While your hot tub might be just as relaxing as a bubble bath, it definitely should never look like one. Foaming water in a hot tub is a relatively common issue. Following the hot tub troubleshooting guide below, will resolve the issue. Foaming is caused by hot tub water being what hot tub experts call “thick”. When the air jets pump, they activate the small bubbles in thick water, causing foam.
Typically it isn’t harmful to your hot tub, however, that does not mean it should be left alone. To resolve the issue of foaming water, you will need to determine the cause of the foam. There are a few reasons that this can occur.
pH Imbalance Leading to Foam
Having imbalanced water can be the root cause of a number of water issues in your hot tub, such as green water, bad odour, and even foam. An additional component to the hot tub troubleshooting, using an at-home test strip kit, you can test the water in your spa to see if the pH balance is too high or too low. This will help you determine the best course of action to balance out the hot tub chemistry and prevent the build-up of foam.
If the pH in your tub is balanced but foam persists, move on to checking the other common issues.
A Build Up Of Products
The most common cause of thick water is water that is contaminated by different beauty products. These products can include:
- Soap
- Laundry detergent
- Deodorant
- Make-up
- Body lotions
- Hair products
- …and more
This hot tub troubleshooting guide is the best way to prevent beauty products from causing foam build up in the water is to shower before getting into your hot tub. It may seem backward, but it will rinse away all of the lotions and products that have built up on your skin. You can also prevent foaming water by using oxidizing shock chemical after each use.
Low Calcium Levels
Another part of the hot tub troubleshooting for foamy water is the calcium levels. If the calcium levels (or water hardness) in the hot tub are too low, it can decrease the surface tension of the water. When the surface tension is low, air jets can cause foaming. If you have checked the water chemistry levels using pH strips and regularly rinse before getting into your hot tub, it is likely that the calcium levels in your hot tub are off. However, it is rare for this to be the cause, and it is much more likely that the pH levels are off or there is a build-up of beauty products in the water.
Having low calcium levels can be damaging to the internal equipment of the hot tub, so it is important to regularly test the levels with an at-home kit or take your water into a hot tub specialist to have it tested.
