Still No Bromine Readings On My Test Kits -- Help

[125mph]

I just brought a house with a hottub, and paid a pool guy to come over to show me how to maintain the waters and what not.... So this is what we did so far:

1. Emptied out the water and did a refill.

2. Put metal gone

3. Put a bromine starter pack good for 400 gallon spa (2oz of sodium bromide 99%)

4. Set up a bromine floater tabs (active incredient 1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantain 96%)

The next day I got a DPD kit and tested the water and the bromine was 0. I didn't know why so I opened the floater to expose more tabls.. The next day, bromine reading still 0. Then I thought maybe the test kit was defective so I brought test stripe kit and still nada...

So I went back to the pool store and the guy said add another bromine starter pack (2oz sodium bromide 99%).. So I did that, and tested.... Still NO bromine reading in either test kits....

I took a test water sample to the pool store and they were baffled at why theres no bromine reading.. They thought maybe there was too much bromine and the reading wasn't show.. So the guy added some bromine into the sample water and tested it himself and still no reading.. Then he added a lot more bromine (soldium bromide 99%) in the small little sample and finally it was showing a reading.. So he recommended we bought a big bottle of sodium bromide 99% and dump in 3 ounces (enough for 600 gallons)..

I went home and did the 3 oz and had the jets running for 30 minutes.. Then tested... STILL nada... At this point I got really mad so I dumped maybe 6 more ounces... and tested .... still NO readings for the hottub.. Now I know I've dumped more then enough for several hottubs, maybe even a swimming pool...

What is going on???? I know its not too much bromine because if I dump the sodium bromide in a small sample of the spa water, it eventually shows a 1 ppm.

[Laenini]

I just brought a house with a hottub, and paid a pool guy to come over to show me how to maintain the waters and what not.... So this is what we did so far:

1. Emptied out the water and did a refill.

2. Put metal gone

3. Put a bromine starter pack good for 400 gallon spa (2oz of sodium bromide 99%)

4. Set up a bromine floater tabs (active incredient 1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantain 96%)

The next day I got a DPD kit and tested the water and the bromine was 0. I didn't know why so I opened the floater to expose more tabls.. The next day, bromine reading still 0. Then I thought maybe the test kit was defective so I brought test stripe kit and still nada...

So I went back to the pool store and the guy said add another bromine starter pack (2oz sodium bromide 99%).. So I did that, and tested.... Still NO bromine reading in either test kits....

I took a test water sample to the pool store and they were baffled at why theres no bromine reading.. They thought maybe there was too much bromine and the reading wasn't show.. So the guy added some bromine into the sample water and tested it himself and still no reading.. Then he added a lot more bromine (soldium bromide 99%) in the small little sample and finally it was showing a reading.. So he recommended we bought a big bottle of sodium bromide 99% and dump in 3 ounces (enough for 600 gallons)..

I went home and did the 3 oz and had the jets running for 30 minutes.. Then tested... STILL nada... At this point I got really mad so I dumped maybe 6 more ounces... and tested .... still NO readings for the hottub.. Now I know I've dumped more then enough for several hottubs, maybe even a swimming pool...

What is going on???? I know its not too much bromine because if I dump the sodium bromide in a small sample of the spa water, it eventually shows a 1 ppm.

I'm just a newbie myself but I do have 2 thoughts:

First, I am wondering what impact the metal gone might be having on your testing. Do you know if you have some type of metal problem that required the use of the sequesterant? One basic rule I have learned is to never put any chemical into my pool or hot tub unless I have a specific reason to.

My second thought is that you might have a need to do more of a decontamination process on that tub than just emptying it and refilling. You really have no idea what kind of care that tub had before you came along. I would think it could be possible that the bromine is being "used up" by contaminants that are living in the tub. Posted in this forum is a decontamination procedure that can be followed to ensure your tub is clean as a whistle. Its a 2 step process that first uses an enzyme preparation that can break down the biofilm that microorganisms form around themselves within the pipes of a hot tub, then uses a "supershock" process to make sure everything possible is dead. Finally the tub is drained again and started back off with a fresh, clean fill. Check out Nitro's decontamination thread in this forum for complete instructions.

Good Luck!

[andob45]

I just brought a house with a hottub, and paid a pool guy to come over to show me how to maintain the waters and what not.... So this is what we did so far:

1. Emptied out the water and did a refill.

2. Put metal gone

3. Put a bromine starter pack good for 400 gallon spa (2oz of sodium bromide 99%)

4. Set up a bromine floater tabs (active incredient 1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantain 96%)

The next day I got a DPD kit and tested the water and the bromine was 0. I didn't know why so I opened the floater to expose more tabls.. The next day, bromine reading still 0. Then I thought maybe the test kit was defective so I brought test stripe kit and still nada...

So I went back to the pool store and the guy said add another bromine starter pack (2oz sodium bromide 99%).. So I did that, and tested.... Still NO bromine reading in either test kits....

I took a test water sample to the pool store and they were baffled at why theres no bromine reading.. They thought maybe there was too much bromine and the reading wasn't show.. So the guy added some bromine into the sample water and tested it himself and still no reading.. Then he added a lot more bromine (soldium bromide 99%) in the small little sample and finally it was showing a reading.. So he recommended we bought a big bottle of sodium bromide 99% and dump in 3 ounces (enough for 600 gallons)..

I went home and did the 3 oz and had the jets running for 30 minutes.. Then tested... STILL nada... At this point I got really mad so I dumped maybe 6 more ounces... and tested .... still NO readings for the hottub.. Now I know I've dumped more then enough for several hottubs, maybe even a swimming pool...

What is going on???? I know its not too much bromine because if I dump the sodium bromide in a small sample of the spa water, it eventually shows a 1 ppm.

I'm just a newbie myself but I do have 2 thoughts:

First, I am wondering what impact the metal gone might be having on your testing. Do you know if you have some type of metal problem that required the use of the sequesterant? One basic rule I have learned is to never put any chemical into my pool or hot tub unless I have a specific reason to.

My second thought is that you might have a need to do more of a decontamination process on that tub than just emptying it and refilling. You really have no idea what kind of care that tub had before you came along. I would think it could be possible that the bromine is being "used up" by contaminants that are living in the tub. Posted in this forum is a decontamination procedure that can be followed to ensure your tub is clean as a whistle. Its a 2 step process that first uses an enzyme preparation that can break down the biofilm that microorganisms form around themselves within the pipes of a hot tub, then uses a "supershock" process to make sure everything possible is dead. Finally the tub is drained again and started back off with a fresh, clean fill. Check out Nitro's decontamination thread in this forum for complete instructions.

Good Luck!

you need to use chlorine free shock treatment, leisure time is a good brand, you need to have an oxidizer in their to help the bromine work. shock your water and then test you will have more than enough in there

[Vince22]

That starter pack of sodium bromide does nothing by itself. Add a couple of ounces of Clorox bleach or some MPS. This will convert the sodium bromide to bromine (active sanitizer). It does, however, convert back to bromide when it sanitizes, so you'll have to add MPS or bleach regularly.

I used to use the bromine pucks, but I found that except for keeping a low, stable level of sanitizer in the water, I still had to add clorox regularly to keep up with bather load.

I've recently stopped using the pucks altogether. Now, it's just a little splash of clorox each day plus a little extra when I have guests.

[david_bilton]

That starter pack of sodium bromide does nothing by itself. Add a couple of ounces of Clorox bleach or some MPS. This will convert the sodium bromide to bromine (active sanitizer). It does, however, convert back to bromide when it sanitizes, so you'll have to add MPS or bleach regularly.

I used to use the bromine pucks, but I found that except for keeping a low, stable level of sanitizer in the water, I still had to add clorox regularly to keep up with bather load.

I've recently stopped using the pucks altogether. Now, it's just a little splash of clorox each day plus a little extra when I have guests.

NEVER use bleach it is very high in cya and has a hi PH check your phosphates if they are to hi it can mess with your sanitizers

[swagmaster]

That starter pack of sodium bromide does nothing by itself. Add a couple of ounces of Clorox bleach or some MPS. This will convert the sodium bromide to bromine (active sanitizer). It does, however, convert back to bromide when it sanitizes, so you'll have to add MPS or bleach regularly.

I used to use the bromine pucks, but I found that except for keeping a low, stable level of sanitizer in the water, I still had to add clorox regularly to keep up with bather load.

I've recently stopped using the pucks altogether. Now, it's just a little splash of clorox each day plus a little extra when I have guests.

NEVER use bleach it is very high in cya and has a hi PH check your phosphates if they are to hi it can mess with your sanitizers

I had similar issue with high phosphate that masked bromine. Use mps instead, that will release it. Also, I used nophos but make sure you clean your filter a bit more frequently.

[JamesIlsley]

That starter pack of sodium bromide does nothing by itself. Add a couple of ounces of Clorox bleach or some MPS. This will convert the sodium bromide to bromine (active sanitizer). It does, however, convert back to bromide when it sanitizes, so you'll have to add MPS or bleach regularly.

I used to use the bromine pucks, but I found that except for keeping a low, stable level of sanitizer in the water, I still had to add clorox regularly to keep up with bather load.

I've recently stopped using the pucks altogether. Now, it's just a little splash of clorox each day plus a little extra when I have guests.

NEVER use bleach it is very high in cya and has a hi PH check your phosphates if they are to hi it can mess with your sanitizers

That is not correct. DiChlor adds to your tub's CYA but Clorox Bleach does not contribute CYA at all. (Hence the point of the DiChlor/Bleach method that is working so well for so many on this board) The high PH issue can be mitigated by keeping alk at the right level and using 50 ppm borates to stabablize. I personally add bleach daily to my tub and do not have PH drift and my CYA is stable - hasn't increased since startup using DiChlor to establish the CYA bank.

[Dnepr Dave]

That is not correct. DiChlor adds to your tub's CYA but Clorox Bleach does not contribute CYA at all. (Hence the point of the DiChlor/Bleach method that is working so well for so many on this board) The high PH issue can be mitigated by keeping alk at the right level and using 50 ppm borates to stabablize. I personally add bleach daily to my tub and do not have PH drift and my CYA is stable - hasn't increased since startup using DiChlor to establish the CYA bank.

I agree!

Dave

[Valis]

Did you use any spa additives? I added spa monthly by ecoone and im having the same issue even though i can smell the bromide on my hand when i pull it put with the test strip.

[Christi]

I have a new hot tub and am having the same problem since day one. I have put more than a whole bottle of sodium bromide and it reads 0. If I add shock I will get a temporary reading. Now the water has a slight green tent. I did add medal be gone when I started up the hot tub. Spa store doesn’t know what to do. I’m at a loss. 

[RDspaguy]

Here are a few recent threads that might help. One is about chlorine, but the chemistry still applies. Read them over and start a new thread if you still have questions.

https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52587-help-low-bromine-in-hot-tub-although-there-is-tablets-in-it/&do=findComment&comment=202060

https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52567-bromine-level-at-zero-help/&do=findComment&comment=201868

https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52595-suggestions-for-chlorine-reading-zero-every-day/&do=findComment&comment=202266