bromine vs chlorine for hot tubs, which do you prefer and why

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soaklife

New member
Ok so ive been using bromine tablets in my hot tub since I got it about 8 months ago. It works fine I guess but the tablets dissolve super fast in the summer and I feel like im constantly refilling the floater. Plus they leave this film on everything.

My neighbor uses dichlor chlorine granules and says its way easier to manage. She just tosses in a teaspoon after each soak and calls it a day.

Im thinking about switching but dont want to drain and refill if I dont have to. Can you mix the two or would that cause problems? And for those who have tried both, which do you actually prefer for a hot tub specifically? I know pools are different.
 
Both work great in hot tubs but they do behave differently. Bromine is more stable at high temperatures which is why its traditionally recommended for hot tubs. But dichlor granules give you more control over dosing since youre adding a measured amount each time instead of relying on a dissolving tablet.

Do NOT mix them in the same water though. You need to drain, clean, and refill if youre switching from bromine to chlorine. They use different sanitizer chemistry and mixing can cause issues with your test readings and effectiveness.

Personally I use the dichlor-then-bleach method. Start with dichlor to build up a small CYA bank, then switch to regular unscented bleach for daily dosing. Cheapest and most effective method ive found for hot tubs. But it takes a little more knowledge to manage.
 
Nancy nailed it on the dont mix part. Drain and refill, no shortcuts there.

I switched from bromine to chlorine about a year ago on my tub and honestly Im happier with chlorine. The smell is less (weird right? but bromine has its own smell that bothered my wife), the water feels cleaner to me, and I have way more control over levels. With bromine tablets I always felt like I was along for the ride, the floater just dissolves at whatever rate it wants.

Downside of chlorine is you need to be more on top of it. Bromine has a bank that builds up so even if you slack off for a few days youve got some residual. Chlorine, you skip a dose and youre at zero.
 
Great thread. So if I want to switch from bromine to chlorine, how long after draining and refilling do I need to wait before adding the dichlor? Can I start adding chemicals the same day I fill or should I let the water sit and get to temp first?
 
been using bromine for about 5 years now and wont go back to chlorine for the tub. the smell is so much better and it works better at higher temps which is kinda the whole point of a hot tub right? only downside is bromine costs more and you cant stabilize it with CYA the way you can with chlorine in a pool. for an outdoor tub that gets a lot of sun chlorine might actually make more sense but for most people bromine is the way to go.
 
For hot tubs I strongly prefer bromine and the main reason is that it stays active at higher temperatures while chlorine degrades fast above about 80 degrees. Since hot tubs run at 100-104 most of the time you'd burn through chlorine way quicker and have a harder time keeping levels stable. Bromine also doesn't produce that sharp chemical smell in a small enclosed space the way chlorine can.

The downside is you can't use sunlight to burn off excess bromine the way you can with chlorine in a pool, but for an indoor or covered tub that doesn't really matter. If you use the tub regularly I'd stick with bromine, it's just easier to manage.
 
Been using bromine in my hot tub for about 4 years now and I prefer it over chlorine. Chlorine worked fine but I kept getting that strong smell and it seemed to fade faster at hot tub temps. Bromine stays more stable in the heat which means less fiddling between soaks. The tabs dissolve pretty evenly in a floater and I just adjust based on how much were using it that week. Only downside is bromine costs a bit more but for me its worth not having to mess with it as often.
 
I switched to bromine about 2 years ago and have no regrets. For a covered indoor tub especially it just makes more sense - it does not gas off like chlorine does in an enclosed space and the smell is way less harsh on the sinuses.

The aquadoc bromine tabs have been pretty consistent in my floater, they dissolve at a good rate and do not leave the gummy residue the last brand I used did. That said chlorine absolutely works fine and if you already have a chlorine setup there is no urgent reason to switch. It really comes down to personal preference and how sensitive you are to smell.
 
Been using bromine for about 3 years now and I prefer it for the hot tub. Less smell, more stable at high temps, and it doesnt irritate my wifes skin the way chlorine did. Downside is it costs a bit more and you cant use it in an outdoor pool since sunlight kills it. I use aquadoc bromine tabs in a floating dispenser and they dissolve real evenly which was my main complaint with the last brand. Only thing is you gotta stay on top of your shock routine, bromine needs a regular oxidizer hit to keep working right.
 
Bromine all the way for hot tubs in my experience. It stays active at higher temps better than chlorine does, and it doesnt have that strong smell that chlorine gets in an enclosed space. The main downside is its a bit more expensive and you cant use CYA to stabilize it like chlorine. I use a floating dispenser with aquadoc bromine tabs and honestly its pretty set it and forget it, I just check the level every couple days and adjust the dispenser opening. Some people do great with chlorine though, its really personal preference. Either way the important thing is picking one and being consistent.
 
Switched to bromine about a year ago and haven't gone back. Way less of that harsh smell, and it's more stable at the higher water temps you get in a hot tub - chlorine just burns off too fast. I use a floater with aquadoc bromine tablets and they dissolve pretty evenly, no complaints.

Only thing to know going in: you can't re-activate bromine with liquid chlorine the same way some people do with pools. You need a non-chlorine shock to oxidize the bromamines back into active bromine. Once you understand that the maintenance is pretty simple.
 
im pretty new to this but i went with bromine and so far its been easier than i expected. my main reason was that i read chlorine breaks down faster in hot water so youd have to add it more often? could be wrong on that but bromine seemed like the lower maintenance option for someone who doesnt want to test every single day

the smell is also way less noticeable than the chlorine pools i grew up swimming in which is nice
 
switched to bromine like 6 months ago and not going back. the chlorine smell was driving my wife crazy, especially in the winter when we have the cover on and you lift it up and get hit with that cloud of fumes. bromine doesnt really have that problem, or at least its way less noticeable.

only downside for me is the cost, bromine tabs are definitely pricier than chlorine. but for a hot tub youre not going through that much compared to a pool so the extra cost per month is maybe like 10-15 bucks, not a dealbreaker
 
been using bromine in my hot tub for about two years now and I think it just depends on your situation. bromine doesn't have that harsh smell, it stays more stable at the higher temps you run in a spa, and the byproducts are less irritating than chloramines. downside is it costs more and you can't just grab it anywhere. chlorine is easier to find and works totally fine if you stay on top of it. the smell thing was what pushed me to bromine since our tub is on an enclosed porch. if you're outside it probably matters less.
 
have been using bromine for about 3 years now and I think for most hot tub situations it is just the easier choice. the stability at higher temps is the main thing for me. I have a friend who switched to chlorine and she is constantly chasing levels because it degrades so fast. with bromine my readings are a lot more consistent between checks. the smell thing is also real, way less harsh especially when the cover first comes off after a few days of not using it
 
have been using bromine for about 3 years now and I think for most hot tub situations it is just the easier choice. the stability at higher temps is the main thing for me. I have a friend who switched to chlorine and she is constantly chasing levels because it degrades so fast. with bromine my readings are a lot more consistent between checks. the smell thing is also real, way less harsh especially when the cover first comes off after a few days of not using it
 
switched from chlorine to bromine in our hot tub about 8 months ago and honestly I wish I had done it sooner. the smell difference alone was worth it. my husband was always complaining about the chlorine smell on the towels and his skin after soaking. that went away completely.

what I use now is just the aquadoc bromine tablets in a floating dispenser, super simple. I check the levels a couple times a week, adjust if needed, and it stays pretty stable. chemistry was always the part I dreaded most and this honestly simplified it for me.

one thing - bromine does not work great as a sanitizer above 104F so if you run really hot keep that in mind. we keep ours around 101 and it works perfectly.
 
poolmom_sarah to answer your question about switching - once you do a full drain and refill you can add dichlor pretty much right away. just let the fresh water circulate for 15-20 minutes first. the important thing is that it is a full drain, not just diluted. any bromine residue left in the lines can react with chlorine so do not try to shortcut it with a partial drain. full empty, refill, then you are good to go
 
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