When most of us think about pool chemicals, the first one that usually comes to mind is chlorine. We associate that pungent smell with swimming pools and burning eyes. Few people realize that there is an alternative. Despite the fact that bromine has been in use since the 1930s, its benefits have been overshadowed by its better known cousin, even though bromine offers unique benefits that chlorine cannot match.
Bromine comes from the same chemical family as chlorine, and is also capable of attacking microorganisms to clean the water. However, bromine may be far more appropriate, particularly if you have an indoor pool. Here are five things that you should know about bromine when you are deciding on which type of pool sanitizer to use:
1 – Bromine has less odour than chlorine – in its natural state, bromine is a liquid. It is found naturally at high levels in seawater. As bromine is at rest in the liquid state, it does not “gas off”. It stays in the water and continues to sanitize.
On the other hand, chlorine’s natural state is a gas. It has a strong tendency to gas off and become airborne. As a result, swimming pools treated with chlorine have that pungent smell that we all enjoy so much. Fortunately, this does not happen with bromine and its smell is less pungent, regardless. As a result, bromine is often the better choice for indoor pools.
2 – Bromine retains its sanitizing efficacy – because chlorine reverts to a gaseous state, it also loses its potency. Chlorine-treated pools must be “shocked” with heavy doses of new chlorine to maintain the proper levels needed to keep the pool clean. The more the pool is used, the more the pool needs to be shocked. Chlorine also loses its ability to sanitize once it has combined with waste. Besides the expense, continually adding chlorine to your pool is a hassle.
When the efficacy of bromine starts to lag, it just needs to be reactivated, so there is less work and less expense.
3 – Bromine is easier on the skin – for those that have sensitive skin or an allergy, chlorine in the pool can wreak havoc. Bromine has been shown to be less of an irritant and because you do not have to be constantly bumping up its levels to increase its strength, there is less of it in the water in the first place.
4 – Bromine lasts longer in hot water – Bromine remains stable at higher temperatures than chlorine, so it’s the chemical of choice for heated pools or hot tubs. It retains its power to destroy organic matter up to 58.8 degrees C, where chlorine gases off at only 32 degrees C.
5 – Bromine does not corrode steel – if you have an indoor pool, chlorine can be a real concern. As it is constantly moving to a gaseous state, it emits chloramine-filled vapours. These vapours condense on steel and can cause severe corrosion. Bromine remains stable and in the liquid form, avoiding this problem all together.
Bromine easily dissolves in water and is found in both a puck-shaped tablet form or as granules. Tablets require a chemical dispenser or feeder while granular chlorine dissolves immediately in the water. The optimum bromine level is 3–5 p.p.m.
Bromine is a safe and easy alternative to its smelly cousin and it packs a few extras that chlorine cannot offer too. If you have issues with chlorine, bromine is another great choice that gets the job done.
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