Sure! It’s great to have a hot tub in your home. After all, it’s one of the best ways to relax. In order to do so though, you’d want to make sure that the water in your tub is always kept clean. It takes effort to maintain a hot tub. There are, however, chemicals which can be used to treat the water in your tub to keep it clean and free from organisms that may end up causing a disaster for you.
Bromine and chlorine are two of the most used chemicals for water treatment in tubs, There are advantages and disadvantages for both and their it really depends on a given situation. What then is the ideal one to use for your home?
Mode of Action
Both bromide and chlorine are considered to be sanitizers, which means that they can rid your tub water of most microbes that may affect the hygiene of your pool. These two, however, have different active ingredients and chemical reactions that may affect the way tub water is kept clean.
Although these are commercially named a chlorine and bromine, these two chemicals are not sold in their pure form. These, instead, have what are known as their main or active ingredients. These are usually seen in fine print on the labels which may actually be quite difficult to remember. An example would be the compound sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate, which usually seen in labels of chlorine sanitizers. Admittedly, it would be quite difficult to remember this rather than chlorine, hence the use of the word “chlorine” instead.
Chlorine acts through a chemical process known as oxidation. In oxidation, the oxygen in water reacts with chlorine to form a more potent compound that is toxic to harmful elements, such as microbes, in the water. During the process, however, the chemical reaction between oxygen and chlorine forms byproducts called chloramines. These byproducts are what causes the prominent odor that one gets to smell in chlorinated water. In order to remove this particular odor, it is recommended that chlorine be added to the tub water. If the problem persists, further treatment, known as spa shock, may be needed to bring down excessively high levels of chloramine.
Bromine makes use of oxidation reactions as well, wherein it makes use of reactions with oxygen, to create a dangerous environment to harmful substances. The difference between the two though lies in the byproduct created by the chemical reactions. The oxidation of bromine also produces byproducts known as bromamines. Unlike chloramines though, bromamines have a more positive effect since these are able to prolong the effectivity of bromine in tub water. T simplify things, bromine is more stable as a sanitizing agent than chlorine.
Effectivity
There are certain factors to consider when thinking about the effectivity of chlorine or bromine as a sanitizing agent.
At the onset, chlorine may seem to be more effective since it quickly sanitizes pool water compared to bromine. The speed at which the sanitizing acts is known as its reactivity rate. Chlorine’s reactivity rate is faster than bromine.
Bromine, on the other hand, has a slower reactivity rate and is said to be less effective than chlorine. Due to its byproducts, however, bromine is said to be more stable than chlorine. It ahs been said too that chlorine is a much better sanitizing agent to use on algae. For microbes like bacteria though, bromine may be the more effective agent.
Cost and Convenience
One reason why people prefer chlorine over bromine is price. Chlorine is definitely cheaper than bromine by approximately 20%. If bought by bulk, chlorine is said to be cheaper by as much as 40%. There also may the need for bromide boosters and this translates to added expense.
Although initially, chlorine may seem to be helpful in gaining extra savings, one may want to consider the shorter shelf life of chlorine. Its effectiveness is reduced by half during storage so these may not be effective when stored for long.
Both chlorine and bromine are convenient to use. They may be bought in either solid or liquid form as concentrate. There are also floating dispensers available for added convenience.
Stability and Amount To Be Used
There is no question with regards to bromine’s stability compared to chlorine. This is especially true during exposure to UV rays in the case of outdoor hot tubs. Bromine stays longer in water until such a point when bromine banks are depleted.
Bromine’s effectivity is also not affected by the water’s pH, unlike chlorine which loses effectivity when the pH of water goes to around 7.8 or higher.
More bromine though is needed than chlorine if one were to compare the amount needed in a given pool size. A concentration of 1ppm is needed to treat tub water, while for bromide, what is needed is 5ppm.
Final Say
Bromine is amore stable chemical that may be used to treat tub water. It does not disintegrate under UV rays and is easily activated under any pH. The downside though is the cost of bromide along with other necessary chemicals, such as starters and spa shocks. Compared to chlorine, bromine is indeed more expensive to use. Chlorine, on the other hand, treats water faster than bromine. It is cheaper but is less stable since it an be affected by UV rays and water pH. It also breaks down into chloramines which can accumulate and emit unpleasant odors in your tub.
Bromine is said to be more effective against microbes like bacteria, while chlorine is said to be more effective against algae.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is bromine the same as chlorine?
In terms of chemical structure and mode of action, chlorine and bromine are different chemicals.
Do you need to use bromine to maintain a tub?
Yes, bromine is needed in order to maintain the cleanliness of the water in a tub.
Can one switch from using chlorine to bromine?
Yes. It should be made sure though that residues of either chlorine or bromine be eliminated prior to switching.
What is better for tub maintenance?
If one is after rapid water treatment, chlorine is a better choice. Bromine, however, is more stable than chlorine, especially when exposed to sunlight. It also is not as easily affected by water pH, unlike chlorine.