Mixing Bromine Tablets With Bleach Method

[styro]

I'm going on vacations and won't be able to control the level of my chlorine.

I was hoping someone will tell me about mixing bromine tablets for the time off.

Right now I'm on bleach and I'm going away for a month.

It is possible to put bromine tablets and my good neighbor will put extra chlorine every other day?

Maybe is better way to keep my spa in good shape.

Please give me some advise.

Thanks in advance.

Adam

[waterbear]

I'm going on vacations and won't be able to control the level of my chlorine.

I was hoping someone will tell me about mixing bromine tablets for the time off.

Right now I'm on bleach and I'm going away for a month.

It is possible to put bromine tablets and my good neighbor will put extra chlorine every other day?

Maybe is better way to keep my spa in good shape.

Please give me some advise.

Thanks in advance.

Adam

Until you have a bromide reserve in the water the tabs won't do much good. You could add sodium bromide to create the bromide reserve and then the bromine tabs will help keep the water OK but you will have converted to a bromine spa (any chlorine added will be converted to bromine) until you drain and refill. Even just using the tabs will start the conversion to a bromine spa.

Also, therre is not guarentee that bromine will keep the water nice while you are gone. It it were me I would just shut off the spa and drain and refill when I got back if the water was really bad. It is just green then bleach can clear that up pretty fast.

[styro]

I'm going on vacations and won't be able to control the level of my chlorine.

I was hoping someone will tell me about mixing bromine tablets for the time off.

Right now I'm on bleach and I'm going away for a month.

It is possible to put bromine tablets and my good neighbor will put extra chlorine every other day?

Maybe is better way to keep my spa in good shape.

Please give me some advise.

Thanks in advance.

Adam

Until you have a bromide reserve in the water the tabs won't do much good. You could add sodium bromide to create the bromide reserve and then the bromine tabs will help keep the water OK but you will have converted to a bromine spa (any chlorine added will be converted to bromine) until you drain and refill. Even just using the tabs will start the conversion to a bromine spa.

Also, therre is not guarentee that bromine will keep the water nice while you are gone. It it were me I would just shut off the spa and drain and refill when I got back if the water was really bad. It is just green then bleach can clear that up pretty fast.

[styro]

Thanks for your input.

A couple months ago it was similar post about mixing tablets with bleach method.

I will try to find it since I remember was very nice explain and I will get back.

Thanks

Adam

[styro]

" Why not Bromine then bleach " that was the post :

http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23840&st=0&p=101459&hl=bromine,%20bleach,%20dichlor&fromsearch=1entry101459

But now I found the difference.

First build up the Bromine reserve and the shock weekly with bleach.

I was hoping it is some way not to drain the spa.

Will be ok to just drain (remove the water from the spa).

The rest of the water will still be in the system.

Do I have to super disinfect the spa before next refill?

Or just fill the water and ready to use?

If I do have to super disinfect ,how is the process looks like?

I know to many questions.........

Thanks

Adam

[waterbear]

If you want to convert to a bromine spa then by all means it will work. Bleach is my personal oxidizer of choice for a 2 or 3 step bromine system

BUT

if you only want a vacation fix and want to go back to chlorine after then it's not the solution.

If it were my spa and I wanted to stay with chlorine I would just turn it off and when I got back I would just shock the spa with bleach and maintain the chlorine at about 15 ppm (higher if you have been using Dichlor and the CYA is above 30 ppm), circulate 24/7 and clean the filter as needed until the spa clears. You could do a partial water change if you want but if you are not due for one then you can wait (spas should be drained and refilled every three to four months because of the small volume of water to bather load).

Let the chlorine drop back to below 10 ppm before entering the spa.

[styro]

If you want to convert to a bromine spa then by all means it will work. Bleach is my personal oxidizer of choice for a 2 or 3 step bromine system

BUT

if you only want a vacation fix and want to go back to chlorine after then it's not the solution.

If it were my spa and I wanted to stay with chlorine I would just turn it off and when I got back I would just shock the spa with bleach and maintain the chlorine at about 15 ppm (higher if you have been using Dichlor and the CYA is above 30 ppm), circulate 24/7 and clean the filter as needed until the spa clears. You could do a partial water change if you want but if you are not due for one then you can wait (spas should be drained and refilled every three to four months because of the small volume of water to bather load).

Let the chlorine drop back to below 10 ppm before entering the spa.

I will probably fallow your advise Waterbear.

If I correctly understand, you will live the water in the spa and power off for a month without any chlorine.?

My question also is :won't be better to drain the spa and refill when I come back?(some water will be still in the system and pipes)

Thanks for all inputs.

Adam

[waterbear]

My question also is :won't be better to drain the spa and refill when I come back?(some water will be still in the system and pipes)

Thanks for all inputs.

Adam

Yes, it would but I thought you wanted to avoid draining it. The small amuunt of water left in the pipes won't be a problem. Just shock it and maintain about a 20-25 ppm FC for a day to sanitize the spa after you refill it. Once the FC levels drop to normal range then rebalance your water.

Either way, you can sanitize the spa by brining the FC up do oxidize and destroy anything that might have started growing. It's not really different to what many pool owners do every season when they open their pools and they have turned into green, murky swamps. All they need is chlorine to clear them.

The advantage of a spa is that water changes are practical to do because of the smaller volume of water so there is much less htaqt you have to do if you are going to drain and refill.

[styro]

My question also is :won't be better to drain the spa and refill when I come back?(some water will be still in the system and pipes)

Thanks for all inputs.

Adam

Yes, it would but I thought you wanted to avoid draining it. The small amuunt of water left in the pipes won't be a problem. Just shock it and maintain about a 20-25 ppm FC for a day to sanitize the spa after you refill it. Once the FC levels drop to normal range then rebalance your water.

Either way, you can sanitize the spa by brining the FC up do oxidize and destroy anything that might have started growing. It's not really different to what many pool owners do every season when they open their pools and they have turned into green, murky swamps. All they need is chlorine to clear them.

The advantage of a spa is that water changes are practical to do because of the smaller volume of water so there is much less htaqt you have to do if you are going to drain and refill.

Ok, well I have now 3 option.

Which options is the best one?

1.Leave the water in (power off the spa)just shock it 20-25 FC when I come back.

2.Drain the spa completely and power off.

3.Keep the spa running and let my neighbor just do aprox addition of bleach( 100ml = 5ppm) every other day.

Probable after a month I will still have to shock my spa anyway.

Thanks

Adam

[waterbear]

My question also is :won't be better to drain the spa and refill when I come back?(some water will be still in the system and pipes)

Thanks for all inputs.

Adam

Yes, it would but I thought you wanted to avoid draining it. The small amuunt of water left in the pipes won't be a problem. Just shock it and maintain about a 20-25 ppm FC for a day to sanitize the spa after you refill it. Once the FC levels drop to normal range then rebalance your water.

Either way, you can sanitize the spa by brining the FC up do oxidize and destroy anything that might have started growing. It's not really different to what many pool owners do every season when they open their pools and they have turned into green, murky swamps. All they need is chlorine to clear them.

The advantage of a spa is that water changes are practical to do because of the smaller volume of water so there is much less htaqt you have to do if you are going to drain and refill.

Ok, well I have now 3 option.

Which options is the best one?

1.Leave the water in (power off the spa)just shock it 20-25 FC when I come back.

2.Drain the spa completely and power off.

3.Keep the spa running and let my neighbor just do aprox addition of bleach( 100ml = 5ppm) every other day.

Probable after a month I will still have to shock my spa anyway.

Thanks

Adam

Option 1 or2 is probably the most economical if you are going to be gone for a month. Much depends on how recently you filled the spa and how much water costs you.

You are going to have to decide this yourself.

[styro]

Thanks allot Waterbear!

I think I will go with option #2.

Adam