Among hot tubs buyers the “salt” option is becoming increasingly popular with mid and high-end spa owners.  However, Salt-System Spas can be either Bromine or Chlorine based.  To determine which is best let’s start with the basics.

What is “Salt”?

In common language, “salt” means sodium chloride (NaCl).  Table salt and rock salt are both examples.

However, chemically salt is defined as an ionic compound produced by combining an acid with a base.  There are actually a great many “salts” with sodium bromide (NaBr) being another.

Bromine versus Chlorine Hot Tubs

Hot tub salt systems can be either based on sodium chloride or sodium bromide.  Hence, the first is chlorine based while the latter is bromine based.  And to be a bit more accurate, they are using either hypochlorous acid or hypobromous acid as the actual sanitizer in the hot tub.  Both of these are very mild acids.

These two acids are the same two sanitizers commonly used in all chlorine and bromine sanitizing regimens.  What separates salt-system hot tubs and hot tubs using other sanitizing regimens is no other chemicals are introduced to salt-system spas.  Other sanitizing regimens include additional chemicals, such as binders and cyanuric acid.  Hence salt-systems are pure, introducing only chlorine or bromine to the spa water.

Bromine Hot Tub Pros & Cons

Pros

• Most people find that bromine is gentler to their skin than Chlorine.
• Bromine’s ability to sanitize spa water is little affected by the pH of the spa water.
• Bromine stays in the spa water.  It does not dissipate out of the water.
• Bromine itself and its byproduct Bromamines are both effective sanitizers.
  • Note:  Bromamines are produced when Bromine combines with waste products in spa water, notably ammonia from perspiration.
• Sodium Bromide Salt is readily available.  Our own brand, Tru Blu, is 99% sodium bromide.
• Typically, a salt-system spa is drained and refilled annually whereas most other sanitation regimens require 3 – 4 drains every year.
• Our Blu Fusion Salt System carries a 3-Year Warranty
• Annual Operating Costs are among the lowest among all spa sanitation regimens.
• Here is a more extensive list of the benefits of our Blu Fusion Salt system.

Cons

• The initial purchase expense is somewhat higher than chlorine-based systems.

Chlorine Hot Tub Pros & Cons

Pros

• Hot Tub grade sodium chloride is readily available and rather inexpensive.
• Typically, a salt-system spa is drained and refilled annually whereas most other sanitation regimens require 3 – 4 drains every year.
• Most folks understand Chlorine sanitation because it is by far the most common sanitizer in pools.  However, when used in pools it is almost always combined with cyanuric acid (CYA) in order to stabilize the chlorine.  This adds another chemical to pool water.

Cons

• Some people are quite sensitive to chlorine and may find it causes skin problems.
• Chlorine’s ability to sanitize spa water and kill bacteria is highly affected by spa water pH.  As pH rises, chlorine rapidly loses its bacteria killing efficacy.
• Because Chlorine is a gas, it tends to dissipate out of spa water due to the higher temperatures used in hot tubs.
• Unlike with Bromine, Chloramines have no sanitizing effect.  Further, Chloramines are quite noxious.  They produce a strong chlorine odor.
  • Note:  Chloramines are produced when Chlorine combines with waste products in spa water, notably ammonia from perspiration.
• The maximum warranty among Chlorine-Based Spa Salt Systems is 1-Year.

Bromine versus Chlorine Summary

Other than a somewhat higher initial cost for Bromine Based Salt-Systems, Bromine wins easily!  On every other measure including a 3-Year warranty for our Blu Fusion Salt System, Bromine is the gold standard among hot tub sanitation regimens.