Floating Bromide Versus Only Adding Bromine After Use

[i_rock69]

Acouple of stores are saying to get rid of the floaters they cause damage to the metals etc, and only add bromine after use. This seems a little unhealthy if i do not use the tub for 4 days I could run out of sanatizer which to me as I understand is not safe.

However I have been wrong many times before .

Thanks

[tony357]

Keep your floater..

[arches2]

how would a floater (if it's set correctly to keep a residual of about 4-5 ppm of bromine) damage anything? it's the same as bromine except it is slowly replacing the bromine as it's used up. Much better way to go.

[Spanky]

They're feeding you a load of B.S.

The reason behind this deception is that many Spa suppliers are carrying a 2 part bromine sanitizer system.

Part 1 is basically Sodium Bromide ,often in liquid form, which you add regularly.

Part 2 is usually called "Energize" ,or something similar, and is basically MPS.

They want you to to believe that this is something "special" and requires you to buy and use BOTH parts exclusively.

The cost, compared to Waterbear's 3 step bromine, is ridiculous!! Believe me, they know all too well that a Bromine spa can be maintained very easily at very low cost using a Floater, Tabs and bleach but that doesn't make them any money!!!

[PreservedSwine]

In their defense, most of the customers I come across (yes, most) that use a bromine feeder use it recklessly. The vast majority of those spas are over-sanitized, and the PH is extremely low. These customers can't figure out why they're burning through heaters and shaft seals every year or two, and think they bought an inferior product,

For this type of customer, who then switches to a granular product- whether it be dichlor or bromine, they are much, much happier with the granular solution.

[waterbear]

In their defense, most of the customers I come across (yes, most) that use a bromine feeder use it recklessly. The vast majority of those spas are over-sanitized, and the PH is extremely low. These customers can't figure out why they're burning through heaters and shaft seals every year or two, and think they bought an inferior product,

For this type of customer, who then switches to a granular product- whether it be dichlor or bromine, they are much, much happier with the granular solution.

Perhaps they need a decent test kit and need to get rid of the strips!

[chem geek]

Bromine tabs, when accounting for bromine usage/consumption, are net acidic so if you don't do any testing then the pH can get low. Then again, Dichlor is similarly net acidic. And if you use MPS to oxidize bromide to bromine in the 2-step system, then that is net acidic as well. So I don't quite buy the argument that bromine tabs are to be avoided because people don't watch the pH in their spas. This argument would only make sense if one were comparing against the 2-step bromine system using bleach to oxidize the bromide to bromine since in that case it is pH neutral (except for carbon dioxide outgassing which can be minimized by lowering the TA level).

Perhaps it has more to do with thinking that tablets in a feeder mean no need to test and that is what gets them into trouble.

[Spanky]

I'm finding it very hard to believe that any person, of normal intelligence, would have difficulty setting a Bromine floater properly.

I do however, understand how spas can experience low pH by the improper use of acid. (Dry or Muriatic). This requires accurate testing and very careful measuring. As Waterbear points out, an acid demand drop test is crutial to this operation. Measuring errors are also a major concern. Many novice spa owners do not measure chemicals accurately, there is a tendency to add too much. Novices also tend to use their "Test Strips" within minutes of making an adjustment and end up adding more acid because they don't instantly see the expected result.

[PreservedSwine]

Perhaps it has more to do with thinking that tablets in a feeder mean no need to test and that is what gets them into trouble.

*This*

Although several hundred dollar repair bills eventually get them to pay attention...