Boonzer Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I'm over doing my tub already...test strips are flying into the garbage like I have shares in the company... I've only had the tub for 48 hrs One day the BR is so low I can barely see it...I crank open the floater, add some shock and bang it's waaay up. Does the ozonator eat up bromine? I'm also having trouble keeping my Alkalinity stable. SOS...save our skin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterbear Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I'm over doing my tub already...test strips are flying into the garbage like I have shares in the company... I've only had the tub for 48 hrs One day the BR is so low I can barely see it...I crank open the floater, add some shock and bang it's waaay up. Does the ozonator eat up bromine? I'm also having trouble keeping my Alkalinity stable. SOS...save our skin When you filled your tub did you add sodium bromide to the water? If you didn't and you are relying on only the tablets in the foater then you don't have a bromine system...at least not yet. 'The tablets are slow dissolving and it can literally take weeks before they dissolve enough to establish a bromine reserve in the water. In the meantime what your strips are measureing are the chlorine/mps in your water and ozone will deplete these. If you have added the sodium bromide then I would suggest just openeing the floater bit by bit until you are maintaining the level of bromine you want (I like 4-6 ppm). Every time you add shock to the water you will be raising your brormine levels very high....that is what shock does! Adjust the floater without adding more shock. Give the water some time to adjust...wait at least 24 hours before retesting. If you can find it get the biggest bottle of "New Spa owner Patience in a Bottle" that you can find and apply it liberally to yourself! As far as the ALK goes....stop trying to test and ajust it with strips, let them 'fly into the garbage'...it's the best place for them, IMHO...Invest in a decent drop based kit and you will find that a lot of your water testing problems will disappear. For bromine I recommend the Taylor K-2106 FAS-DPD complete.. It has every test you need. As far as the price... You just spent literally thousands on your spa...is $60-$75 really a lot to spend on a GOOD test kit? You will find that your ALK (and pH) will most likely be going down in the spa because of the acidic nature of the bromine tabs, MPS shock if you are using it, and the body oils and secretions from your bather load. Just a fact of life. You will soon learn how to adjust it. BTW, alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate...I don't care who's brand it is...it's stll just sodium bicarbonate....I don't care if the label says it's sodium hydrogen carbonate, that is just another name for sodium bicarbonate....Sodium bicarbonate can be found in any grocery store under the name of BAKING SODA (and usually in a purer form!) Also, chlorine is, IMHO, the best shock for a bromine pool and the best form to use is liquid. I won't go into all the technical reasons for time and space considerations but the easiest source of liquid chlorine for shocking is plain, unscented laundry bleach. 3/4 cup of ultra (6%) or 1 cup of regular (5.25%) is more than enougth to shock a 300 gal spa on bromine...You should only need to shock about once a week, perhaps a bit less with your ozonator! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boonzer Posted March 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Thanks Waterbear, I can find baking soda, and just grab the bleach off the washer. I did invest in a Taylor kit before I found this forum, so It's not the best one for Bromine. I think it's the k-1004 Trouble pack? It certainly gives a better reading for AK and PH as well as BR/Cl..... When the set up guys came they added three cap fulls of something...then put BR pucks in the dispenser.... that was the extent of the chemical setup. I put some Arctic "refresh" and added another puck to the dispenser after a lunch time soak (which was freaking awesome... you'll have to excuse my exhuberance, it's still so new!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SugarBear Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Don't add the shock to the floater! Add it directly into the water. The only thing that goes into the floater are the pucks. Chill out..relax and enjoy. You'll get the hang of it. Don't over-manage your water or you will be dumping before you have to. Good Luck! Now, go have a soak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayouboy Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 When you filled your tub did you add sodium bromide to the water? If you didn't and you are relying on only the tablets in the foater then you don't have a bromine system...at least not yet. 'The tablets are slow dissolving and it can literally take weeks before they dissolve enough to establish a bromine reserve in the water. In the meantime what your strips are measureing are the chlorine/mps in your water and ozone will deplete these. If you have added the sodium bromide then I would suggest just openeing the floater bit by bit until you are maintaining the level of bromine you want (I like 4-6 ppm). Every time you add shock to the water you will be raising your brormine levels very high....that is what shock does! Adjust the floater without adding more shock. Give the water some time to adjust...wait at least 24 hours before retesting. If you can find it get the biggest bottle of "New Spa owner Patience in a Bottle" that you can find and apply it liberally to yourself! As far as the ALK goes....stop trying to test and ajust it with strips, let them 'fly into the garbage'...it's the best place for them, IMHO...Invest in a decent drop based kit and you will find that a lot of your water testing problems will disappear. For bromine I recommend the Taylor K-2106 FAS-DPD complete.. It has every test you need. As far as the price... You just spent literally thousands on your spa...is $60-$75 really a lot to spend on a GOOD test kit? You will find that your ALK (and pH) will most likely be going down in the spa because of the acidic nature of the bromine tabs, MPS shock if you are using it, and the body oils and secretions from your bather load. Just a fact of life. You will soon learn how to adjust it. BTW, alkalinity increaser is sodium bicarbonate...I don't care who's brand it is...it's stll just sodium bicarbonate....I don't care if the label says it's sodium hydrogen carbonate, that is just another name for sodium bicarbonate....Sodium bicarbonate can be found in any grocery store under the name of BAKING SODA (and usually in a purer form!) Also, chlorine is, IMHO, the best shock for a bromine pool and the best form to use is liquid. I won't go into all the technical reasons for time and space considerations but the easiest source of liquid chlorine for shocking is plain, unscented laundry bleach. 3/4 cup of ultra (6%) or 1 cup of regular (5.25%) is more than enougth to shock a 300 gal spa on bromine...You should only need to shock about once a week, perhaps a bit less with your ozonator! Thank you very much!!! I was having the same trouble. I love this site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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