Bromine System Clarification

[mmelo]

Hello All,

First a thank you for putting out some solid information related to the spa chemical treatment systems out there. Coming here has been a great learning. I was beginging to think I would never find the right answers...

Well I have been fortunate to have a mostly good start with our new spa. Have gone through one fill relatively smoothly on the second one and it also seems to be going well. On this next fill I have decided that a Bromine system would possibly be better for us. So I will be using the system detailed by Waterbear (thanks.)

A few questions I have been unable to find answers for:

Step 1. A suggests using "dry acid" to lower TA what exactly is this?

Step 1. B suggests using "dry acid" again to lower PH what exactly is this?

Step 1. C I assume we would use calcium chloride to raise total hardness should that be necessary?

Step 2. I have been able to find a 35% solution of Sodium Bromide is this OK?

Step 3. I have only been able to find Clorox Ultra which is a 5.5% solution is this OK?

Thanks in advance!!!

Michael

[PaulR]

Dry acid is sold at pool/spa supply stores, it's a granular chemical (sodium bisulfate). For the small amounts needed in a typical spa, it's easier to handle than equivalent amounts of muriatic acid.

Calcium chloride works well for raising hardness.

What else is in your 35% sodium bromide solution? If it's just water, that should be fine. I got a 2oz packet of granular sodium bromide from my local pool shop, which was close enough to what I needed that I just used the whole packet.

Clorox Ultra 5.5% is typical. Make sure it is unscented, no thickeners or other additives (Clorox makes a few different versions).

--paulr

[waterbear]

What Paul said!

[mmelo]

Thanks guys.

Tough to find a 100% sodium bromide solution. The next best thing I have been able to find is an all in one product that contains both bromine and chlorine. The local spa folks claim it is used to build the bromine reserve. Can't determine what the remaining 65% is made up of in the solution I have.

Regarding the dry acid I have found a product called SpaBoss PH Reducer which says its a dry acid.

Re: Calcium Chloride, no luck there either but found the SpaBoss Cal Rise.

So I guess I'll have to continue to purchase some spa specific manufactured products.

[Itchy and Scratchy]

spadepot.com is were I get my non generic chemicals. 1 lb granular bromine around $12. Bromine tabs $10 1.5 lbs. Shipping is $4 and I receive my orders in 2 days. They have calcium too.

Stay away from the spa stores for chemicals. They will sell you overpriced misinformation. I got a 10 lbs bucket of dry acid from leslies pool supply for $20.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

spadepot.com is were I get my non generic chemicals. 1 lb granular bromine around $12. Bromine tabs $10 1.5 lbs. Shipping is $4 and I receive my orders in 2 days. They have calcium too.

Stay away from the spa stores for chemicals. They will sell you overpriced misinformation. I got a 10 lbs bucket of dry acid from leslies pool supply for $20.

Not all spa stores are overpriced and give misinformation by the way. All though there are a lot of spa stores that do not understand water chemistry, there are quite a few that do also (where do you think many of us on the forum come from) You can tell when you gom in and ask a few questions how knowledgable they are.

I carry little 2 ounce start up packs of sodium bromide, what they are selling the OP is a one step. he will have to use it several times to build upm a reserve since it is mostly chlorine. You can also find liquid sodium bromide in many places, although this is a exspensive route to go.

[Itchy and Scratchy]

Sorry for the broad generalization HH. I do appreciate the knowledge contributors like you bring. I was burned by a local dealer when I went in and purchased $350 in merchandise and was looking for decontamination advice. I don't think they even knew what biofilm was. The experience left me and my 3 y/o with a rash. That was how I found this forum. If you instruct your customers the right way to sanitize you are among a rare breed I believe. Thank you for what you do and how you contribute.

[Even Further]

I have to agree with Itchy, my shopping experience has left much to be desired. I'm to the point where I won't ask them any questions, and if they don't have exactly what I want, I'll go online.

Buying online has worked out much better for me. Sometimes they just don't have exactly what your looking for, with spa chemicals.

[bdubya200]

Sorry for the broad generalization HH. I do appreciate the knowledge contributors like you bring. I was burned by a local dealer when I went in and purchased $350 in merchandise and was looking for decontamination advice. I don't think they even knew what biofilm was. The experience left me and my 3 y/o with a rash. That was how I found this forum. If you instruct your customers the right way to sanitize you are among a rare breed I believe. Thank you for what you do and how you contribute.

Sorry that you worked off of bad info. That doesnt amke all spa shops ignorant re: chemicals and what to do.

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

Itchy,

I would go back to the shop that sold you the wrong stuff, ask to speak with the owner and tell him/her they really need to get their staff educated before they kill a child. Many children die a year due to RWI's. Some tub shops hire young high school or college kids and exspect that they will learn by reading the bottles. This is not right, they should send them to a CPO class or at the least to the training seminars that most the higher end chemical companies offer, and then test them to make sure they know what they are doing.

It irritates me when stores give bad advice, i ran into this myself when i had to go purchase chemicals for my pool at my other home, when i questioned them, they said 'oh it is so different here because it is florida, its hot all the time" which had nothing to do with what I needed. i listened a bit more, then told her that we owned our own store, and I was a cpo, she kind of got quiet. this store sends out teenages to maintain pools everyday, hundreds of them. not a single CPO on staff. they dont even test the water, just pour in chlorine, if its green they add algicide. Scares me!

[dlleno]

I realize this is an old thread but I had to chime in on the "my spa store won't sell me sodium bromide" subject. while I have used the one-step product successfully, and realize that it doesn't give you a bromine spa for a while I remember clearly receiving the advice that "we don't sell it anymore because it absorbs water and clumps up." FYI imho, looking back, this was a marketing decision by BioGuard -- the big label cohort of the spa store -- to help them sell more of their "brominating concentrate" which is essentially 15% soduium bromide and the rest Dichlor.

Now, as I am emerging from the spa store fog, thanks in no small part to the experts here, I find the salt readily available, and my approach to water chemistry changing!