Suggestions for getting bromine bounce-back

[Susanj]

I have gotten so much help from these forums and now I have some more questions.

 

Before giving up on the Frog Serene (bromine) System (we've used it for 9 months)  and going back to the less expensive floater-plus maybe leaving shock for the guests to put in at our vacation rental,  I called the manufacturer of the Frog system to get help,  telling him we aren't seeing bromine bounce back. (Didn't with the floater either.) 

After use when bromine can get to 0, there should be bounce back so that by morning bromine should test at 1-2 ppm. At least that is my understanding. (We have an ozonator and I turned up the filtration system to the max)

 

 

He had 3 suggestions-

 

1. Use the Frog test strips-there may actually be bromine in there when our drop kit says 0 (Hard to believe they'd be more accurate than a Taylor drop kit). 

 

2. Bring a water sample and have it tested -any local hot tub store does it. For the same reason- our drop kit reading may be off. (But IHT-where we bought our tub- just uses the same test strips I used to use). He also said to test for phosphates.  It's an easy fix he said.

 

3. Alkalinity of 40 is too low. Should be 80.  (We are going to be using soo much Spa Up/baking soda. To get it to 40-50 it takes about 1/4 cup. We'll have to get it to about 100, then use Spa Down to get the pH in range). Our water likes to be at 40-50 ALK  so that's what we balance it to.  

People in the forums have said 40-50 is okay. And the person I spoke with at IHT said to ignore Alkalinity and just pay attention to pH!

 

Maybe a chlorine system would be better.

 

I'm thinking to start with the Alkalinity?

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Cusser]

Except for adjusting pH as necessary, I use onlya bromine tablet floater and use monoperoxide shock once a week.  I don't even test for alkalinity, etc.  32-year-old CalSpa.

I purchase the monopersulfate from Internet seller, has become tougher to find or quite expensive locally.