After 3 years of using chlorine in a 13,000 gal gunite pool, my wife became sensitive to chlorine. When I opened the pool 4 weeks ago, I loaded 1" In The Swim bromine tablets into my chlorinator/feeder and shocked the pool with non-chlorine shock. I ran the heater at 80 degrees to dissolve the tablets but after two more shocks, only once in 4 weeks did the bromine show up on a test strip. The pool is in full sun all day, and now I'm getting algae and want to return to chlorine. I emptied the feeder and estimate that maybe ten 1" bromine tablets dissolved. The feeder was still mostly full. I'm hoping that means I basically have no bromine in 13,000 gallons of water and can start chlorine again? I'm not in a position with a well to replace much water. (I'm familiar with the danger of switching to chlorine pucks in the feeder.) Thanks
Briefly used bromine, now want my chlorine back
- Thread starter dlwilliam
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,855
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Uh oh. Now you may have a bromide pool. 
Not sure of the total impact based on those calculations. Maybe we can get @Donldson to help us with this one. Stand by ..........
Oh, and welcome to TFP!
Not sure of the total impact based on those calculations. Maybe we can get @Donldson to help us with this one. Stand by ..........Oh, and welcome to TFP!
Welcome to TFP!
If your estimate of 10 tablets is accurate then the damage probably isn't too bad. That's only about 3 ounces of bromide. Any amount of bromide in a pool can cause problems, but at that amount it's more likely than not to just be static in the data than a real problem.
I would encourage you to check out the chlorine-based water care method we teach here. It accounts for a lot of problems that cause irritation that is attributed to chlorinated water. Having swam in many public and private pools I can say without a doubt that a TFPC pool has been the most pleasant.
If your estimate of 10 tablets is accurate then the damage probably isn't too bad. That's only about 3 ounces of bromide. Any amount of bromide in a pool can cause problems, but at that amount it's more likely than not to just be static in the data than a real problem.
I would encourage you to check out the chlorine-based water care method we teach here. It accounts for a lot of problems that cause irritation that is attributed to chlorinated water. Having swam in many public and private pools I can say without a doubt that a TFPC pool has been the most pleasant.
+1. TFP water when kept within reccomend levels is less harsh than tap water. If she can shower/bathe without issue, the pool will be better than that.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Here’s some info on how bromine/bromide works:
www.troublefreepool.com
there’s no way to distinguish between bromine & chlorine via testing.
Bromine isn’t protected from the sun by cya like chlorine is so it gets depleted very quickly and then you have no active sanitizer. You can attempt to do the
SLAM Process with liquid chlorine to overcome any remaining bromine left in the water & also kill the algae.
Exchanging at least some of the water should help you have less bromine to overcome. This will likely use alot of chlorine. Basically you just have to keep dosing until it holds.
To start you need a proper test kit
Tf100/pro or taylor k2006 -
Test Kits Compared
We need to know your
Fc (we can interpret TB from this number)
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya
With one of the above mentioned kits so we can guide you further.
Sodium Bromide - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Bromine isn’t protected from the sun by cya like chlorine is so it gets depleted very quickly and then you have no active sanitizer. You can attempt to do the
SLAM Process with liquid chlorine to overcome any remaining bromine left in the water & also kill the algae.
Exchanging at least some of the water should help you have less bromine to overcome. This will likely use alot of chlorine. Basically you just have to keep dosing until it holds.
To start you need a proper test kit
Tf100/pro or taylor k2006 -
Test Kits Compared
We need to know your
Fc (we can interpret TB from this number)
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya
With one of the above mentioned kits so we can guide you further.
I added one pouch of Cal Hypo powered shock (dissolved in water) two days in a row, and am running 3" chlorine pucks in the chlorinator and two skimmers (only until I get the level up). Today on day 3, I have 1 ppm chloring showing up in a "red and yellow drops" test kit. My pool is actually around 12,500 gallons, so the few ounces of bromine that dissolved over a month isn't quite as diluted as I thought. Thanks for the input, I know what I did isn't close to a SLAM.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
The pucks add cya- you currently don’t know your cya level- you may (unlikely at 1ppm) or may not be even reaching minimum fc for your current cya level.
FC/CYA Levels
Cal hypo adds calcium- without knowing your current ch level you can’t know whether you have room to increase ch.
You need a proper test kit
Taylor k2006 or tf100/pro.
Until you get one just add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day nothing else.
Use
PoolMath to calculate additions.
FC/CYA Levels
Cal hypo adds calcium- without knowing your current ch level you can’t know whether you have room to increase ch.
You need a proper test kit
Taylor k2006 or tf100/pro.
Until you get one just add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day nothing else.
Use
PoolMath to calculate additions.
I just ordered a Taylor K-2006C test kit. I have some non-chlorine oxidizing powder shock. Can I use it? Thanks for the advice.
- Won't raise the calcium hardness level of your water, neutral pH ingredients.
- Chlorine-free pool shock ideal for weekly shock treatments
- Contains 38% Potassium Monopersulfate
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
All that will do is show up as cc’s further confusing things.
MPS is not a sanitizer it is only an oxidizer.
It’s possible it may reactivate your bromine thus providing you with some sanitizer but so will liquid chlorine.
Stick with liquid chlorine. 5ppm worth daily.
When your kit comes do all the tests & post the results & we can guide you further.
Fc
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya
While you’re waiting on it to arrive please fill out your signature as best you can.
Create Your Signature - Further Reading
www.google.com
Here are the results from my new K2006 kit. I added 2 gallons of liquid chlorine 3 days ago. Two Chlorine pucks are still dissolving in my feeder and I have one puck in both skimmers.All that will do is show up as cc’s further confusing things.
MPS is not a sanitizer it is only an oxidizer.
It’s possible it may reactivate your bromine thus providing you with some sanitizer but so will liquid chlorine.
Stick with liquid chlorine. 5ppm worth daily.
When your kit comes do all the tests & post the results & we can guide you further.
Fc
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya
While you’re waiting on it to arrive please fill out your signature as best you can.
Create Your Signature - Further Reading
Fc .6
Cc 1.0
Ph 7.2
Ta 70
Ch 160
Cya 80
Thanks for your help.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Doing the
SLAM Process with a cya of 80 is an expensive venture especially since there’s the bromine involved which requires even more chlorine to overcome.
Your best bet would be to exchange 50% of your water then do the slam at a more reasonable cya of 40
The safest way to exchange water is the NO Drain water exchange as outlined here
Draining - Further Reading
www.google.com
Do these numbers confirm I screwed up the chemistry with my one month bromine trial? And in regard to the high CYA, is that due to the bromine use or residual from 3 years of using stabilized 3" pucks -- and dissolving 4 of them in the last week or so? I am now using liquid chlorine, adding two more gallons today as the chlorine is low.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Please understand,
There is no way to differentiate between bromine & chlorine on the test.
The cya is from stabilizer being added or trichlor/dichlor being used. These are the effects of each dissolved 3” Trichlor tab on your water.
Bromine/bromide products don’t generally contain cya.
Bromine is not protected from the sun by cya like chlorine is so if you’re holding some detectable level of sanitizer through the day then that is a good sign.
That said, if you have algae you need to do the
SLAM Process to eradicate it.
This is harder to accomplish & more expensive at such a high cya level. At a cya of 80 that means getting fc up to 31ppm & keeping it there until you pass ALL 3 end of slam criteria as listed in the article.
Even getting cya down to 60 would help your slam efforts & subsequently dilute some if the bromine as well.
There is no way to differentiate between bromine & chlorine on the test.
The cya is from stabilizer being added or trichlor/dichlor being used. These are the effects of each dissolved 3” Trichlor tab on your water.
Bromine/bromide products don’t generally contain cya.
Bromine is not protected from the sun by cya like chlorine is so if you’re holding some detectable level of sanitizer through the day then that is a good sign.
That said, if you have algae you need to do the
SLAM Process to eradicate it.
This is harder to accomplish & more expensive at such a high cya level. At a cya of 80 that means getting fc up to 31ppm & keeping it there until you pass ALL 3 end of slam criteria as listed in the article.
Even getting cya down to 60 would help your slam efforts & subsequently dilute some if the bromine as well.
Regarding my high CYA level, would CYA survive the winter, or did I build it up since I opened the pool? All I've added since the cover came off (besides a few ounces of dissolved bromine tablets) is 4 pounds of non-chlorine oxidizing shock, then after the switch back to chlorine, 2 pounds of cal-hypo shock and four 3" chlorine tabs. In the past week I've added 4 gallones of liquid chlorine.
To get the CYA down, a water change is very difficult with my well. I have crystal clear water and what little algae that formed during the 4 weeks I was using bromine is now gone. So the pool looks good.
At the very least, should I continue to use only liquid chlorine? Anything else besides CYA that I CAN adjust? thanks in advance.
Fc .6
Cc 1.0
Ph 7.2
Ta 70
Ch 160
Cya 80
To get the CYA down, a water change is very difficult with my well. I have crystal clear water and what little algae that formed during the 4 weeks I was using bromine is now gone. So the pool looks good.
At the very least, should I continue to use only liquid chlorine? Anything else besides CYA that I CAN adjust? thanks in advance.
Fc .6
Cc 1.0
Ph 7.2
Ta 70
Ch 160
Cya 80
- Jun 1, 2018
- 13,775
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
your elevated cc calls for raising to slam level until it is .5 or below. If it has been quite a while since you used MPS (non chlorine shock) it should not be affecting the cc test.
Your fc is & has been very low, well below minimum for your cya.
just because you can’t see algae doesn’t mean you don’t have it.
At the very least you will want to do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test at target
fc levels (9-11ppm) to rule out algae/organics. Just having adequate fc in the water may be enough to bring the cc’s down to an acceptable level.
Your fc is & has been very low, well below minimum for your cya.
just because you can’t see algae doesn’t mean you don’t have it.
At the very least you will want to do an
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test at target
fc levels (9-11ppm) to rule out algae/organics. Just having adequate fc in the water may be enough to bring the cc’s down to an acceptable level.Updating my test numbers after a week of only liquid chlorine (not to SLAM levels.) CL was low when I did the second test today:
5/26 6/3
Fc .6 .4
Cc 1.0 .4
Ph 7.2 7.6
Ta 70 60
Ch 160 150
Cya 80 70
CYA is coming down. (No more tablets or powdered shock.) Still getting used to liquid chlorine. Adding a half gallon to 12k pool every 2-3 days. Thanks
Thanks
5/26 6/3
Fc .6 .4
Cc 1.0 .4
Ph 7.2 7.6
Ta 70 60
Ch 160 150
Cya 80 70
CYA is coming down. (No more tablets or powdered shock.) Still getting used to liquid chlorine. Adding a half gallon to 12k pool every 2-3 days. Thanks
Thanks
Your best bet is to get a SWG.
If you have a variable speed pump and an SWG, you can maintain an adequate chlorine level by running 24/7 because it is is continuously generating.
Even if you have a lot of bromide, it will work as long as you generate at the correct rate, which can be confirmed by doing an OCLT.
If you have a lot of bromide, the level will stay at maybe 3 ppm and when the bromide is gone, the level will rise significantly higher.
Target adding about 4 to 5 ppm chlorine per day and see where the FC levels off.
If you have a variable speed pump and an SWG, you can maintain an adequate chlorine level by running 24/7 because it is is continuously generating.
Even if you have a lot of bromide, it will work as long as you generate at the correct rate, which can be confirmed by doing an OCLT.
If you have a lot of bromide, the level will stay at maybe 3 ppm and when the bromide is gone, the level will rise significantly higher.
Target adding about 4 to 5 ppm chlorine per day and see where the FC levels off.
Last edited:
Ok thanks. I’m monitoring loss of liquid chlorine between pours. I have a heated pool in full sun. Hoping that will help drive off the small amount of bromine I introduced in May. I found one article (linked from TFP) which indicates bromine may dissipate in full sun pools with high levels of CL. We shall see.