[email hidden] (John Morga) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:Hey,
I don't quite understand the bromine system for spas. We received our brand new spa last week. We
filled it up and jumped right in. We started adding the chems a day later but the water had
already gotten cloudy and never really cleared up. I was doing heavy shock treatments (or so I
thought) and water clarifier. But in only a week we both got
pseudomonas dermatitis (hot tub rash) and had to see our doc for meds.
I've drained and washed and cleaned the whole tub and filled it up again. This time I added the
chems right away. All my levels are good on Bromine, pH, and AL but the free chlorine part of my
test strip is still blank. Does a Bromine sanitized spa have a free chlorine level?
No.
Quoted message said:If so how do I bring it higher?
A nice killer dose of Calcium Hypochlorite (chlorine shock) is always thing of beauty in my
swimming pool but I don't understand what the "antibacterial agent" is supposed to be in the
Bromine system (with a non-chlorine shocking product).
The Bromine (hypobromous acid, to be accurate) is the "antibacterial agent" (known in the trade as
the "sanitizer" because it kills not only bacteria but also other pathogens such as viruses and
protista).
The non-chlorine shocking product (usually potassium monopersulfate) performs two purposes in a
bromine-sanitized spa:
1) it re-activates the spent bromine (As the hypobromous acid performs its sanitizing function, it
is converted into other less potent forms of bromine compounds. The oxidizer converts it back
into the more active form (hypobromous acid)
and
2) it oxides organic waste (to clear the water and remove the food source for the pathogens).
Notice that the purpose of a "shock" is NOT to act as a "killer dose", even in your swimming pool.
In your chlorine-based swimming pool, the purpose of shock is to BREAK DOWN CHLORAMINES in the
water. Chloramines are the "spent" form of chlorine, and they smell bad, and they are not useful
sanitizers or oxidizers. When a pool has a strong chlorine smell, it means it has a high level of
chloramines, and is not being maintained properly.
You can also shock your bromine spa with chlorine if you want, but most people using a bromine
system prefer not to.
Quoted message said:
Can anyone help? thanks!
