Yes, bromine tabs can be used in outdoor pools, but the problem with bromine is that it cannot be stabilized or protected from the sun with cyanuric acid. For outdoor pools that receive strong direct sunlight, bromine levels can deplete rapidly, requiring more bromine to maintain healthy levels.
Bromine is the number one alternative to chlorine. This chemical is known to be a sanitizer, oxidizer, and algaecide for swimming pools. The reason why spa and hot tub owners prefer bromine over chlorine is that it works better in warmer temperatures.
Bromine works better at higher temperatures than chlorine. Above 75°F, bromine remains stable, whereas chlorine is more effective in temperatures as low as 65°F. This makes bromine a better choice for hot tubs and spas, and an unheated pool will be better served by the use of chlorine.
Chlorine works faster to kill contaminants but for a shorter period of time, as it dissipates faster. Bromine kills contaminants more slowly but for a longer period of time; plus, it can help keep water chemistry more balanced due to its low pH, meaning less chemical adjusting is needed.
Introduce 3 tablets per 300 gallons of spa water with the use of a floating tablet feeder or automatic brominator installed on the spa equipment. Adjust tablet feeder or brominator to obtain an active bromine residual of at least 2 ppm.
As long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions for both the hot tub and the bromine, you can use bromine regularly for treating and sanitizing your spa. However, it may be wise to use bromine granules instead of bromine tablets. This will lessen your direct interaction with the chemicals.
If you have one of the better designed floating dispensers like this one, it's safe to add up to 6 1-inch tablets at a time. If your dispenser looks like this, or you're just adding the tablets to your water without a floater, I'd recommend starting with just 1-2 tablets.
You simply balance your water levels and start adding bromine instead of chlorine. Because chlorine activates bromine, you'll need to periodically shock your pool with household bleach to rejuvenate your bromine and keep it at the right levels.
Bromine and chlorine will sanitize and oxidize pool or spa water, but bromine works better at higher temperatures and is softer on the skin, whereas chlorine is cheaper, works for longer, and doesn't break down as quickly in ultraviolet light, especially when coupled with cyanuric acid.
Add 3-4 Bromine Tablets to Float (brominator) and adjust release opening, more or less, as experience dictates over time. Submerge float in spa to release air bubbles then let it float to the surface. Maintain bromine at 3 – 5 ppm. Add tablets as depleted.
Add a bromine tablet to a floater, which will keep the tablet on the surface of the water while it dissolves. You'll need to babysit the floater to keep it out of the skimmer, as the suction will pull the floater in. Do not add the bromine tablet to the skimmer basket.
Did you know: If you use a bromine sanitiser, you can use a chlorine or non-chlorine-based shock treatment. But never mix the dry chemicals, as this can cause a dangerous chemical reaction.
If you are sanitizing your spa with bromine, you should shock your spa with Spa Selections Non-Chlorine Shock Oxidizer on a regular basis to oxidize the waste out of the water and reduce foaming. Spa Selections Bromine is a two-part system, including Spa Selections Brominating Tablets and Spa Selections Brom-Start.
Bromine: Is gentler on your skin than chlorine, but can be a bit more difficult to wash off after a long soak. If you or anyone who uses your hot tub on a regular basis has sensitive skin or any kind of upper respiratory difficulties, bromine will likely be the better choice.
The reason why trichlor tablets are so expensive and why they are sold out at many pool supply stores is because of the national trichlor supply shortage.
Even with the fact that you need less, bromine is still a much more expensive way to sanitize your pool than chlorine is. When considering the difference between bromine and chlorine, just remember that hot tub smell and the way bromine lingers clearly shows the difference between the two.
As long as it stays dry it will be good for about 1 year.
Immediate signs and symptoms of exposure to bromine
Breathing bromine gas could cause you to cough, have trouble breathing, get a headache, have irritation of your mucous membranes (inside your mouth, nose, etc.), be dizzy, or have watery eyes.
Strips that only test free bromine can falsely show the need to add bromine. Often, there is plenty of combined bromine still present in the water. Chlorine Testing - Chlorine testing is a different story. Only free chlorine (the form of chlorine you add to the water) is a good sanitizer.
It can take several weeks for enough bromine tablets to dissolve, to build an effective level of bromides in the spa - so that bromine can be created. Each time you drain the spa, the bromide level drops to zero. The best way to build a bromine bank is to add Sodium Bromide to your spa, each time you drain and refill.
You could also crush up 5 or 6 bromine tablets in a heavy plastic bag and pour that in the hot tub to raise bromide levels but it's easier and safer to shake in a capful or two of our Bromine Booster.
When you add bromine to a chlorine pool, on the other hand, the bromine does not go away but builds up over time, creating a chlorine demand. Therefore, when you shock the pool with chlorine, the residual bromine will convert the chlorine into, you guessed it, bromine.
You might find your bromine floater is empty, your chlorine cartridge needs to be replaced, you haven't added granular bromine in a week, or your salt system is set too low. Depending on your sanitation method, all are possible reasons for your low sanitizer level.
The Advantage of Chlorine Tablets for Swimming Pools
The most significant benefit of using chlorine tablets for your pool is its longer-term nature compared to granules. Once you get the right dosage, you shouldn't have to add another chlorine treatment for at least a few days.