Children are fascinated by bubbles – blowing soap bubbles into the air, creating bubbles with a straw and a soft drink or spending time in a bubble bath. Hot tub owners, on the other hand, have a far different view of bubbles. Excess foam and bubbles in your hot tub means that something isn’t quite right. They’re not necessarily a danger to your hot tub or a risk to your health, but they do indicate that something is amiss. If you’re asking yourself why is my hot tub foaming, we’ve put together a list of things that might be the cause. We also provide some solutions for how to treat the problem.
Why Is the Hot Tub Foaming?
You can try and figure out why your hot tub is hot tub foaming by comparing your circumstances with this list:
Calcium Hardness Levels
If your calcium hardness levels are too low, bubbles are more prone to form. Low calcium hardness levels lower the tension on the surface of the water and allow bubbles to form much more readily. It may be that you live in an area that has soft water or maybe you’re using a water softener.
pH Levels
Keeping your water chemistry balanced is a major part of preventing foam and bubbles from becoming excessive and annoying. If your pH levels are too high or too low, you could experience more foam than normal.
Organic Compounds
When too many organic compounds accumulate in the water they begin to precipitate out and create foam. These compounds typically get into the water on the bodies of the hot tub users. Residues from soaps, shampoos, make up, deodorants, lotions as well as natural body oils can cause bubbles and foam to gather.
How Can I Stop My Hot Tub from Foaming?
Dealing with excessive foam depends on what’s causing it. Pinpointing the cause will allow you to deal with it in the appropriate fashion.
Defoamers
Hot tub defoamers are easily found in any hot tub dealership, but it’s important to know that they’re a temporary solution at best. Unless you want to keep spending money on defoamers, you’ll eventually have to address the root of the problem.
Pre Hot Tub Showers
Community swimming pools demand that you shower before getting in the pool to help keep the water clean†. You should do the same for your hot tub. Since most of the contaminants that end up in the water are introduced by the bathers, having them rinse off beforehand will go a long way towards keeping the water clean†.
Regular Water Testing
You don’t need to have a university degree to keep your water chemistry balanced. There are simple tests that will let you know when you need to add chemicals to the water to get it back in balance. This will take care of your pH and calcium hardness levels and reduce the chances of foam being able to form. Do a water test at least once a week – more often if the hot tub is getting a lot of use.
Addition of A Chemical Shock
A chemical shock quickly breaks down accumulated organic compounds that can cause excess foaming. It will also kill bacteria and clear up cloudy or murky water. Most hot tub shocks are applied once a week, but it really depends on how much use the hot tub is getting.
Deep Cleaning†
If all these other solutions fail to get rid of excess foam, it’s time to drain the hot tub and give it a deep cleaning†. This will give you a chance to start anew with fresh, clean† water. If the foam starts to reappear you can go through the above list again to identify their origins.
Now that you’ve learned a little more about hot tub water chemistry, download a free buyer’s guide below today, or visit us at our London hot tub store.