Projecting Bromine Use in Spas & Indoor Pools

INTRODUCTION
There is no stand alone system in sanitizing water in pools and spas. Following are some suggestions to help you maintain water quality in your pool or spa.

SPAS
Due to the low volume of water each user is in contact with in a spa, the chemical demand is very erratic.
Bromine levels should be approximately 4.5 ppm as a minimum and 6 ppm as a maximum. Use 2 ounces of shock for each 300 to 500 gallons at the end of the day when the spa has been used.

ProTeam Supreme or Gentle Spa will help the spa operation. Add approximately 12 ounces when starting with new water. Adding 2 ounces of Metal Magic will also help contribute to clean spa water.

CAUTION: The addition of the oxidizer to the brominated spa water must be done by broadcasting it into the spa and keeping the oxidizer away from the skimmer . This is because the oxidizer may be the most aggressive before the reaction of the bromine in the reactivating process. Should too much oxidizer get into the system and end up in the erosion feeder — a reaction will take place and could damage the feeder if it is made of PVC. There is no test available to give an indication of how much oxidizer should be used. Too little is better than too much. Be sure to measure amounts and not just guess. Follow the label on the oxidizer as each has a different amount to be added.
High bromine residual levels may make a flash test that shows low residual. This causes over use of bromine & oxidizer. The odor that may come from a brominated spa is normally an indication that the spa has not been opened for a while and the bromine is releasing a bi carbonate gas.

To solve this problem the cover needs to stay off for 12 to 24 hours so the gases can escape into the air. Using a fan to blow over the water helps speed up the process.

POOLS
The disinfecting needs of a pool can be quickly changed by the swimmers discharge of waste — be it ammonia or otherwise. If a facility requires a shower with soap before the swimmers use the pool the oxidizer requirements will be reduced by at least 50% or more. These projections are based on a well disciplined pool with good filtration and good water balance.

The pool water temperature can affect this projection due to water evaporation and the source water quality.

Ultra Modern Pool & Patio projects that the bromine usage range will be approximately 1 1/2 pounds of bromine per week for each 10,000 gallons of water. This amount will vary with heavy bather loads. Using ProTeam Supreme or Gentle Spa will reduce this by approximately 50% The “Shock” would require 1 pound for every 10,000 gallons of water – every two weeks. This will also increase with heavy bather loads. Shock can be Burnout or Oxysheen (Monopotassium Persulfate) or Burnout 35 (Lithium Hypochlorite). Sodium Hypochlorite can be used – but is not recommended for continual use because sodium hypochlorite has a high pH, high total dissolved solids and a short shelf life. The short shelf life will cause the strength to vary. Recommended bromine levels for commercial pools — 3.0 ppm to 5.0 ppm; Residential pools — 1.0 ppm to 3.0 ppm

Download a printable PDF: BUL-115 – PROJECTING BROMINE USA IN SPAS & INDOOR POOLS

Copyright ©2001 ULTRA MODERN POOL & PATIO, INC.
Bulletin #115