Am I getting accurate readings?

[Sjde]

I switched from the test strips to a test kit-the Poolmaster premier deluxe five way kit.

is it possible that the more expensive kit that our service person uses is that much better?

I ask because after having our hot tub for six months in our vacation rental, every time I come I get a high pH reading & low alkalinity reading ( similar to what our tap water is ), but he seems to think it's fine , based on his readings apparently. If my readings are off , I don't want to be blaming him for not doing his job properly with the chemicals. This is the 2nd person we've had in just 6 months and I do know he's certified-took the class.

 

[twodogs02]

It would be helpful if you posted both sets of results. How old are your reagents, was your kit purchased recently?

You should also be testing free and combined chlorine (DPD test) and cyanuric acid (CYA) as this level impacts sanitizer effectiveness.

PH is going to drift upward in a hot tub so a high PH reading isn't surprising. I knock mine down with muratic acid being careful not to lower TA below 50.

 

[jblizzle]

What you have is not one of the recommended test kits and we generally trust our own testing over a store orservice.

If you have a service, why are you testing yourself? Do you not trust them?

 

[Sjde]

We use bromine. The kit is new. I'm consistently getting readings of 8.2 pH and 40 Alkalinity.

Do I not trust them? I guess I wanted to learn as much as I could in case I ever had to do it myself (we live 1 1/2 hours away). Maybe I'm a control freak but I do check when I'm there so I guess I am checking their work. I need to do that to feel confident in them.

 

[jblizzle]

Well the certification class is missing some key information and has some bad information.

Bromine is a little bit different and I have never used it.

 

[Caco]

If it were me I would trust my test results, if I was confident that I was following the manufacturers instructions. Do they have youtube videos or more complete instructions online that you could look at? They might also detail how accurate the tests are, ie the +- for each test

I would also ask the service guy to meet with you and show you how he tests and maybe run yours side by side.
Then if the difference still shows you at least know he is not lying about the testing

If you posted your results here we could advise if any of the numbers would be a concern, keeping in mind it is not a test kit most of us are familiar with.

 

[Sjde]

I usually get a pH of 8.2 maybe 8.0, and alkalinity of 40.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If you are using bromine then it is likely that they are using bromine tablets (BCDMH) and then adding liquid chlorine as needed to increase the bromine levels. Bromine tablets are acidic and will tend to consume TA over time. Aeration from the tub is causing the pH to rise by depleting the aqueous CO2. Assuming your CH is low (do you know what your CH is?), scaling may or may not be an issue. You would do better and be a lot safer if you added borates to your spa to 50ppm B concentration to act as a secondary buffer. Borates slow the rise of pH and add a small amount to your TA.

Eventually, the use of brominating tablets will cause excessive DMH (dimethylhydantoin) levels in your spa which, like cyanuric acid (CYA) in a chlorine swimming pool, will make it much harder to control algae and bather waste as it builds up. There is no test available for DMH so your only way to monitor it is to know how many brominating tablets your hot tub is using per week.

 

[Sjde]

Not adding liquid chlorine-adding MPS non chlorine shock. Or at least that is what I Asked him to use.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Ok. Just note a few things about MPS -

1. It reacts more slowly with bromide to form bromine so it's not as effective as chlorine.

2. Bromine + MPS may not oxidize all the bather waste in the spa and it will typically require a chlorine shock to reduce bather waste.

3. It takes more MPS relative to chlorine to produce similar amounts of bromine. So it's more expensive to use long term.

4. MPS adds sulfates which can be detrimental to heaters.

But it sounds like you've got the chemistry settled. Just watch the pH and consider borates.

 

[Sjde]

Well given that, maybe we should use a chlorine shock instead. If we do, what do I look for on the test strips/kit-the chlorine level or the bromine?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

All "chlorine" tests actually test for total halogen (sanitizer) levels; there is no test that distinguishes bromine from chlorine. But, the oxidation reaction that uses chlorine to produce bromine from bromide is very fast so, within 15-20mins of adding the chlorine, you can assume that any reading on a test kit is for bromine. If heavy amounts of bather waste are present, then some of the chlorine will react directly with the bather waste before it gets a chance to convert the bromide into bromine, but that would be unlikely in a low-use hot tub. So, if you want to use chlorine to shock your hot tub and restore bromine levels, the simplest way to do that is with regular laundry bleach (8.25% strength). You can the amount necessary to raise the tub volume to shock levels and then let it mix for a while (30mins or so). Then go back and test your sanitizer levels to determine the bromine levels.

 

[Sjde]

Can you explain the difference between bromine and bromide that you talk about?

 

[Brian VT]

Sodium bromide is the "inert" chemical you want in your water waiting to be "activated". We often call it a bromide "bank".
This should be @ 30ppm. We normally add it when we fill the tub. You can buy a packet of it for @ $3.00
You don't need to add any more until the next water change.
When you add chlorine, or MPS, the bromide is converted to bromine (your sanitizer). After it does it's job it converts back to bromide.

 

[Sjde]

Is there a way to check that 30 ppm bromide?

Also, are there test strips for borates to know you are at 50 ppm?

 

[mpkelley20]

Ugh! I just bought 2 pounds of MPS thinking it was just as good as chlorine to activate my bromine. My tub is only a month old and I am using the spa frog system that it came with until the cartridges are gone. Then will most likely drain, fill and swap over to chlorine. I should have just started with chlorine.

 

[Sjde]

In all the reading I've done, it seemed in a hot tub
bromine was the better way to go.

 

[pooldv]

Is there a way to check that 30 ppm bromide?

Also, are there test strips for borates to know you are at 50 ppm?

Yes, TFTestkits.net sells borate test strips.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Is there a way to check that 30 ppm bromide?

Also, are there test strips for borates to know you are at 50 ppm?

There is no test for bromide that is easy to do. There a complicated procedure for precipitating bromides and chlorides with silver and then using ammonia to differentiate between them but it is not a practical test to do in a residential setting (more of a chemistry lab test).

There are test strips that can give you a ballpark borate level or, if you look at the link in my signature, there is a slightly more complicated titration test for borates. The strips would be more than adequate for the purposes of a spa owner.

In all the reading I've done, it seemed in a hot tub
bromine was the better way to go.

I think this is a subjective matter. Both bromine and chlorine can work well in a spa they just require different approaches. We have many, many chlorine hot tub users here that are very happy with their chlorine spas.

 

[mpkelley20]

In all the reading I've done, it seemed in a hot tub
bromine was the better way to go.

I have been happy so far with bromine. I find it does not dry my skin as much as chlorine and it reminds me of hotel hot tubs (the smell) so I feel like I am on vacation whenever I am in it. LOL!

But...I really like the dichlor/bleach method described in this forum. The idea of soaking in a close to chemical free tub sounds better. Hoping if I can get it balanced right, the chlorine levels will be so low when I am in it that is won't dry my skin.