Chlorine and bromine are the two most common water treatment products used by private pool users. Suppose many people hesitate between these two products. In that case, the choice should not be made at random because each one has its specificities and will be more or less adapted according to the parameters of the water of your swimming pool and also, as we will see, according to your budget.
Chlorine
It is the best known and the most used of the products; chlorine is a very effective and easy-to-use disinfectant that fulfills the functions of disinfectant, oxidant, and algaecide at the same time. It maintains maximum efficiency with water pH between 7.2 and 7.5 and a water temperature below 28 ° C. On the other hand, it loses a lot of its efficiency as soon as one’s moves away from these values. Chlorine is most often in tablets that will be placed in the skimmer to dilute them in water. If you are using chlorine tablets, be careful not to put them on the liner as they may stain it.
Chlorine nevertheless has some drawbacks: on the one hand, it is irritating to the skin and eyes if it is incorrectly dosed, and on the other hand, it is degraded by ultraviolet rays. This sensitivity to sunlight makes it necessary to use a stabilizer (stabilized chlorine) called cyanuric acid. The problem with cyanuric acid is that it does not degrade in water and, in the long run, inhibits the action of chlorine. This phenomenon makes it necessary to regularly renew part of the water in the basin to prevent it from being saturated with cyanuric acid. Search for spa clarifiers
Bromine
Bromine belongs to the chemical family of halogens, like chlorine, and has the same properties: disinfectant, oxidant, and algaecide. Packaged in pellets or briquettes, it can be used with a brominator, a device that allows the product to diffuse into the water gradually. Bromine has many advantages over chlorine:
- Bromine does not cause skin or eye irritation in bathers.
- Bromine is not degraded by ultraviolet light and therefore does not require the addition of a stabilizer.
- Bromine remains effective even with a high pH: with a ph equal to 8, bromine retains 80% of its effectiveness against 40% for chlorine.
- Bromine remains active with high water temperatures.
- But bromine has a significant drawback: it is much more expensive than chlorine, costing between 30 and 40% higher.
