Chemicals in inground spa

[fraurauch]

We have been using T & D to service our spa weekly. For the last several months, we have sort of been overwhelmed with the fumes when we use the spa. We start coughing almost immediately when we open up the air on the spa. We have talked to our service guy and he has lowered to the bromine to almost nothing, and he says it is some of the other chemicals he is using, but he never seems to fix it.

Has anyone else had this problem? We haven't called T & D about it yet, but that's the next step.

[Ooper]

We've had our spa for over 10 years and once the water is adjusted to the correct levels when you change it, I just throw in a chlorine tablet whenever it reads low. Easy-peezy!

[cquick]

our above the ground spa uses bromine, and we have to be very careful about how much we use because we don't like the smell.

[NECHFalcon68]

our above the ground spa uses bromine, and we have to be very careful about how much we use because we don't like the smell.

"I love the smell of bromine in the morning. It smells like.....RETIREMENT".

[jimbo2012]

You may want to contact Nova Filtration (a sponsor),

there is a zero chemical system, all natural..........

[asianthree]

We have always taken care of our spa ourselves up north

[sunglow]

My husband used to own a hot tub store and he recommends draining the spa and refilling with fresh water. If you don't want to do that you might try having the tech shock the water. But if you haven't changed the water in awhile draining and refilling with fresh water will take care of the product.

[Mikeod]

T&D also sells a product called SoftSoak, by SpaGuard, that does not use bromine. My wife couldn't stand the smell of the bromine and wouldn't use the spa. But this product doesn't have that odor. For me, I was having trouble keeping the chemical balance and this product seems much more stable.

[Serenoa]

"I love the smell of bromine in the morning. It smells like.....RETIREMENT".

I guess NAPALM is frowned upon in TV??

[ajdeck]

We have been using T & D to service our spa weekly. For the last several months, we have sort of been overwhelmed with the fumes when we use the spa. We start coughing almost immediately when we open up the air on the spa. We have talked to our service guy and he has lowered to the bromine to almost nothing, and he says it is some of the other chemicals he is using, but he never seems to fix it.

Has anyone else had this problem? We haven't called T & D about it yet, but that's the next step.

Has anyone heard of salt water spa's like they have salt water pools now
that are a lot better over all???

[jimbo2012]

Salt water pools like saltwater spa's are NOT saltwater as the name implies.

It is a salt that breaks down into chlorine, a name game by the pool industry to make $$

[fraurauch]

Can the spa we currently have be converted to a salt water spa?

[jimbo2012]

why?

What R U using now?

[fraurauch]

why?

What R U using now?

Bromine and some other stuff that the T & D guy puts in.

[jimbo2012]

Chlorine for hot tub use comes in the form of tablets and granules. There is a major difference between chlorine that is used for pools and the kind used for hot tubs.
Certain chlorine pool tablets have a higher acidic level and/or calcium content which can leave stains on hot tubs or cause excessive odors. Trichlor is a pool tablet of this nature. It should not be used in hot tubs because of its acidity and its ability to bleach the hot tub finish. Calcium hypochlorite is another pool tablet that, when used in hot tubs, can leave deposits on the heater parts and fittings.

Two types of chlorine recommended for hot tub use are sodium dichlor granules and a plug-in salt system.
Sodium dichlor is neither too acidic nor alkaline and does not run out with high temperatures. It is specifically designed for hot tub use, although it should be dissolved first in water and then added to a hot tub.
The other option is to install a self-feeding salt system which produces chlorine from salt crystals.
These R about $400

Bromine in Hot Tubs

Bromine is a popular alternative to chlorine for hot tub use because it does not produce the odors that chlorine can. At temperatures higher than 98 degrees chlorine excess turns to gas which produces the odor.

Bromine is added to hot tubs in the form of granules, nuggets and tablets. The two common types of bromine sanitizers are sodium bromide and BCDMH which stands for bromo-chloro-dimethylhydantoin. Sodium bromide requires something called an oxidizer such as chlorine or potassium monopersulfate. BCDMH, on the other hand, is self activating because it contains an amount of chlorine. Bromine works better in hotter water and decreased water volumes than chlorine, but because it is sensitive to sunlight and can deteriorate, it is not used in pools.

Bromine will cost slightly more than chlorine to sanitize your hot tub. It is arguably more effective than chlorine for hot tub use, and since it does not produce the chemically odor it is better for the senses. Now that you know the basic differences between chlorine and bromine, you can choose to sanitize your hot tub however you please, but due to its effectiveness and noticeable lack of odor, bromine is definitely a superior choice.

Personally I don't use any chemicals, the disinfection can be done with out chemical exposure to your skin or inhalation of fumes using a UV sterilizer or Ozone.

The issue with these purifiers is 99% of the pool guys don't set them up right.

They first must be sized correctly and secondly the flow rate must be correct for effectiveness.

I've run into the same issue in the aquarium biz for years.

If you need more info on setting up a system like that let me know.

The last option which works fine is to change out the water every few days.

.

[angiefox10]

Hot Tub Chemicals: Chlorine Vs Bromine | DoItYourself.com (http://www.doityourself.com/stry/hot-tub-chemicals--chlorine-vs-bromine#.UZd6Z0qne0I)