Bromine Start-Up Kit
Spa Care is easier when items are bundled. Everything you need in your spa start-up in ONE convenient kit! This kit specifically applies towards the Bromine Water Care Method.
Important
- Always read and refer to your owner’s manual
- Test your water with a test strip after each use and weekly when not in use
- Do NOT use your hot tub when the bromine level is above 5ppm
Start-Up
Filling Your Spa for the First Time
- Before filling your spa, use CitraBright to clean the shell of your hot tub. We recommend applying Fast Gloss to the shell to extend the life of your hot tub.
- Fill your hot tub, and install the filters. Run your hot tub on clean mode. If your hot tub does not have clean mode, run the jets for 30 minutes.
- Sanitize and balance your spa water by following the steps:
- Add 16 oz of Metal Gon
- Add 4 oz. of Defender
- Add 2-4 Brom Tabs
- Add 1-2 caps of shock: Spa 56 / Renew Granular / Replenish (choose one)
- Test water with Bromine Test Strips
- If needed, adjust Alkalinity & pH with Spa Up / Spa Down
Re-filling Your Spa
- Drain the water from your spa.
- While your hot tub is drained, use CitraBright to clean the shell of your hot tub. We recommend applying Fast Gloss to the shell to extend the life of your hot tub.
- Take your filters out and clean them. Use a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with Filter Clean and water. Let your filters soak for 3 to 12 hours. Rinse filters with water and re-install them.
- NOTE: For very dirty hot tubs, use a bottle of Breakaway Flush while the tub is still filled with water and the filters are removed. This will flush all of the lines and jets, before you drain your tub.
- Re-fill your spa. Run the hot tub on clean mode. If your hot tub does not have clean mode, run the jets for 30 minutes.
- Sanitize and balance your spa water by following the steps:
- Add 16 oz of Metal Gon
- Add 4 oz. of Defender
- Add 2-4 Brom Tabs
- Add 1-2 caps of shock: Spa 56 / Renew Granular / Replenish (choose one)
- Test water with Bromine Test Strips
- If needed, adjust Alkalinity & pH with Spa Up / Spa Down
Regular Maintenance
After Each Use
- Run your hot tub on clean mode. If your hot tub does not have clean mode, run the jets for 30 minutes.
- Sanitize and balance your spa water by following the steps below:
- Test water with Bromine Test Strips
- If needed, add bromine with Brom Tabs
- Add 1 cap of shock: Spa 56 / Renew Granular / Replenish (choose one)
Weekly Maintenance
- Run your hot tub on clean mode. If your hot tub does not have clean mode, run the jets for 30 minutes.
- Sanitize and balance your spa water by following the steps below:
- Add 2 oz. of Defender
- Test water with Bromine Test Strips
- If needed, add bromine with Brom Tabs
- Add 1 cap of shock: Spa 56 / Renew Granular / Replenish (choose one)
- Test water again
- If needed, adjust Alkalinity & pH with Spa Up / Spa Down
Monthly Maintenance
- Take your filters out and clean them. Use a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with Filter Clean and water. Let your filters soak for 3 to 12 hours. Rinse filters with water and re-install them.
- NOTE: For very dirty hot tubs, use a bottle of Breakaway Flush while the tub is still filled with water and the filters are removed. This will flush all of the lines and jets, before you drain your tub.
Quarterly Maintenance
- Clean spa cover with Cover Care & Conditioner.
- Drain and re-fill your spa every 3 to 6 months, depending on use and family size (see Start-Up: Re-filling Your Spa).
Chemical & Mineral Levels
Bromine
- Okay levels: 3 - 5 ppm
- Raise: Leisure Time Brom Tabs
Calcium Hardness
- Okay levels: 150 - 400 ppm
- Raise: Leisure Time Calcium Booster - 1 Quart
- Lower: Leisure Time Defender - 32 oz
Alkalinity
- Okay levels: 80 - 120 ppm
- Raise: Leisure Time Spa Up - 2lbs
- Lower: Leisure Time Spa Down - 2.5 lbs
pH
- Okay levels: 7.2 - 7.8
- Raise: Leisure Time Spa Up - 2lbs
- Lower: Leisure Time Spa Down - 2.5 lbs
Water Care Tips
Test Your Spa Water Frequently
Test your water with a test strip once a week or after each use (if you use your spa more than once per week). Testing takes less than 1 minute!
Keep Your Hot Tub Covered
The bromine method has many advantages over an older method of using chlorine as the sanitizing agent, but one disadvantage of bromine is that it doesn’t have a strong stabilizer, so it loses its effectiveness when exposed to the elements. Spas that use the bromine sanitization method should have a quality spa cover for outside use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I wear goggles when handling chemicals?
Wearing goggles is recommended when handling liquid chemicals. Gloves should be worn no matter the chemical type.
Can I just drop a bromine tab in my spa?
Bromine tablets are stored in floaters to protect you and your spa. The highly concentrated tablets can cause skin burns or rashes if touched, and they can damage your spa surface upon contact.
How do I lower the bromine levels in my spa?
If you’ve added too much bromine to your spa, the fastest method to bring your levels back to 3-5ppm is to drain water from your spa, replacing it with fresh water from a hose.
