CHEMICAL CORROSION INFORMATION

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Bromine and Dichlor use are the biggest causes of chemical corrosion in pool and spa heaters. Trichlor is even more corrosive and should never be used in spas, or where there is a heater.

The low-pH nature of Bromine, Dichlor & Trichlor can cause a number of problems:  

• The first signs of damage are often seen on the bottom of spa covers, spa headrests, spa acrylics, that backs of jets, and damaged plastics. 
• Jets may pop out, and you’ll notice a chalky breakdown on the tails of jets. 
• Pump wet-ends that start off black will have a whitening or yellowing of the plastics, often producing a chalky affect that can be scraped with a fingernail. It also prematurely damages mechanicals seals & any o-rings or gaskets. 
• It can strip the Teflon coating of many heater elements, before attacking the metals themselves. 
• Brass, Copper, and other metals will show signs of damage.
• If you have a gas heater, there is a good chance you’ll have a high copper reading in the water, as it’s constantly attacking the copper heat exchangers. 
• Corrosive water can damage a heater within weeks or months. 

Corrosive water can affect health in many ways:  

• If you open the spa cover and get smacked in the face with that strong Bromine / Chlorine smell, you’ve got a problem. 
• If the water appears “fizzy” this indicates acidic water (similar to a soda drink). 
• It may cause Dry, Itchy Skin, and difficulty Breathing. 

Examples and More Information:

• See below for some photos of chemical corrosion. 
• Click this link for more chemical corrosion info from Heater & Spa Parts
• Here is a great video of copper dissolved in a spa from a gas heater.

Most manufacturers will not accept warranty claims where chemical damage has occurred.

Bromine

Bromine tablets contain both Bromine and Chlorine. The industry simply refers to Bromine tablets as “Bromine.”  Bromine is a fantastic sanitizer that produces both hypochloris acid & hypobromous acid. It is effective at killing almost anything in the water, and has a high heat resistance.  Even “used” Bromine is still effective at killing microbes.  There is a “but” that comes with bromine usage though…  

Bromine tablets have a very low pH and are acidic, at around pH of 4. At a low pH, with moderate levels of Bromine, your water generally looks fantastic and sparkling. We often don’t even notice this on our skin!