the bromine spa sticky and use bromine tabs, Sodium bromide (i just buy stop yellow), and pool chlorine to oxidize. I add chlorine usually after every use and super chlorinate once a week.

I went into PaP and the lady said that when i use sodium bromide (stop yellow) and pool chlorine that they are "cancelling each other out" and i need to use Non chlorine oxidizer.

Im a little confused of the exact mechanics (chemics?) of how bromine works. My understanding is: Organics stick to bromine molecules and after a time an oxidizer is used to destroy them and gather more organics. (is that right?) How does bromine leave the hot tub? I seem to be adding it frequently (or maybe not). What is a normal sodium bromide addition to the spa? Once a week or month?

 

[Donldson]

And people wonder why we have such a dim view of pool stores. When they allow employees to pass on such nonsense ideas about chemistry you really have to wonder what other things they believe...

A bromine pool/spa has a bromide bank. This is just sodium bromide, a salt. When it is oxidized, either by MPS, chlorine, or ozone, it converts to bromine. When the bromine reacts with something, be it oxidizing bather waste or sanitizing the water, it reverts back to sodium bromide until it is 'reactivated' again.

So no, the pool store employee has no idea what they are talking about. If you have an appropriate bromide bank in your water then the chlorine is reacting and becoming bromine. Not cancelling it out.

 

[ant 83]

and i need to use Non chlorine oxidizer.

This stuff costs more, and increases the profits of the store. This is why you are being told to buy it.

Liquid chlorine has much lower profit margins, and goes stale quickly relative to the dry chlorine products. Pool stores have difficulty competing with big box stores who have much higher volumes to work with.

Yes, you can activate your bromine with liquid chlorine/bleach, and it is appropriate to do so.