Bromine

[GeorgiaPoolOwner]

I love my pool, but I'm at the point where I really need an upgrade on my actual house. Anyway, I've been looking at a house we like but they have a bromine feeder connected to their pool pump. I'm comfortable with the TFP method, and I strongly prefer SWCG over bleach, although bleach isn't a deal breaker. However, I have no desire for bromine.

I am also not comfortable draining the pool to refill (which is gunite). Would a complete drain and refill be necessary to dilute the Bromine enough, or could I just do a quarter drain and refill daily for a couple weeks (like I would if I needed to lower cya)? I hate to pass on a house because I don't like their pool chemistry, but I also don't want to destroy a $40k pool by draining it.

 

[jblizzle]

Basically, yes you would want to do a complete drain and refill to get rid of the bromine. Going with multiple drains may be required if you have high ground water levels, but you are going to have to do it many many times to dilute the bromine.

There have been some discussions about drain and refilling at the same time and the differences in water temp and solids in the water is enough to keep it mostly stratified.

Bromine is such a horrible choice for outdoor pools in the sun, not sure why anyone would do it.

 

[GeorgiaPoolOwner]

Basically, yes you would want to do a complete drain and refill to get rid of the bromine. Going with multiple drains may be required if you have high ground water levels, but you are going to have to do it many many times to dilute the bromine.

There have been some discussions about drain and refilling at the same time and the differences in water temp and solids in the water is enough to keep it mostly stratified.

Bromine is such a horrible choice for outdoor pools in the sun, not sure why anyone would do it.

I agree with you that it is a horrible choice. I'm not comfortable doing a complete drain myself (or a drain/refill at the same time). Pool companies I've called won't do it either. It has rained seemingly every day this year, so I'm willing to bet the water table is pretty darn high.

 

[lightmaster]

I remember reading a post on here about using a slow sump pump to drain the bottom of your pool, while you put a hose in the skimmer I think to refill at the same time. You drain a 5 galloon bucket at first to time your draining, and then refill the bucket so you know how much to turn on your hose to get the same rate of refilling. You then figure up how long the pool will take to drain so you know when to stop, giving say an hour or 2 of extra time. The old water with is drained from the bottom, and new water is added on top. Hopefully whoever said that idea before will post to make sure I'm remembering it correctly.

 

[GeorgiaPoolOwner]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to pass on it. Not worth my effort.

One pool store tried to tell me I didn't need to drain. I could just add chlorine to turn it into a chlorine pool. It reminded me why I don't deal with pool stores.

 

[lightmaster]

Feel bad for that home owner when he finds out someone turned down the house cuz of the pool. Sucks that they were probably following crappy advice from a pool store themselves.

 

[GeorgiaPoolOwner]

The homeowner was an investor. He purchased the house for 60% of market value and did a major rehab, including resurfacing the pool. They put in the bromine feeder (presumably because they did not want to monitor everyday or pay for a SWCG). It's probably only been in for a few months. My guess is they probably assumed nobody would look at that.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I've often wondered if when we get posts from new homeowners about their pool if they ever actually have bromine pools and don't know it?

Before I owned a pool I wouldn't have known there were alternative sanitizers and never would have thought to ask what was in the water if it looked ok....

Unless the previous owner leaves chemicals behind, one might not ever know??

 

[lightmaster]

Glad GeorgiaPoolOwner saw the feeder before it was too late. Haven’t done it myself, but I have read some bad stories about converting a bromine pool. Don't typically even know until they've poured in dozens or even hundreds of gallons of chlorine. Stories like this are why when I buy a house of my own, it's not gonna have a pool in it, I'm gonna save up and get one built myself.

 

[jblizzle]

When we bought my current house the pool was a swap. Took the chance that it was not too damaged. As we were closing, I did a full drain and pressure wash and got the pool in shape by the time we moved in.

Plaster was beat up, but we got it resurfaced ... all the contractors kept saying that a pool like ours may have been around $80k and that was 8 years ago.

Certainly can save a good bit of money buying a house with a pool ... let the previous owners take the loss on the pool

 

[GeorgiaPoolOwner]

I've often wondered if when we get posts from new homeowners about their pool if they ever actually have bromine pools and don't know it?

Before I owned a pool I wouldn't have known there were alternative sanitizers and never would have thought to ask what was in the water if it looked ok....

Unless the previous owner leaves chemicals behind, one might not ever know??

I always check out the pool equipment (along with things like the hvac) when checking houses. It's the second house I saw with a bromine feeder.

 

[lightmaster]

I always check out the pool equipment (along with things like the hvac) when checking houses. It's the second house I saw with a bromine feeder.

Did you ask if the pools actually used bromine, and not that it was previously converted to liquid chlorine. Unlikely I'm sure, but you never know.

Also, good for you checking it all out and knowing if you want to put forth the effort to fix the pool, or hold out for something better.

 

[GeorgiaPoolOwner]

Did you ask if the pools actually used bromine, and not that it was previously converted to liquid chlorine. Unlikely I'm sure, but you never know.

Also, good for you checking it all out and knowing if you want to put forth the effort to fix the pool, or hold out for something better.

I did not ask. The listing said they installed new sanitation system for the pool. Looked at the equipmentn and the feeder tube was bright white fresh plastic. You could tell it hasn't been there long.

 

[Rollercoastr]

I've often wondered if when we get posts from new homeowners about their pool if they ever actually have bromine pools and don't know it?

Before I owned a pool I wouldn't have known there were alternative sanitizers and never would have thought to ask what was in the water if it looked ok....

Unless the previous owner leaves chemicals behind, one might not ever know??

Maddie - ready for some deja-vu? This was from my first (and hopefully last) SLAM:

Bromine tablets?? Eeegads-Is this a Bromine Pool??

I was that guy. With an indoor pool, I guess I should've suspected that they PO had used bromine, but there was so much junk in the pool supplies cabinet and the pool was so gross that I was over-whelmed. My SLAM was successful though. I got the water perfectly clear just in-time to drain the whole thing and have it re-surfaced. I gave the left-over ($140) bucket of tabs to a friend with a hot-tub and have had a CL pool ever since.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Maddie - ready for some deja-vu? This was from my first (and hopefully last) SLAM:



I was that guy. With an indoor pool, I guess I should've suspected that they PO had used bromine, but there was so much junk in the pool supplies cabinet and the pool was so gross that I was over-whelmed. My SLAM was successful though. I got the water perfectly clear just in-time to drain the whole thing and have it re-surfaced. I gave the left-over ($140) bucket of tabs to a friend with a hot-tub and have had a CL pool ever since.

LOL LOL LOL Ohmygosh! That's right!!! Lordie, you went through a lot didn't you?

Well, if nothing else I have at least helped you find your lost Speedstir bean in the garbage disposal, right??

Maddie

 

[Rollercoastr]

lol oh - bad memories!