Bromine Level?

[walleye]

My tub has been flawless. Crystal clear right now. I received my Taylor Bromine test Kit and it is great. My question is this: What should my Bromine PPM be? My dealer says 1 -2 PPM is all I need. Most things I read say 4-5 PPM. My water test today with the Taylor kit was Bromine = 1.5 ppm; PH 7.8; TA 90 ppm; TH 340 ppm. All looks great in my tub. I add a couple ounces of "renew" after each use and plan on adding 6 ounces of 6% bleach weekly. (480 GALLON TUB) Question is, my dealer said with my ozonator all I need maintained is 1-2 ppm Bromine. After reading here, I have less faith in my ozonator and is 1.5 ppm enough? I keep 2-3 tabs in my floater door near the filter. (Sundance Altamar) This maintains 1-2 ppm. All advice on how much and my method described is appreciated. I want to do this right.

[gman]

<br />My tub has been flawless. Crystal clear right now. I received my Taylor Bromine test Kit and it is great. My question is this: What should my Bromine PPM be? My dealer says 1 -2 PPM is all I need. Most things I read say 4-5 PPM. My water test today with the Taylor kit was Bromine = 1.5 ppm; PH 7.8; TA 90 ppm; TH 340 ppm. All looks great in my tub. I add a couple ounces of "renew" after each use and plan on adding 6 ounces of 6% bleach weekly. (480 GALLON TUB) Question is, my dealer said with my ozonator all I need maintained is 1-2 ppm Bromine. After reading here, I have less faith in my ozonator and is 1.5 ppm enough? I keep 2-3 tabs in my floater door near the filter. (Sundance Altamar) This maintains 1-2 ppm. All advice on how much and my method described is appreciated. I want to do this right.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Although shocking a bromine tub is necessary at times, I think it's easier to maintain your tub's water chemistry when you're not going to extremes all the time. Your nose may also be a factor since some people are more sensitive to the smell of bromine, which is (of course) stronger at higher levels.

What benchmark level you want to use (1-2ppm, 2-4ppm, or 4-6ppm) will depend on YOUR average tub use regimen. The level that is necessary to maintain sanitation for a regimen of infrequent use of short soaking periods will be different than what is needed to maintain sanitation if your regimen is frequent use of long soaking times. If your routine bather load is high and your soak time is long, you may find it easier to maintain sanitation with a higher benchmark level (4-5ppm) than if your routine usually consists of low bather load and soaks of relatively short duration. Your ozonator will help oxidize contaminants and therefore take some of the work load off of your bromine.

It will take a few weeks to determine what is your most frequent/common soak regimen and you will learn through trial and error what is the best benchmark level and appropriate Bromine Floater setting to maintain sanitation for your use pattern.

The important key is to make sure you always maintain some level of bromine in your tub (or that your tub never sits without sanitizer for any length of time).

I hope this helps.

gman

[jeffinpickering]

That 1-2ppm will be gone very fast upon having a soak.

As a reference point, we use our tub 4-5 days per week, and the average soak is two bathers for about 20-25 minutes (40-50 bather minutes). We have found that around 5-6ppm is a good point to have the tub at when we get in

I keep our floater around 4. We also have an ozonator, which supposedly helps oxidize contaminants.

I shock it to 12-15ppm every week or two (depending on the level of use in the preceding week).

[Even Further]

I've tested my BR before and after soaking. I've seen it drop 1.5 ppm in 1-2 hrs, with a 20-30 min soak, and having the floater out for the 1-2 hr duration.

I try to keep BR in the 4-6 ppm range.

Also my water is always clear, and I only shock every 3-4 weeks.