Hello~ New to this platform and really need help! This is my second pool. My first pool was above ground chlorine, this pool is inground bromine. What is with bromine?! The levels never stay high enough and it seems like I'm just fighting this pool chemistry - add this, too much of that....Yeesh! So I would like to convert back to chlorine. I have a service company who only opens and closes the pool as I can't handle the safety cover by myself. They said that I can add chlorine shock to the bromine pool to get the levels up. The pool store told me that was dangerous and would create gases that could blow up my house. So confusing. I've heard that I just let the bromine feeder go empty, clean the filters, then change out for feeder for a chlorine feeder, and be all set. Then I've read that that is impossible, I would have to drain the whole pool and system then refill. That sounds daunting, even doing it two feet at a time. Help - I think I just want to convert from bromine to chlorine and be done. What is the easiest way?
Cleveland Ohio here - Convert Bromine pool to Chlorine
- Thread starter CyndiC
- Start date
Hey there Cyndi 
The only way to rid a pool of bromine is to drain and refill. Its a terrible product to put in pools, IMO. Although many use it in stand alone spas.
www.troublefreepool.com
Maddie
The only way to rid a pool of bromine is to drain and refill. Its a terrible product to put in pools, IMO. Although many use it in stand alone spas.Draining - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
Maddie
Welcome to TFP!
So there's possibly a few reasons you can't hold a bromine level, but a big one is that unlike chlorine you can't stabilize bromine against UV degradation. That means sunlight is going to burn it off much faster than it does in a pool managed to the TFPC spec we use here. So I agree with you that switching to chlorine would be a major improvement. I'd also highly recommend you check out our method we promote here which is exceptionally good at keeping water clear, safe, comfortable, and requires zero visits to the pool store, but that's just an aside for now.
Now the bad news: Maddie is absolutely right. The sodium bromide salt that makes a pool a bromine pool needs to be completely removed from the water, which means completely removing the water. There's no other way to do it, as long as that bromide is in the water it will react instantly with any chlorine added to the pool. My opinion is that it's worth the trouble to get things going the right way right away, but I understand it's a major undertaking. Especially if you have a vinyl liner pool. That's something you'll have to decide.
Do yourself a favor and never ever go in to that particular pool store again. If that's what counts as advice there I can't imagine what else they believe. Do you know what would happen if you added chlorine to a bromine pool? It would active the sodium bromide and make... bromine! Nothing dangerous about it, creates no gasses, much less explosive ones. Some bromine tablets have dichlor (a stabilized chlorine shock) as part of the tablet!
So there's possibly a few reasons you can't hold a bromine level, but a big one is that unlike chlorine you can't stabilize bromine against UV degradation. That means sunlight is going to burn it off much faster than it does in a pool managed to the TFPC spec we use here. So I agree with you that switching to chlorine would be a major improvement. I'd also highly recommend you check out our method we promote here which is exceptionally good at keeping water clear, safe, comfortable, and requires zero visits to the pool store, but that's just an aside for now.
Now the bad news: Maddie is absolutely right. The sodium bromide salt that makes a pool a bromine pool needs to be completely removed from the water, which means completely removing the water. There's no other way to do it, as long as that bromide is in the water it will react instantly with any chlorine added to the pool. My opinion is that it's worth the trouble to get things going the right way right away, but I understand it's a major undertaking. Especially if you have a vinyl liner pool. That's something you'll have to decide.
- May 11, 2021
- 973
- Pool Size
- 7000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-30
Bromide + Chlorine = Bromine
Bromine + UV = Bromide
In a never ending cycle. That is why once bromine always bromine unless drain/refill.
There is technique using a tarp to fully replace water without leaving the pool without any water, but it is not recommended by TFP due to increased risk of drowning if someone falls in the water.
Bromine + UV = Bromide
In a never ending cycle. That is why once bromine always bromine unless drain/refill.
There is technique using a tarp to fully replace water without leaving the pool without any water, but it is not recommended by TFP due to increased risk of drowning if someone falls in the water.