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Using different forms of bromine


Susanj

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I don’t understand something and am hoping someone can explain it to me.
If I use a floater with bromine tablets I supposedly can shock with chlorine ( Dichlor) or non- chlorine ( MPS). And I need to add a sodium bromide packet on a refill to build up a bromide bank.
But with the Frog system that has an in- line cartridge with bromine granules, I ‘m told by the manufacturer that I am to add Dichlor on a fill instead of bromide packet and then afterwards to only use MPS for shocking- never Dichlor. I can't make sense of this.
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I use floater with bromine tablets in my 1988 spa, and shock with monopersulfate (which I now buy through the Internet).  I've never used chlorine or chlorine shock with it.  At fill ups, I add a little bromide.

Why bromine?  Because that's what the dealer told me in 1988 !

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FWIW, when chlorine is added to a bromine system it converts the bromide reserve into bromine sanitizer and there is no chlorine left, only salt.
Also, if you read the ingredients on the vast majority of bromine tabs and one step bromine products you will find that they are mostly chlorine.  There is one tablet that I know of that does not contain chlorine and uses a persulfate oxidizer but it is more expensive and there is no real advantage to it's use.

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Yes, the Frog system adds a mineral (silver) cartridge along with the chlorine  or bromine cartridge. It's supposed to enable you to use/need fewer chemicals.

I was surprised to learn when we got our hot tub and decided to go with a bromine system,  that the bromine tablets do contain chlorine.

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35 minutes ago, Susanj said:

It's supposed to enable you to use/need fewer chemicals.

It doesn't. In theory it allows a lower sanitizer level to be used but in reality it doesn't since the amount of residual fast acting sanitizer in the water can be quickly depleted by the bather load and silver has very slow kill time.

 

37 minutes ago, Susanj said:

I was surprised to learn when we got our hot tub and decided to go with a bromine system,  that the bromine tablets do contain chlorine.

Bromine chemistry is different than chlorine chemistry.
Bromine needs an oxidizer to convert the bromide ions into hypobromous acid. Chlorine and MPS are the two most common oxidizers used and I prefer chlorine over MPS for several reasons. It's less expensive, It's not a known sensitizer, and it is also a primary fast acting sanitizer (unlike MPS) so if the bromide bank is low you still have a sanitized tub.

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