Bromine

[Tpadtech]

Hi-I need some help with a bromine problem please.

Ok-I don't think that I like the bromine. I switched from chlorine on the recommendation from a friend. I keep getting a 0 reading on the test strips for bromine in my swimming pool..so I did a test this morning...

I took a reading right from the automatic chlorinator. Deep purple. So that was good. Then I took a reading from the output tube of the chlorinator that attaches to the return pipe that goes directly to the jet in the pool. It was purple-but light purple. Then I tried to take a reading right from the jet-and 0 again.

I made sure that the chlorinator is hooked up correctly-and it is. It's a new chlorinator and new tubing..so I don't know what's going on. I have the chlorinator full of bromine tablets-put a couple handfuls of bromine tablets in the skimmer basket-and 0 readings. The only time a get a reading is when I shock the pool.

Any thoughts???

Thank you to anyone who responds..

[waterbear]

Hi-I need some help with a bromine problem please.

Ok-I don't think that I like the bromine. I switched from chlorine on the recommendation from a friend. I keep getting a 0 reading on the test strips for bromine in my swimming pool..so I did a test this morning...

I took a reading right from the automatic chlorinator. Deep purple. So that was good. Then I took a reading from the output tube of the chlorinator that attaches to the return pipe that goes directly to the jet in the pool. It was purple-but light purple. Then I tried to take a reading right from the jet-and 0 again.

I made sure that the chlorinator is hooked up correctly-and it is. It's a new chlorinator and new tubing..so I don't know what's going on. I have the chlorinator full of bromine tablets-put a couple handfuls of bromine tablets in the skimmer basket-and 0 readings. The only time a get a reading is when I shock the pool.

Any thoughts???

Thank you to anyone who responds..

Is this on an outdoor or indoor pool? Bromine is not really suitable for an outdoor pool, IMHO, because it cannot be protected from destruction from UV like chlorine can.

It would be helpful if you did not test with strips , they are not reliable. You will get more meaningful bromine testing results with an inexpensive chlorine/pH tester that uses OTO for testing chlorine and bromine (comparator block has shades of yellow). If the comparator does not have a bromine scale on it then multiply the chlorine reading by 2.25 to get a total bromine reading.

Have you added sodium bromide to the water to create your bromide reserve?

Are you using BCDMH or DBDMH bromine tablets (look on the container)?

Also, if you could post your pH, TA, and CH readings; tell us the surface of the pool (plaster, fiberglass, vinyl), the type of filtration (sand ,DE, cart) it would be helpful.

Is the water clear or cloudy? Does it have any color? Is any algae present in the pool?

[Tpadtech]

well I see I forgot some info here: (and thank you for responding Waterbear)

1. Is this on an outdoor or indoor pool? outdoor money pit

2. Have you added sodium bromide to the water to create your bromide reserve?

...this is a no-not sure really what it is.

3. Are you using BCDMH or DBDMH bromine tablets (look on the container)?

BCDMH

4. Also, if you could post your pH, TA, and CH readings..PH and Alk are normal ranges (had a sample of water done at the local pool hut) but I do not know what CH is..

5. the surface of the pool (plaster, fiberglass, vinyl), the type of filtration (sand ,DE, cart) it would be helpful........Vinyl and sand

6. Is the water clear or cloudy? Does it have any color? Is any algae present in the pool?......water is clear-no color and some algae is starting..and I never have algae in my pool..

[waterbear]

shock the pool with liquid chlorine (or unscented chlorine laundry bleach--same thing) until the algae is gone, stop the bromine, and go back to chlorine. Bromine is not really suitable for an outdoor pool exposed to sunlight.

Bromine is a bit more complex then just putting tabs in a feeder. You need to create a bromide "bank" in the water with sodium bromide. Bromine chemistry works differently than chlorine chemistry. Your bromine tabs contain both organic bromine and chlorine. The chlorine present 'activates' the bromide reserve (which you don't have and it takes a long time to create it with just bromine tabs. Until you do you are just using chlorine in the water and not enough!)

Biggest problem is that sunlight will destroy your sanitizer. You already have algae that is consuming sanitizer. These are the reasons you cannot maintain a bromine reading in the water.

Why did you switch in the first place?

[Tpadtech]

Why did I switch? I had a new liner put in last year. A friend of mine installed the liner. He knows what he is doing-he was high up in a local pool company chain. My pool was beautiful when he was done. Anyway when he closed the pool for me last year-he brought me the bromine tablets and said these would be better.

I went on his say-so, but I should have done my homework a little better.

Switching back to chlorine is fine. When I went to the local pool hut with a water sample, they mentioned that there was no chlorine in the pool. I said that I was using bromine and they freaked out and asked if I had cleaned my filter before the bromine. I didn't-but I told them yes. So now, with all of this bromine in the water-I can just add the liquid chlorine and no bad chemical reaction?

Heather

[waterbear]

Why did I switch? I had a new liner put in last year. A friend of mine installed the liner. He knows what he is doing-he was high up in a local pool company chain. My pool was beautiful when he was done. Anyway when he closed the pool for me last year-he brought me the bromine tablets and said these would be better.

I went on his say-so, but I should have done my homework a little better.

Switching back to chlorine is fine. When I went to the local pool hut with a water sample, they mentioned that there was no chlorine in the pool. I said that I was using bromine and they freaked out and asked if I had cleaned my filter before the bromine. I didn't-but I told them yes. So now, with all of this bromine in the water-I can just add the liquid chlorine and no bad chemical reaction?

Heather

Cleaning the fiter is not important when switching form chorine to bromine or vice versa. It's only important when switching from a Biguanide based sanitizer like SoftSwim or Baqua.

The problem with organic bromine (BCDMH) is that it is forever. You will need to drain and refill. I would recommend only doing a 50% water replacement since you have a liner pool to dilute the dimethylhydandtoin in the water. This is the DMH in your tabs and the stuff that makes bromine 'forever'. (The B and C stand for Bromine and Chlorine that are in your tabs.)

You can switch back to using chlorine and balancing and testing the water for chlorine. Some of the bromide will convert to bromate from sunlight, which is what you want but some will still be reactivated into bromine sanitizer. As long as you don't have a large amount of bromide ions in the water left your pool will be mostly a chlorine pool and can be maintained as such.

You should not have that much of a problem because you have not been on bromine that long.

Adjust and balance your water and make sure you have added the proper amount of stabilizer (CYA). Use chlorine as you did in the past. You will know when your pool is back to chlorine because you will be able to maintain a sanitizer level normally because the chlorine is being stabilized against loss from sunlight. Until that happens, test the sanitizer level daily and add unstabilized chlorine (liquid has the least negative effects but cal hypo can be used if your fill water does not have high calcium) daily until the chlorine holds normally.

I would strongly advise investing in your own good test kit since you will have to test your water on a daily basis for a while. I would recommend getting a Taylor K-2006 (not the K-2005). You will probably have to order it online from Taylor Technologies or one of the many online retailers that sell it since it is usually not stocked in pool supply stores. IF they carry the Taylor kits they usually carry the less expensive K-2005. This test kit is one of the BEST investments you can make in your pool's maintenance!

You will not have a bad chemical reaction by adding any form of chlorine so don't worry. Chlorine (or another oxidizer) is actually a needed part of any bromine pool! Bromine pools are shocked with chlorine. As long as there are bromide ions in the water the chlorine converts the bromide into hypobromous acid (bromine sanitizer) and is converted into chloride ions in the process.

When the bromine sanitizer is 'used up' it converts back to bromide ions and chlorine can convert it back again. This is the "bromide bank" . Eventually, the bromide converts to non renewable bromate and you no longer have a bromine system until you add more bromide ions. Your bromine tabs add bromide, hypobromous acid, and chlorine to the water continually. They also add a chemical called DMH that keeps the bromine from converting to bromate. It works in a similar way that CYA does with chorine but does not effectively protect against UV light degradation. Dilution will remove enough of the DMH so the pool can convert to chlorine again.

Hope this explains things.