Saniters Vs. Bromine?

[tangelo53]

Hi everyone- I am new to this forum and first time spa owner. I went to a local spa store and was confused when the lady told me that if I buy a sanitizer, then I don't need bromine. Is that correct? Sorry for the stupidity but I thought they have different functions.

[waterbear]

Hi everyone- I am new to this forum and first time spa owner. I went to a local spa store and was confused when the lady told me that if I buy a sanitizer, then I don't need bromine. Is that correct? Sorry for the stupidity but I thought they have different functions.

The only stupidity is on the part of the lady at the store (sorry to be so blunt). There are only three EPA approved sanitizers--chlorine, bromine, and biguanide (BaquaSpa, SoftSoak, etc.) . What kind of sanitizer was she trying to sell you? If it wasn't one of these three then it wasn't a sanitizer!

[tangelo53]

The only stupidity is on the part of the lady at the store (sorry to be so blunt). There are only three EPA approved sanitizers--chlorine, bromine, and biguanide (BaquaSpa, SoftSoak, etc.) . What kind of sanitizer was she trying to sell you? If it wasn't one of these three then it wasn't a sanitizer!

It was a sanitizer by Brilliance. It was little pellets that you put in a floater. I thought that I needed 2 floaters (one for the sanitizer and one for the bromine tabs). I was under the impression that sanitizers also had minerals and other stuff in them while bromine was to just kill bacteria.

[waterbear]

It was a sanitizer by Brilliance. It was little pellets that you put in a floater. I thought that I needed 2 floaters (one for the sanitizer and one for the bromine tabs). I was under the impression that sanitizers also had minerals and other stuff in them while bromine was to just kill bacteria.

Brilliance is a bromine tab that uses potassium monopersulfate (non chlorine shock) instead of chlorine as the built in oxidizer (most bromine tabs contain chlorine as the oxidizer). IMHO, this is just marketing hype and really is not any better than standard bromine tabs. There is a lot of misinformation about how bromine actually works and there is a lot of misinformation about chlorine. If you are using bromine the chlorine added is converted into active bromine sanitizer almost instantly.

"Minerals" is a marketing word that some manufacturers use for metals like copper and silver (or zinc). (minerals sounds much more "granola-chrunchy" than metals!) Metals are a secondary sanitizer and/or algaecide that are, IMHO,k of dubious value.

If you are using a bromine system your santizer is hypobromous acid, which is what forms in the water when the bromide in the water is oxidized by an oxidizer like chlorine, potassium monopersulfate, or ozone.When you test your bromine levels you are testing for hypobromous acid (and bromamines which form when the hypobromous acid combines with ammonia compounds in the water).

[tangelo53]

Brilliance is a bromine tab that uses potassium monopersulfate (non chlorine shock) instead of chlorine as the built in oxidizer (most bromine tabs contain chlorine as the oxidizer). IMHO, this is just marketing hype and really is not any better than standard bromine tabs. There is a lot of misinformation about how bromine actually works and there is a lot of misinformation about chlorine. If you are using bromine the chlorine added is converted into active bromine sanitizer almost instantly.

"Minerals" is a marketing word that some manufacturers use for metals like copper and silver (or zinc). (minerals sounds much more "granola-chrunchy" than metals!) Metals are a secondary sanitizer and/or algaecide that are, IMHO,k of dubious value.

If you are using a bromine system your santizer is hypobromous acid, which is what forms in the water when the bromide in the water is oxidized by an oxidizer like chlorine, potassium monopersulfate, or ozone.When you test your bromine levels you are testing for hypobromous acid (and bromamines which form when the hypobromous acid combines with ammonia compounds in the water).

But that is what confused me. The Brillance product that I bought said Sanitizer (not Bromine), but they also sold Brillance Bromine tabs. Do I need both or do they do the same thing?

[waterbear]

But that is what confused me. The Brillance product that I bought said Sanitizer (not Bromine), but they also sold Brillance Bromine tabs. Do I need both or do they do the same thing?

Arch Chemical (best known for their HTH line of products and the biguanide based Baqua line) also produces the Brilliance line. In this line they have the "chlorine free" sanitizer which substitutes postassium monopersulfate for the chlorine (and a postassium monopersulfate "shock" with mineral salts, most likely borax) and the standard bromine tabs which do contain chlorine and also dichlor granules for those that want a chlorine spa. Any one of these three would be considered a sanitizer. The first two are bromine and will form exactly the same hypobromous acid in the water and the third is just the standard form of stabilized chlorine that is used in spas. Nothing special, just marketing hype. You would only need to use one of the three, either the non chlorine sanitizer, the standard bromine tablets or ,if you wanted a chlorine spa, the dichlor granules.