Sanitiser is a critical part of a healthy hot tub experience and when it comes to sanitising your hot tub, you’re faced with a few options – the most common and effective being chlorine and bromine. Understanding your chemical of choice is essential to making sure you’re using it correctly and most importantly, in the safest way possible.
So, What Are Bromine Granules?
Bromine granules are a popular and effective way of sanitising hot tubs. Bromine is commonly used as an alternative to chlorine for the following reasons:
- It is less acidic than chlorine, making it less likely to cause irritation on the skin
- It has better longevity in higher temperatures, making it more ideal for hot tubs
- It’s smell is much less overwhelming than chlorine
How Much Bromine Do I Need?
For effective sanitisation of your hot tub water, the ideal bromine level is between 3-5 parts per million (ppm).
Maintaining this level of bromine in your hot tub will depend on how often you use it – the more you use your hot tub, the more you’ll have to top up the bromine levels in your water. This may be daily if you use your hot tub every day, or once every two or three days if you use your hot tub less frequently, although you should always check the sanitiser levels in your hot tub before you intend to use it.
How to Test Bromine in a Hot Tub?
It’s important to test the bromine levels in your hot tub water on a regular basis.
- If the bromine levels in your water are too low, then it won’t be sanitised enough, leaving you at risk of exposure to too much bacteria.
- If the bromine levels in your water are too high, this could cause irritation to the skin and eyes.
Luckily, testing your water takes no time at all. Using a test strip, like our Insta Test 4 strips, swirl it around your hot tub water to get an instant reading of your bromine levels. From this result, you can adjust your bromine levels accordingly.
What If My Bromine Levels Are Too High?
If your bromine levels are too high, you’ll need to let it fall naturally before getting in your hot tub to avoid irritation. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days – we’d recommend leaving your hot tub cover off to speed up the process and test with strips regularly until it’s reached the ideal level.
If you can’t wait that long, you can try one of two things:
- Dilute the water – this is the quickest way to lower your water’s sanitiser levels. Simply remove a bucket full of hot tub water and replace it with fresh water. Use the jets to circulate the water then test. Repeat this process until you’ve hit the correct level of bromine in your hot tub.
- Use a neutraliser – another quick fix, but a last resort as it’s always better to allow the sanitiser to break down naturally. Sodium Thiosulfate, a common neutraliser, can be added to your hot tub water to break down the bromine quickly, allowing you to get in for your soak sooner.
What If My Bromine Levels Are Too Low?
You can raise the bromine levels in your hot tub simply by adding small amounts of bromine at a time, wait 20 minutes to allow it to circulate and then test the water. Repeat this process until you’ve reached the optimum bromine level of 3-5ppm.
Maintaining the correct sanitiser levels in your hot tub is essential to a safe hot tub experience and here at 1 Stop Spas, we stock everything you need to keep you and your hot tub happy. You can shop our range of hot tub chemicals here!
