Test strips show high Bromine

[brandymonk81]

I've got these test strips that test for both Chlorine and Bromine separately and my bromine levels keep showing high, like the upper limit of the range on the test. See photo. This is a new pool, I used well water that has been run through a home filter and a water softener, and the only products I have used so far are chlorine and muratic acid with some Clorox pH Down in the very beginning. I've also added 2 bags of Clorox Shock xtrablue. The water is highly alkaline from the well (water softener didn't do much, will need to check that on a separate note) and I have been adding muratic acid daily to keep the pH down and work on getting the alkalinity into range.

The one test strips I bought from walmart had bromine and chlorine on the same line with the same test.

So what the heck is going on with the bromine? Does chlorine simply interact with the bromine strip regardless of whether bromine is present, or is there something else going on here that I am missing?

Thanks!

I have the same strips. My pool has been fine until the last two weeks. My strips are shadowing same. I don’t use bromine. I use xtra blue Clorox tabs but I don’t last summer too and my stayed clear. My oo is now completely cloudy. I shocked it and then few days later I used algae gaurs which I have done in the past and it worked. I am not suing chemicals together. I waited 2 days after shock to use algae guard. I don’t know what else to do. It’s end of season but I was trying to get in today before draining under outlets to close but I can’t close it like this. Any suggestions. My total chlorine is high, bromine shows high but I think that’s false, my free chlorine is normal, all other readings are ok but ph is kind of high, I just added baking soda yesterday.

 

[Bperry]

I have the same strips. My pool has been fine until the last two weeks. My strips are shadowing same. I don’t use bromine. I use xtra blue Clorox tabs but I don’t last summer too and my stayed clear. My oo is now completely cloudy. I shocked it and then few days later I used algae gaurs which I have done in the past and it worked. I am not suing chemicals together. I waited 2 days after shock to use algae guard. I don’t know what else to do. It’s end of season but I was trying to get in today before draining under outlets to close but I can’t close it like this. Any suggestions. My total chlorine is high, bromine shows high but I think that’s false, my free chlorine is normal, all other readings are ok but ph is kind of high, I just added baking soda yesterday.

The issue is using test strips for anything. Throw them in the trash.

 

[brandymonk81]

The issue is using test strips for anything. Throw them in the trash.

I plan too right now that’s all I have so unfortunately I have to use them.

 

[Bperry]

I plan too right now that’s all I have so unfortunately I have to use them.

No joke, You really don’t have to use them. You are better off just adding the 5ppm chlorine per day until a good test kit arrives.

 

[Mdragger88]

There’s no separate test for chlorine and bromine. 2ppm Total br = 4ppm total chlorine.
The strips cannot differentiate between the two.
If you haven’t added bromine/bromide you don’t have any- disregard it.

That said- strips will steer you wrong in various detrimental ways - you’re better off tasting the water to determine the levels .
Test Kits Compared

 

[proavia]

And those Clorox Xtra Blu tabs are adding copper to the pool.
Continued use will result in copper stains.