Foaming Hot Tub Water Problems

Foaming water is a common problem in spas and hot tubs. It is often blamed on laundry soap in poorly rinsed bathing suits. Some hot tubbers have banned swim suit use in their hot tubs for this reason. Others have set their washing machines to do a second final rinse cycle. While this might be a source of foaming it is probably not the most common source.

The most common reason is that the water is chemically out of balance and/or you have a dirty filter.

Here are the solutions to the problem.

1. Rinse the filter every 3 weeks with a spray nozzle on your garden hose. Soak in a filter cleaner solution if the filter is really bad or has been neglected. Be sure and rinse off all the cleaner. Consider a new filter if it is really old.

2. Balance the water and stay on top of this by testing and balancing the water at least twice a week if not 3 times. We are talking about pH, total hardness and total alkalinity. Follow a weekly shock routine with dichlor and non-chlorine shock.

3. Discard the water and refill the tub if you can't bring the chemistry into line.

4. While waiting for the chemistry to come into line, you can turn on the jets and use a pool leaf skimmer to scoop out the foam as it develops on the water surface. This helps because the foam contains whatever nasty stuff (skin oils, body lotion,make-up etc.) is in the water causing it to foam up. This will speed up the return to normal.

5. "Foam Down" and "Anti-foam" additives may be used but they don't correct the chemistry or clean the filter. The foam will return if the filter is not clean and the water is not balanced.

Contact us if you still have questions.
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