Chlorine or Bromine? What do YOU use? Why?

[GuinnessPhish]

[Merged by moderator - Please keep your posts/questions together and not it other people's threads - Thanks, jblizzle]

Follow up question related to the OP's original thread title:


I just filled up my hot tub, for the first time as it's new owner...

I think I want to use chlorine instead of bromine (as the previous owner had used)...

is one better than the other? chlorine vs. bromine?

 

[GuinnessPhish]

Chlorine or Bromine? What do YOU use? Why?

SSIA

I'm filling my hot tub for the first time...

What do you all think of the info listed here in regard to proper procedure?:


http://hottubindustry.org/water-chemistry/

 

[ChrisL]

I use chlorine in my hot tub, but the instructions given above are not as good as those in the top post in the hot tub thread. For example, the hot tub water chemistry article only mentions two forms of chlorine, when there are a variety. Using dichlor (one of those mentioned) initially, with bleach (not mentioned at all) after a few doses, is easier and maintains my tub very well. Reducing alaklinity in a hot tub is also easier than mentioned in the article. Finally, if you maintain good water chemistry, weekly use of a clarifier is probably not needed.
Chris

 

[chem geek]

Chlorine is easy if you use the tub every day or two because you just add more after your soak. However, if you only soak once or twice a week on weekends so have long gaps between soaks, then bromine is generally easier because with chlorine you'd still need to add more every day or two, certainly at least once mid-week. With bromine, you can use tabs that slowly dissolve adding more bromine. The downside is that bromine smells different and some people don't like it.

See Using Chlorine in a Spa for chlorine and Using Bromine in a Spa for bromine.

 

[GuinnessPhish]

Chlorine is easy if you use the tub every day or two because you just add more after your soak. However, if you only soak once or twice a week on weekends so have long gaps between soaks, then bromine is generally easier because with chlorine you'd still need to add more every day or two, certainly at least once mid-week. With bromine, you can use tabs that slowly dissolve adding more bromine. The downside is that bromine smells different and some people don't like it.

See Using Chlorine in a Spa for chlorine and Using Bromine in a Spa for bromine.

Thanks for the reply. I have already checked those links....thanks!

If my FC level went to zero for a day or less, what should I do? Drain and refill? Is there a shock process for hot tubs?

 

[chem geek]

You can shock the tub with higher chlorine levels but if it was more than about half a day with no chlorine then biofilms could get established and shocking might not be enough -- usually it is, but if you got for days without chlorine it becomes less and less likely that shocking alone will work. Spas go south much faster than pools mostly due to their higher temperatures, having lots of organics (high bather load) and lack of sunlight that promotes more bacteria growth than algae. You'll know by checking your daily chlorine demand with no bather load. It should normally be around a 25% loss per day with no bather load (at typical hot spa temps) if you have no ozonator. With an ozonator that could be doubled to 50% or even more since ozone destroys chlorine. If your chlorine demand is high, then a decontamination procedure would be needed, usually with Spa System Flush to dislodge biofilms and superchlorination and a complete dump and refill of the water.

 

[walleye]

You might consider a Technichlor SWG. I did this for the very reason you are experiencing. It keeps a small amount of chlorine all the time without worrying. I left for 12 days recently and it kept a 4-5 PPM while I was gone. I set it high to be safe. Now that I am more used to it, I will set lower to maintain 2-3 PPM. Works great IMO. I simply add a ounce of sanitizer (6% Clorox) after each soak and that's it. I balance the water initially, added 30 ppm CYA and I am set. Very SIMPLE and never lets you get to zero chlorine.