Chlorine Vs Bromine

[ndmom]

My questions are obviously those of a newbie, I appreciate everyones willingness to help me along.

What are the benefits of either chlorine or bromine over the other? Does either one work better with an ozonator?

[MunnyGuy]

Pretty daunting huh??? I am a new owner myself and am trying to make sense of it all. I posted the same question in the WATER CHEMISTRY section... here is the link:

Bromine vs Chlorine

Waterbear seems to really know his stuff! Hope this helps.

[Roger]

My questions are obviously those of a newbie, I appreciate everyones willingness to help me along.

What are the benefits of either chlorine or bromine over the other? Does either one work better with an ozonator?

I prefer Chlorine but it is a person preference, I have tryed them both. Seems with Bromine my water always smelled of chlorine because the feeder was always adding Bromine continualy and the active ingediant is chorine. But with chlorine (dichlor) you add it after your soak and be the time you use the tub again the level is so low that there is no smell. Bromine also had a tendency to drive down my PH and TA which required constant, or at least more frequent adjustments up. Dichlor also drives down my PH and TA but at a much slower rate. Everyones results will vary though so try them both and see which works best for you. They both work fine with an Ozonator but never rely on the unproven sanitation effects of an ozonator. Use it as a supplement to a good sanitation routine.

[waterbear]

A few clarifications, I hope you don't mind!

I prefer Chlorine but it is a person preference,

I do also

I have tryed them both. Seems with Bromine my water always smelled of chlorine because the feeder was always adding Bromine continualy and the active ingediant is chorine.

The smell is actually bromine which has a stronger smell than chlorine. The active ingredients in a bromine tab are a bromide compound and a chlorine compound (or as an alternative, MPS which is a non chlorine oxidizer.) The chlorine oxidizes the bromide to hypobromous acid, the active bromine sanitizer, and is destroyed in the process. Chlorine does not stay around ina bromine system if there is a 'bromide reserve' in the water created by adding sodium bromide on filling the tub. If you don't do this it is possible for chlorine to exist until enough tablets dissolve to create the bromide reserve. This can take several weeks and until it happens it is possible for chlorine to be in the water.

But with chlorine (dichlor) you add it after your soak and be the time you use the tub again the level is so low that there is no smell.

For proper sanitation at the elevated temps in tubs the FC should be maintained at 4-6 ppm when you are in the tub. Nasties like pseudomonas grow quickly at hot tub temps! A properly maintained chlorine system will not smell of chlorine. If there is combined chlorine in the water then you will smell a strong chlorine smell and the tub needs to be shocked with chlorine. Also, Dichlor adds .9 ppm cyanuric acid (stabilizer) for every 1 ppm FC it adds. This can quickly lead to overstabilzed water and the chlorine will become ineffective as a sanitizer. For this reason some State health departments have outlawed the use of dichlor in commercial hot tubs and now only allow unstabilized chlorine. HTH has stopped selling dichlor for hot tub use and now only offers cal hypo (one of the unstabilized chlorines) for their chlorine regieme.

Bromine also had a tendency to drive down my PH and TA which required constant, or at least more frequent adjustments up. Dichlor also drives down my PH and TA but at a much slower rate.

Using MPS (non chlorine shock) also drives down pH and TA.

Everyones results will vary though so try them both and see which works best for you. They both work fine with an Ozonator but never rely on the unproven sanitation effects of an ozonator. Use it as a supplement to a good sanitation routine.

I agree completely, Ozone is a supplimentary sanitizer and requires a proper bromine or chlorine residual in the water.

[ndmom]

I found the chemical posts after I asked my question....should have looked a little harder! Thank you all for such good information, I really appreciate the kind support an education, you are all such good "neighbors."