When it comes to the reasons behind buying a hot tub, for most of us, it’s all about having the freedom to enjoy a relaxing soak and socialise with friends in a spa-like setting whenever we want to.

Of course, with this freedom comes the added responsibility of taking care of your hot tub – ensuring that its pH levels are balanced and that you’re not adding in too much sanitiser during your weekly maintenance routine.

But what do you do if you accidentally add too much bromine to your hot tub’s water? How do you tell this is the case without testing for it and how can you lower the volume of bromine in your tub?

If this is a concern for you, don’t worry, because we’ve broken down everything you need to know about how to reduce bromine in a hot tub in our guide. From bromine-lowering techniques to how much bromine you should be adding to your hot tub on a weekly basis, we’ve got you covered.

What does hot tub bromine do?

Much like chlorine, bromine is one of the most common forms of hot tub sanitiser available and tends to be preferred by owners who have sensitive skin thanks to its lower irritancy levels and lower strength.

Naturally, this means you’ll need to add more bromine to your hot tub than chlorine to have the same effect, hence the increased chance of accidentally adding too much bromine to your hot tub’s water.

How to tell if there’s too much bromine in your hot tub

Outside of testing, the only real way to know if there’s too much bromine in your hot tub water is the effect it has on your body. Too much bromine in the water will cause skin and eye irritation, as well as breathing issues due to the increased fumes.

For this reason, if you at all suspect that your hot tub water might have too much bromine in it, it’s best to test the water with a hot tub chemical strip rather than getting in it. This will give you a good indication of how much bromine is present and how much you may need to do to reduce bromine levels.

How much bromine should you add to a hot tub?

Similarly to adding chlorine to your hot tub, experts recommend aiming for between 3-5 parts per million of bromine in your hot tub’s water, as this is considered a safe diluted range for keeping your hot tub clean.

How to lower bromine in a hot tub

If, after measuring your bromine levels, you find that there is a higher than-recommended level of bromine in your water, then there are three ways in which you can reduce the volume present:

1. Evaporate it off

By far the simplest method of lowering bromine levels in your hot tub, but also the slowest, running your hot tub with the cover off will cause the water (and the bromine mixed into it) to evaporate over time.

Assuming your bromine levels aren’t well past the recommended limits, and you don’t need to use your hot tub immediately, this method will have your hot tub ready to use after a few hours or a day of cycling the water, though you may need to add additional bromine afterwards to brings the levels back to normal.

2. Drain your hot tub

If you find there’s too much bromine in your hot tub and you need to reduce its levels quickly, then the best alternative to evaporating your tub’s water is to slowly drain your hot tub by several litres and then refill it with fresh water and circulate it.

By removing a larger volume of water from your tub and adding in an equivalent amount of fresh water, you’ll dilute what bromine is present, lowering the volume by a large amount in one go.

Once you’ve added the fresh water and circulated it, be sure to check the bromine levels again with a chemical strip to make sure you don’t need to drain any more water from your tub.

3. Use a bromine neutraliser

For rapid bromine neutralisation, it is possible to make use of a bromine-neutralising agent. However, you need to make sure that the neutraliser you use is compatible with your hot tub and chemicals.

However, you should only use a bromine neutraliser if your hot tub’s bromine levels are exceptionally high, as excessive use of neutralisers can make balancing your hot tub chemicals that much harder.

Why it’s important to keep your hot tub’s bromine levels normal

Besides presenting a distinctive health hazard, excessive levels of bromine in your hot tub’s water can also cause damage to your hot tub’s internal systems, specifically your pump and filters.

Essentially, too much bromine (or any sanitiser for that matter) running through your hot tub’s systems will put a strain on its components. Over time, this extra level of pressure will wear these components out faster, meaning you’ll need to replace them sooner than expected.

Choose your starting hot tub with Platinum Spas

Hopefully, you should now have a much better understanding of how to lower bromine levels in a hot tub, and how to tell if your hot tub has higher levels of bromine in its water than average.

Naturally, this is only one part of the hot tub maintenance process, but it’s an important one to be aware of to ensure the longevity of your tub going forward. And speaking of hot tubs, should be interested in buying your first at-home spa system or replacing your old one, then you need look no further than the Platinum Spa range!

From hot tubs of all sizes to swim spas and more, get in touch with our team today to learn more or book a visit to your nearest hot tub showroom to see our products in person. You can also visit our hot tub owner’s hub for more helpful hot tub guides like this one.

Jamie Smith
Latest posts by Jamie Smith (see all)

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