Bromine ban in Canada: what is everyone doing?

[VermiciousKnish]

Moved from here.
Ok, it looks like I am a little late to the game but perhaps you fellas can assist...
I spent weeks (right when Covid hit) trying to change out the salt cell on my genesis system. Arctic Spa tub from 2008 that works great and has been running on the genesis salt system for years! The salt cell finally gave out and the end of 2019 and I managed to find a dealer in Oshawa who still had one. Problem was, whoever installed the first one installed it facing the tub and piped it that way permanently. I spent weeks cutting out the piping and rebuilding it (and the wiring) to accommodate the new salt cell and to allow removal for future. Fast forward to May 2021....
I can't find liquid bromine (BromAid) anywhere. Dealers all telling me these products are banned and my system is obsolete. I really don't want to use the pucks (Chlorine or Bromine) with the floater because they are too hard to regulate (and keep levels in check) and also harsh on the skin. The Genesis system pretty much ran itself with some Refresh after each usage. One dealer told me to buy the liquid bromine in the USA but I can't even find it there. All I see is sodium bromine crystals. Will that do the trick for a new startup? A couple more questions...

1) Even if I can find this stuff in the USA, can I bring it back to Canada or is it just illegal for dealers to carry and sell?

2) I have been reading conflicting reports about what the risks actually are. Is it just not as sanitary to use a salt system in the tub? OR are there cancer risks from the offsetting gases when cell converts the liquid bromaid into Bromine? I would assume the risks if it were just a sanitary issue. Not for the latter.

3) Is my system obsolete? All that hard work, and money spent on parts last year down the (hot tub) drain?

Thanks for the help

 

[jseyfert3]

Welcome to TFP!

I’m not too familiar with bromine but can you just add salt and use the bromine generator as a saltwater chlorine generator?

 

[D.sebens]

You establish a bromide bank with sodium bromide. Same as if you use tabs. You have to oxidize sodium bromide into bromine. You do that with either chlorine or mps.
Your salt generator is just a chlorine generator.
Those tabs are like 90% chlorine with a little sodium bromide to bind it and replenish from splash out. When you add chlorine it is immediately converted to free bromine.
As to obtaining sodium bromide in dry or liquid form in Canada, I have no clue.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

You establish a bromide bank with sodium bromide. Same as if you use tabs. You have to oxidize sodium bromide into bromine. You do that with either chlorine or mps.
Your salt generator is just a chlorine generator.
Those tabs are like 90% chlorine with a little sodium bromide to bind it and replenish from splash out. When you add chlorine it is immediately converted to free bromine.
As to obtaining sodium bromide in dry or liquid form in Canada, I have no clue.

I'm not sure I have any idea as to what this means or how to do it.

 

[D.sebens]

Basically you add the bromine starter to the water and chlorine activates it. That’s why they say the only way to change back to bromine is with a complete water change. The tabs still require the starter for it to be bromine. Basically it sounds like you either need to start smuggling it from the south border or use your swg as a chlorine spa(which is what it generates)