Spa Sanitizer Options

There are several options for sanitizing your home spa or hot tub. The most popular sanitizer options are Chlorine and Bromine. Both of these options have pros and cons, and Chlorine is the most commonly used chemical for pool maintenance, but it is inferior to Bromine in the spa environment.

• Chlorine is known to lose effectiveness in higher temperatures. 
• Chlorine loses effectiveness much quicker if the pH leaves the ideal region (7.2 - 7.8). 
• Chlorine breaks down into potentially harmful, noxious smelling Chloramines. 
• Bromine breaks down waste slower and lasts longer, so it is better suited to an automated system that can adjust sanitizer levels in real time.

Chlorine destroys contaminants by oxidizing them and destroying them from the inside out. When the chlorine dissipates, it transforms into a byproduct called Chloramines. These Chloramines are in the evaporating water and are responsible for the smell, the stinging of the eyes, dry skin and may cause breathing issues like asthma. Chlorine is less expensive and works more quickly, but it also dissipates faster and requires more chemicals to be added more often. 1.0-3.0 ppm of Chlorine is required to keep your spa sanitized.

Bromine works by ionizing the contaminants and forcing apart their chemical bonds. Much of the Bromine is left active after this process, which limits the amount of sanitizer needed to keep your spa safe. Similar to Chlorine, Bromine will break down into a waste product called Bromamines. While not as dangerous as Chloramines, they will reduce the effectiveness of the sanitizer which will require a regular shock treatment to remedy (bromides return to bromide ions with oxidizing shock treatment and, by mixing with the surrounding water, forms a powerful sanitizer). The ideal range of Bromine in your Spa is 3-5 ppm. 

It's important to understand that a Bromine regimen is actually a combination of Sodium Bromide (the sanitizer) with some kind of oxidizer to activate the Bromine. “Shocking” your hot tub implies the addition of a high concentration of oxidizer to the water. This process can be done with either a Chlorine (Dichlor) or non chlorine (Potassium Monopersulfate/MPS) solution and should be administered once a week or more (if your spa is being used more often). Sensa Spa uses a shock colloquially known as Dichlor (Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione) as it doesn't have a strong tendency to alter the pH (Dichlor has a pH of ~7) and can last for a while without losing its effectiveness. 

This is why a Bromine regimen is the choice for most home spa owners and is proudly featured in the Sensa Spa: Sense & Dispense Hot Tub Solution.