Bromine tablets for hot tubs, what are they?
Bromine tablets for hot tubs are used to sanitize spa water by producing bromamines. This compound disinfects water without producing an odor or irritating eyes or skin. You must keep the bromine levels between 3-5ppm (for 3ppm add 12g to 1500 liters of water). Bromine is considered to be more stable and effective in hot tubs compared to chlorine.
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My recommended product to help you test your hot tub or pool water for accurate pH, alkalinity, bromine, and chlorine readings is the AquaCheck Trutest Digital Reader.
Sanitizers prevent bacteria from reproducing, which can cause some serious illnesses. Algae and viruses multiply in poorly treated water.
Every type of sanitizer does the same job. But why choose one over another then? The answer to this question depends on your budget and how frequently the hot tub is used.
If you are thinking about sanitizing your hot tub, why not look at the options? Chlorine, being the most common type of sanitizer, would have come to mind. But have you thought about bromine sanitizers? Even if you have, read on to see which is the best choice for you.
Let’s get started!
Effectiveness of Bromine Tablets
While chlorine is used commonly for sanitizing swimming pools and water disinfection, bromine is often used for hot tub sanitation. Although a bromine sanitizer is more expensive than a chlorine one, it does offer some more benefits.
Bromine tablets are very effective at killing microbes and bacteria that would otherwise cause health problems. Every kind of solid contaminant on your skin gets dissolved in the tub water. Your hot tub filter won’t be able to catch these solids. But don’t worry, bromine is good at destroying them.
I recommend these bromine tablets for your spa!
Bromine tablets break the dissolved contaminants by ionizing them. This causes new waste products to form, which are called bromamines. As the amount of these waste products increase, the water becomes stinky. These waste products also reduce the sanitizer’s effectiveness, which needs to be regained by shocking.
Bromine works efficiently for much longer than chlorine, even with bromamines. But the temperature of the water must be high enough. The effect of reduced effectiveness is much more significant when using a chlorine sanitizer.
Bromine tablets are commonly preferred by hot tub owners because they work better than chlorine over high temperatures. Bromine tablets are gentle on your skin, but it can be a challenging job removing them from your skin.
Shocking the water means treating it with a high dose of chlorine to remove the waste products.
What about Chlorine Tablets?
Although chlorine is the most common type of sanitizer used, some people choose bromine over chlorine. Chlorine has its own place, and it cannot be replaced by bromine in that area.
The process of cleaning the contaminants is the same as bromine-based sanitizers. It breaks away the compounds and dissolves the products. The waste products are named chloramines instead of bromamines when using chlorine sanitizers. As chlorine is more reactive than bromine, it kills the bacteria more quickly.
The chloramines decrease the efficiency of sanitizer, and thus it is necessary to shock the water. In the case of chlorine, shocking has to be done more often.
When chloramines increase in amount, they cause a stinky smell. This smell is actually an indication that chlorine has been used up. Most people mistake it with too much chlorine. If it smells a lot, shock the water to regain the efficiency of chlorine.
Chlorine is more stubborn to UV radiation. UV radiation destroys bromine quicker than chlorine, so use a hot tub lid if the hot tub is placed outdoors.
Check out our full article on chlorine tablets for more information.
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Learn MoreWhat is the Best Sanitizer for Your Hot Tub – Granules or Tablets?
If you own a hot tub, then you might prefer bromine granules. They dissolve easily and raise the pH quickly. You can just put some granules in before and after using your hot tub.
The type of sanitizer has nothing to do with chlorine or bromine at all. It depends on how often you sanitize your hot tub.
If you own a spa, it can be a very tiring job to sanitize a hot tub before and after a session. In that case, you might prefer tablets. You will likely have a feeder or floater that dispenses the chemical.
If you do have one, it will slowly release the sanitizer saving you a lot of time. When using tablets, you should be checking the pH and bromine levels to ensure proper water chemistry.
For the dispensing of tablets for both chlorine and bromine, I recommend this easy-to-use dispenser is the Chlorine and Bromine chemical dispenser by U.S. Pool Supply.
Best Bromine Amount for Your Hot Tub
You must keep the bromine levels between 3-5ppm (for 3ppm add 12g to 1500 liters of water). The frequency of addition of bromine depends on the usage patterns. It could be on a day-to-day basis, or a weekly basis. It will be more frequent if you are a spa owner.
The second factor, and probably the most important one, is the pH level. Low pH levels make bromine more effective, but acidic water can cause the hot tub’s water components to corrode. And pH higher than 7 can cause health problems. So, I are looking for a perfect balance. The ideal pH range is between 7, but a pH of up to 7.4 is acceptable.
For shocking, add 17g of a non-chlorine shock for 1500 liters. You must keep the spa uncovered for at least 25 minutes after this addition. No one should be allowed to enter the hot tub immediately after shocking.
I recommend these water test strips from JNW Direct Pool and Spa to test your bromine. The total chlorine should be between 1 and 5 PPM (parts per million).
Why Choose Chlorine?
Choose chlorine if you want to sanitize a large amount of water. Chlorine sanitizers are comparatively cheaper than bromine tablets. They are used in small amounts too. Chorine is a more cost-effective option if you want to sanitize a swimming pool or your household water supply.
If you want fast sanitation the chlorine is a great choice. Although chlorine dissipates very quickly, a small amount of chlorine can raise the pH levels significantly. You should keep chlorine tablets as a backup in case you forget to sanitize the hot tub.
Chlorine is also good if your budget is tight. Bromine is more expensive and must be used in much more significant amounts than chlorine to achieve the same results.
If the time you spend in a hot tub is not so long, chlorine sanitizer is a great choice.
The smell is not an issue. Even small amounts of chlorine can be very smelly. If you are a spa owner, then customers can complain about the smell. But if you own a hot tub of your own, then it can be considered.
Have an outdoor spa. Chlorine doesn’t get destroyed by the sunlight easily. On the other hand, if you use bromine, you will have to sanitize the water more frequently. Consider this factor before buying a sanitizer.
Why Choose Bromine?
If you are a spa owner, then bromine can be a very reliable option. Bromine stays stable in hot water for a long time while chlorine dissipates rather quickly.
Many people are allergic to chlorine.
Even if you are not allergic to chlorine, it can cause redness on your skin. Bromine will be a wise choice if you have sensitive skin or respiratory problems.
Consider Using a Water Care Monitor
Monitoring the health of your hot tub can often be challenging if you are not testing the water on a regular basis. This can also be a problem if you go on holiday or you are unable to take care of your hot tub due to mobility issues.
The pHin Smart Water Care Monitor for pools, hot tubs, and inflatable spas continuously tests the water and alerts you when to add chemicals with the integrated mobile app.
The mobile app will inform you when to add chemicals such as chlorine, and how much chemical is recommended. This is done by entering your hot tub or pool’s unique dimensions.
Simply scan the bar code of any chemical brand and the pHin app will calculate how much chemical is to be added to the water. Most products and brands are recognized by the application.
The pHin device will sample water more than 1000 times per week to give you an accurate reading compared to using test strips.
The pHin device works with different water types including chlorine, bromine, and saltwater hot tubs, swim spas, inflatable hot tubs, and pools.
This unique device comes with a lifetime warranty to ensure your water remains clear and ready for you to use at all times.
How to Use Bromine Tablets: 4 Easy Steps
Below, we’ll go through the 3 steps to add bromine to your hot tub.
1. Clean the Hot Tub Thoroughly and Fill it With Fresh Water
It’s always a good idea to first clean and fill your hot tub with fresh water before adding any new chemicals to the water.
If you are moving from chlorine to bromine sanitizers, then make sure to clean the hot tub well. If both elements came across, somehow, it could lead to a dangerous chemical reaction.
The elements can be highly reactive. Use separate feeders for both as small amounts can react.
Always check the amounts prescribed by the manufacturer for your hot tub.
Check out our article on how to clean an inflatable hot tub for the best advice.
2. Test the Water Chemistry
The first step is to test your water chemistry. To do this, use water test strips from JNW Direct Pool and Spa. If the total chlorine level is below 1 PPM (light green) then the water requires chlorine.
Also be mindful of your pH, alkalinity, and total hardness. Adding chlorine to your pool or hot tub will change these readings.
Always follow the instructions given by the manufacture.
If you’re using the pHin app, then simply be aware of what the application is telling you. It’s also a good idea to occasionally use a test strip along with the app to ensure the integrity of the reading.
3. Add the Tablets to the Bromine Dispenser
Add the chlorine tablets to the U.S. Pool Supply Floating Spa chlorine and bromine dispenser. The dispenser takes 3 1inch bromine tablets. The bromine tablets last up to a week.
The dispenser allows you to adjust how much chemical is released into the water at any given time. This may depend on how often people are using the hot tub or pool.
Never add water to the bromine tablet. Always add a bromine tablet to the water. This is because adding a tablet in the water allows the gradual dissolution of the tablet and equal distribution in the water-saving it from concentrating.
4. Allow the Bromine to Dissolve
Allow for at least a couple of hours to pass and then check to see if the bromine levels in the hot tub have risen. If the rise in bromine levels is modest then leave the water alone.
However, if the bromine has risen too quickly or too much chlorine was added, simply remove the dispenser from the water.
If not enough bromine has entered the water, simply adjust the dispenser to allow more bromine to enter the water.
Bromine Tablets for Hot Tubs: Conclusion
Bromine tablets for hot tubs are a great way for you to keep your hot tub clean throughout the year.
They are a great choice because they have the ability to sanitize algae, bacteria, and other contaminants while being more gentle on your skin.
I hope you found this article about bromine tablets for hot tubs helpful.
Check this cool article on Bromine from azom.com about what Bromine is used for.
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James Brockbank
Stop wasting time and money with hot tub maintenance and confusing water chemistry! Get Instant access to this easy-to-use book and video course so you can spend less time cleaning and more time soaking.
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