- the 2-part Bromine system is made up from a bromide salt e.g. (Sodium Bromide, chemical formula NaBr) and an oxidizer (potassium peroxymonosulphate -  H³K⁵O¹⁸S⁴ - or a Chlorine compound)

• The bromide salt is added to the water, and then the oxidizer is added to activate the bromide into Hypobromous Acid

• After the Hypobromous Acid has killed bacteria, algae or other organisms, it returns to being bromide ions (or bromide salts), which can again be reactivated

• 2 part Bromine is roughly neutral pH, but varies from 6.5 to 8

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- Bromine Compounds

• When Bromine in its various forms is added to the water it produces Hypobromous acid (HOBr)

• Hypobromous acid controls bacteria and algae and oxidizes organics

• It is a weak acid and therefore not harmful to people in the concentrations found in pools

• Hypobromous acid dissociates in water like this: - HOBr <===> H+ and OBr- (hypobromite ion)

• Hypobromous acid is the killing form of Bromine

• It reacts with bacteria and organics and is a very effective sanitizer

• OBr- reacts with ammonia (NH3) and is an oxidizer

• Liquid Bromine readily forms Hypobromous acid and OBr- when added to water

• Hypobromous acid reacts with sunlight

• Unlike Chlorine, Bromine cannot be protected from UV light

• Bromine is 2.25 times heavier than Chlorine, and at a pH of 7.5 the killing form of Bromine (Hypobromous acid) is at 94% and the oxidizing
• form (hypobromite ion) is at 6%

• You need twice the amount of Bromine by weight as Chlorine

• 2 hours of bright sunlight will reduce pool Bromine levels by 65%, the equivalent unprotected Chlorine loss is 90%

• Once Hypobromous acid destroys bacteria, algae or other organisms, or is destroyed itself by sunlight, it ends up as bromide ions

• A strong oxidizer, such as Sodium Hypochlorite (liquid Chlorine), can 'recharge' the bromide by oxidizing it back into Hypobromous acid

• Chlorine does not have this  ‘re-usability’; once Chlorine is spent it cannot be reactivated

• HOBr combines with ammonia and nitrogen compounds in the pool to form bromamines

• Bromamines are active sanitizers, and they do not have the foul-smell of chloramines

• Bromine is not a strong enough oxidiser to oxidise or destroy ammonia and nitrogen compounds in the water

• It is therefore necessary to oxidize these swimmers’ wastes and reactivate the bromide ions by adding a stronger oxidizer - usually any form of Chlorine or a non-bromine shock (e.g. potassium peroxymonosulphate)

• There are 2 basic Bromine systems: 1-part and 2-part systems - we'll look at each system individually

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Please contact our recommended pool professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Both companies offer years of experience, free unbiased advice and excellent, professional service.

*We only offer Quotations: - a fixed, agreed price that cannot, and will not, be increased. We do not give 'estimates', as an estimate offers the client no guarantee of final price

Share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. Please help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  Please also see our Facebook page

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©

- do you get a strong Chlorine smell from your pool?

That's because there is not enough Chlorine in the pool; what you can smell are chloramines

Despite what many swimmers think, the biggest cause of these problems is insufficient free Chlorine rather than too much

Tricloro instantly forms Hypochlorous Acid when dissolved in water and, ideally, we have 1-3 ppm in a well-balanced pool.  Chlorine levels of up to 10ppm are not able to be detected by odour alone (although 10ppm is too strong a concentration for swimming) so if you smell Chlorine from the pool the chances are that it is high levels of chloramines

Chlorine reacts with organic substances such as sweat, body oil and urine and destroys them in a process very similar to combustion. It's only when the 'combustion' process is not completed, that chloramines remain the pool - and that swimmers notice a strong smell and suffer from red-eye and/or skin irritation (see an analogy below*)

As the process of breaking down the organic substances continues, by-products of Chlorine sanitation are formed. The by-products are called 'chloramines' and it is these compounds that are responsible for red eyes, itching skin and the respiratory problems that often affect swimmers

As Chlorine sanitizes the pool 3 stages of chloramines are formed: -

• Monochloramine - the principal cause of red-eye

• Dichloramine - the principal cause of sore throats and the distinctive 'chlorine odour'

• Trichloramine - the cause of reduced oxidation of contaminants (algae can proliferate)

A pool that is sanitized by Chlorine has all 3 of these compounds at the same time and it is only when the concentration of any particular chloramine gets too high that a problem occurs

Chloramines form naturally, as outlined above, but if there is insufficient free Chlorine available to completely destroy organic matter the process comes to a screeching halt and chloramines remain in the pool, causing all the symptoms above

The way to rid a pool of chloramines is to add sufficient Chlorine to enable the chemical process to become complete, at which point the chloramines are broken down to harmless substance like nitrogen and salt

One excellent way to reduce the build-up of chloramines is to beat the bathers through the shower before they enter the water - wash that sweat and those body-oils off and bathers will have a more comfortable experience in your pool!

Add enough Chlorine to raise the level of free Chlorine to around 10 times the level of chloramines. This is best done by Superchlorination or the addition of Non-chlorine Shock

*When you have a garden-waste bonfire in the back yard, and the fire burns out completely to a fine grey ash, there is little or no smell associated with it.  However, if the bonfire is extinguished by rain before it has burned to ash - it smells, very strongly, of . . . . 'wet bonfire'

Have you ever walked past a burned-out building after the Fire Brigade has put the fire out? It stinks, doesn't it?

The same thing happens in your pool if there is not enough free Chlorine to completely destroy organic contaminants (chloramines) - it stinks!

We supply all plant and equipment featured on this website. All our work is Guaranteed; Parts and Labour

For free and unbiased advice, a site visit or no-obligation Quotation*, please make initial enquiries by email. Tell us a little about your pool problem and include a daytime phone number. Thanks, we look forward to meeting you soon

Note: - Contact our recommended Pool Professionals for supply and installation of all pool-related services: - 

Andalusia and the Costa del Sol - Pool Safety Spain

Nerja area - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Each of the above offers years of experience, free unbiased advice and excellent, Professional service.

Please share this website with other Pool Owners and Users,  encourage them to read about Pool Safety, learn CPR and help them to save lives, time and money. 

Help us to make every pool a safer place - by sharing this information we can cut the number of pool accidents and deaths.  

Please also see our Facebook page (and maybe give us a LIKE and a SHARE?)  

Ken Walker - MyPoolGuru©