If I were to use Sodium Bromide and Trichlor, I would have brominated water, not chlorinated water, correct?
Could I use this combination for hot tubs?
Could I use this combination for hot tubs?
Sodium Bromide and Trichlor
- Thread starter 09659
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Here is the thread that covers Bromine use in spas: http://www.troublefreepool.com/how-do-i-use-bromine-in-my-spa-or-pool-t102.html
Yes, if you put in the proper amount of Sodium Bromide then use the trichlor as the oxidizer, you spa will be a Bromine spa. However, as I understand it, there is really no advantage to using "stabilized" chlorine products such as trichlor and dichlor in a Bromine tub. In addition the trichlor will cause the ph to lower quickly. Better to just use liquid chlorine/beach.09659 said:
No, in a spa high TA would result in way too high PH almost the instant the jets were turned on.
If you could carefully regulate the Trichlor, then you could set a TA where the rate of pH rise balances the pH drop from Trichlor acidity, but as Jason noted when the spa is used and the jets are running the pH will tend to go up quite a bit. The main way that is combatted is with a lower TA but that then reduces the amount of buffering against a drop in pH which the Trichlor will tend to do. So it increases your risk if you don't maintain that TA regularly. It's technically doable, but is regular maintenance not suitable to a service that doesn't visit very often.
Also, for Trichlor it dissolves more quickly in hot water so needs a special feeder that can be dialed way down, more so than required for bromine tabs that dissolve more slowly.
Remember that with Trichlor, for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) it also increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA) by 6 ppm and when the chlorine gets used/consumed, it also lowers the Total Alkalinity (TA) by 7 ppm. In a pool this is managed by a somewhat higher TA level and addition of pH Up (sodium carbonate), but in a spa with its low water volume, relatively high bather load, and sporadic aeration from jets, it can be harder to manage.
Also, for Trichlor it dissolves more quickly in hot water so needs a special feeder that can be dialed way down, more so than required for bromine tabs that dissolve more slowly.
Remember that with Trichlor, for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) it also increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA) by 6 ppm and when the chlorine gets used/consumed, it also lowers the Total Alkalinity (TA) by 7 ppm. In a pool this is managed by a somewhat higher TA level and addition of pH Up (sodium carbonate), but in a spa with its low water volume, relatively high bather load, and sporadic aeration from jets, it can be harder to manage.
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