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How to Get the Most Out of Your Bromine Cartridge
Hey there, hot tub aficionado! Now that you’re enjoying we hope water care is the furthest thing from your mind.
And when you get out of the spa, aren’t you delighted to know you don’t have to think about adding more chlorine or hoping the water stays clean and clear? That’s the beauty of using FROG Serene®.
While we know you keep tabs on your FROG Serene System, and replace the Bromine Cartridge when needed, we have some tips to help you make this little marvel last even longer!
Read on and get ready to explore some savvy advice that’ll make your hot tub experience smoother than ever!
Tips for Extending Your Bromine Cartridge Life
1. Balance Hot Tub Water
Maintaining balanced water is important for a host of reasons, including getting the most out of your Bromine Cartridge. When water balance is off, it can lead to faster depletion of the Bromine Cartridge.
Water that’s out of balance, whether it’s Total Alkalinity, pH, or Total Hardness, can not only make relaxing in your hot tub water uncomfortable, but can also damage its walls, equipment and other surfaces.
That’s why it’s important to regularly check the water’s Total Alkalinity, pH and Total Hardness and adjust as needed.
Ideal levels are:
- Total Alkalinity: 80 – 120 ppm
- pH: 7.2 – 7.6
- Total Hardness: 150 – 250 ppm
To check water balance use FROG® Test Strips and adjust as needed. Consistency is key – keep the water balanced and you’ll get the most out of your Bromine Cartridge.
2. Shower Before Using the Hot Tub
Taking a quick shower before you hop into the hot tub might seem unimportant, but it makes a big difference in keeping your water balanced and getting the most out of the Bromine Cartridge.
When you shower first, getting rid of all the body oils, lotions, sweat, etc. the Bromine Cartridge focuses on sanitizing rather than breaking down unnecessary contaminants. This simple habit helps the Bromine Cartridge work more efficiently to keep water clean for longer periods of time.
It will also reduce the frequency of maintenance tasks including draining and refilling your hot tub.
Ultimately, showering before entering the hot tub is easy. It takes only a few minutes and saves time and money in the long run, so you get the most out of your Bromine Cartridge.
3. Rinse Your Swimsuit
Rinse – that means don’t use soap or detergent. Rinsing swimsuits without detergent is a smart move to keep your hot tub water cleaner and get the most out of your Bromine Cartridge. Laundry detergents leave residues that are released into hot tub water, leading to increased foam and unbalanced water. These residues in the water make the Bromine Cartridge work harder and use up the bromine faster.
This small change in your routine can significantly impact the longevity of your Bromine Cartridge. A quick shower will help the Bromine work most efficiently and give you a more enjoyable hot tub experience.
4. Keep Hair Out of the Water
This a simple yet effective way to extend to get the most out of your Bromine Cartridge. Hair carries oils, styling products, and other residues that introduce contaminants into the water. These contaminants increase the workload on your Bromine Cartridge, it has to work harder to maintain clean water.
Put up long hair or use a swim cap, and you’ll keep unnecessary contaminants out of your hot tub water, so the Bromine Cartridge doesn’t have extra work, and can focus on killing bacteria and keeping the water cleaner, clearer and more inviting.
Less contamination also means less foam and fewer odors, which make for a more pleasant hot tub experience. Plus, when you keep hot tub water in balance, you’ll won’t have to constantly test and adjust your water, and you’ll likely drain and refill it less often, which will save you time and effort.
Keep hair out of the water and you’ll get the most out of the Bromine Cartridge, while you enjoy a pleasant soak.
5. Keep Contaminants Out
In addition to taking shower before you use your swim spa and keeping your hair out of the water, keeping food and beverages out helps prolong your Bromine Cartridge’s life.
The same goes for keeping debris like leaves, twigs, grass clippings, dirt or dust out of your hot tub water. All of these things introduce organic matter into the water that affects water balance and increases the workload on your Bromine Cartridge. When the Bromine Cartridge works harder to maintain clean water, its lifespan is greatly reduced. Keeping the hot tub cover on when it’s not in use will keep out leaves and debris.
When it comes to food and beverages – who doesn’t like to enjoy a snack and a drink while you’re soaking in the hot tub? The hot tub water is the one who doesn’t! It’s best for your water quality to enjoy snacks and beverages away from the hot tub.
Keep contaminants out, you’ll help the Bromine Cartridge function more efficiently.
6. Use Non-chlorine Shock like FROG Maintain®
FROG Maintain® is the recommended non-chlorine shock for hot tubs. It maintains clean water and makes the most out your bromine cartridge.
FROG Maintain oxidizes organic materials, that means it breaks down sweat, oils and lotions, and keeps clean, crystal clear water.
Use FROG Maintain once a month as a good water maintenance routine. You can also use FROG Maintain after heavy hot tub use, to keep your water clean and clear.
FROG Maintain is a non-chlorine shock, so you don’t add any extra chlorine to your water. It’s also cyanuric acid free, which means you cyanuric acid won’t build up in your water, creating itchy, smelly, hard-to-manage water.
FROG Maintain comes in a single dose packet – cut it open, pour it in and hot tub water is clean and clear in 15 minutes. Keep a supply on hand, you’ll find keeping your hot tub water is easy. Plus, that means no extra work on the Bromine Cartridge!
7. Regular Cleaning Routines
Put yourself on a regular cleaning routine, and you’ll get the most out of your Bromine Cartridge. Consistent maintenance helps prevent dirt, oils, and other contaminant buildup that can cause your Bromine Cartridge to work harder than it should have to.
Routine cleaning includes the hot tub’s filter. A clogged filter can’t do its job. It can’t filter out contaminants and it impedes water circulation, both of which make the Bromine Cartridge work harder. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for routine cleaning – and keep a new filter on hand. That way, you won’t miss a minute in your hot tub, and you’ll be prepared in case you discover the filter is worn, torn or unusable.
These tips will help you get the most out of the Bromine Cartridge:
- Routinely wipe down all of the hot tub’s surfaces, including the rails and pillows
- Keep the cover clean, inside and out
- Pay special attention to where the cover meets the hot tub surface – that’s a wet, warm environment that invites mold and mildew – wipe it away and keep it clean
- Wipe down any accessories used in the hot tub
8. When to Replace Your Bromine Cartridge
The Bromine Cartridge is designed to last up to 3 – 4 weeks, depending upon your hot tub size and use.
Use FROG Test Strips to test your water’s levels and replace the Bromine Cartridge. When the top color tab on the strip reads less than 0.5, it’s time to replace the Bromine Cartridge.
When it’s time to replace the Bromine Cartridge, do it right away so you maintain clean, clear water. Stay proactive with replacements and you’ll avoid potential water quality issues and get the most out of your Bromine Cartridge, and your entire hot tub system.
Maximizing Your Bromine Cartridge Lifespan
There you have it! Put these simple tips into your hot tub maintenance routine and you’ll get the most out of the Bromine Cartridge.
FROG Serene makes hot tub water care easy – so you can spend your time relaxing in your hot tub, not working on — your water.
There you have it! Put these simple tips into your hot tub maintenance routine and you’ll get the most out of the Bromine Cartridge.
FROG Serene makes hot tub water care easy – so you can spend your time relaxing in your hot tub, not working on — your water.
*Compared to the minimum ANSI recommended chlorine level of 2.0 ppm for a hot tub.
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FROG products can be purchased from local dealers in your area. Over the past 20 years, we have built a strong nation-wide network of dealers that carry our products and can service your needs. For this reason we do not sell our products on-line or directly to the pool or spa owner.