If you’re a hot tub owner, it’s important to know the different chemical options to keep your spa clean and safe for years to come. Dive into this guide to find out all you need to know about using bromine in your hot tub or swim spa.
Jump to section:
What is bromine?
How does bromine work?
Safety: chlorine and bromine
How much bromine should I add to my hot tub?
How do I lower bromine levels in my hot tub?
How do I raise bromine levels in my hot tub?
How do I shock my bromine hot tub?
Bromine hot tub maintenance schedule
Daily maintenance
Weekly maintenance
Quarterly maintenance
Parting advice
What is bromine?
Bromine is a popular hot tub sanitiser, an alternative to chlorine. It’s more suitable for those with sensitive skin and has a less harsh odour than chlorine. It’s also more stable, so the levels stay more consistent.
Whilst bromine is often seen as a more expensive sanitiser, it remains effective at higher temperatures meaning you’ll need less bromine than chlorine to keep your hot tub sanitised.
Our bromine products can be purchased as granules or tablets. Our products are formulated to an exceedingly high standard, meaning they’re great value for money.
To make life easy, we offer chemical starter kits with everything you need to get your hot tub water ready to use.
How does bromine work?
When bromine is dissolved in water, it ionizes contaminants, forcing apart their chemical bonds, effectively killing the bacteria. It’s easier to keep your water balanced with bromine since it has a lower pH than chlorine, but you should continually monitor the chemical levels.
Should I use bromine tablets or granules?
If you're looking to quickly and easily sanitise your hot tub water, bromine granules are a great option. Granules dissolve quickly, making them perfect for shock-dosing your hot tub when you first set it up or if it hasn't been used in a while. Not only that, granules are also effective at raising bromine levels in your hot tub water faster than tablets.
If you want a more convenient option for maintaining your hot tub water, bromine tablets are a good choice. Tablets release sanitiser slowly, allowing you to maintain a consistent level in your water over a longer period of time. If you're going away for a few days or don't have a lot of time to manage your hot tub's water chemistry, bromine tablets can help keep your hot tub water clean and safe without requiring a lot of effort on your part.
Safety: chlorine and bromine
DO NOT MIX chlorine and bromine in either a dry state or within the water, as this can cause a dangerous reaction.
If you’re considering switching from one sanitiser to another, you should clean and drain your hot tub, including a line flush. You should not use the same dispensers, even if you’ve cleaned them thoroughly.
How much bromine should I add to my hot tub?
Check the levels in your hot tub water using bromine test strips. Your hot tub bromine level should always be between 3-5ppm (parts per million). How frequently you need to add bromine will depend on your usage and bathing habits. It could be daily, every two to three days or weekly. For 3mg/l add 12g per 1500 litres.
Top tip: 1mg/l = approximately 1ppm.
You should also check the pH level is between 7.2 and 7.6 using the test strips (many bromine test strips also test for total alkalinity and pH). If the level is outside of this range, you can use a pH increaser (pH+) or pH reducer (pH-) to balance the levels. Find out more about balancing a hot tub pH level in our guide.
How do I lower bromine levels in my hot tub?
You need to wait for the bromine levels to fall before you can use your hot tub. If you want to speed up the process, you can dilute it by removing some water and then refilling it with fresh water. Allow it to circulate before testing the water again.
How do I raise bromine levels in my hot tub?
If the bromine levels are too low, you should add 10-30 grams of bromine at a time (depending on the size of your hot tub), wait 20 minutes, and then test again. Repeat until the level is between 3-5mg/l. Always check the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure that it’s safe to enter your hot tub after adding chemicals.
How do I shock my bromine hot tub?
With the jets turned on, add 17g of non-chlorine shock per 1500 litres of water and leave it with the cover off for at least 20 minutes. For more detailed information on shocking your hot tub check out our advice here.
Bromine hot tub maintenance schedule
See our handy maintenance schedule below to learn what tasks to perform and when:
Daily maintenance
- Check the bromine level to ensure it’s between 3-5 ppm.
- Add bromine if necessary. This will depend on usage – it could be daily or every 2-3 days. For 3ppm, add 12g per 1500 litres.
Weekly maintenance
- Remove the hot tub filter and hose off any debris. If required, use a filter cleaner to prevent any build-up of grease. We recommend purchasing a spare filter, allowing you to rotate them and increase their lifespan. Check out our guide on cleaning a hot tub filter for more information.
- Check the pH level is between 7.2 and 7.6 using pH testing strips. If needed, use a pH+ or pH- to increase or reduce the pH level.
- Use bromine test strips to ensure the level is between 3-5 mg/l and if it’s below, add additional bromine.
- Remove the hot tub cover, switch on the jets, and add 17g of non-chlorine shock per 1500 litres of water. This step is especially important for keeping the water sanitised when the hot tub has been heavily used.
- Finally, add 23ml of no scale per 1500 litres of water to help prevent scale build-up, especially in hard water areas.
Quarterly maintenance
- Remove the filter and soak it overnight with filter cleaner, then rinse with a hosepipe and leave to dry.
- Drain the hot tub completely and fill it with fresh water. See our hot tub cleaning guide for additional information.
- Balance the pH level with pH+ or pH- accordingly.
- Add 60g of bromine granules per 1500 litres to sanitise fresh water and allow the level to drop down to 3-5 mg/l before using the hot tub.
- If you’re in a hard water area, add 38ml of no scale per 1500 litres of water.
Parting advice
We recommend that you read the guidelines provided for chemical usage with your hot tub make and model. Bromine tablets can be used in a floating dispenser to maintain the correct level if you’re leaving the hot tub for a short period of time or going on holiday.
Need more advice? Give us a call on 01482 212322 or email enquiries@outdoorlivinghottubs.co.uk and we’ll help you out. Or drop in and see us in our Hull or Leeds showrooms to see our hot tub chemical range for yourself.
Not near one of our Yorkshire hot tub showrooms? No problem, if you’re looking for a new hot tub you can explore our virtual showroom or book a video call with our showroom team.
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