There are several reasons for foam in spas & hot tubs.

Most times it's a matter of maintenance.

Every once in a while it's just an innocent mistake.

Then there's the standard prank!

Of the 3 general causes, maintenance is the key reason for a foamy spa or hot tub. Let's face it, in time the spa is going to get foamy. Why?

Basically, you're creating soap. To make soap you need 3 things: hot water, animal fat (read that as body oils & sweat), and high pH. Your spa has all 3 happening most of the time!

But first let's distinguish bubbles from foam. Bubbles are the normal air bubbles that come to the surface of the water & then burst. When the jets are turned off, the bubbles dissipate within 10 - 20 seconds. Foaming is just that - there's "beer head" like foam sitting on top of the water when the jets are turned on. When the jets are turned off, it takes a while for the foam to dissipate.

Maintenance. Over time, body oils & perspiration, along with lotions, deodorant, body sprays, etc. build up in the water. The filter can only handle so much (one of the reason why you need to regularly chemically clean your cartridge filter) insoluble waste. Your spa's filter system is designed to remove lots of stuff, otherwise it would be like a "just used" bath tub. Yuck!

If you are properly & regularly treating your hot tub with any sanitizing system, you should be able to get about 3 - 4 months out of a purge, drain &refill, depending on usage. That's regardless of chemical program: bromine, chlorine, Soft Soak, BaquaSpa, Pristine Blue, Nature2, Spa Frog, you name it. Remember, foaming means the water just gets OLD. Change it.

At that point you will notice a gradual increase in the bubble or foam build up. Instead of adding anti-foam and the water is old, change the water

Poor water balance – especially high pH – will affect foaming. Water having a High pH (over 7.8) can also lead to stale & funky smells plus additional scaling. Too soft can also contribute to foaming; adjust the water hardness to about 200 - 250 ppm.

Those Innocent Mistakes - Mistakes do happen. Here's a quick list: using bath lotions or "bubble bath"; adding pool algaecide (in spas that are attached to pools, only use a non-foaming algaecide); deciding to bathe with soap in the spa; washing your hair in the spa (hey, you can't make this up); using household detergents for cleaning & maintaining the spa. All of these will cause foaming to one degree or another.

Pranks - Every once in a while, there's a joker. But let's call it what it is: vandalism. And it's not funny. Causing a spa or hot tub to foam is relatively easy; just add detergent or soap. Depending on how much was added, you may have to drain & refill the spa more than once.

Whenever you're dealing with heavy foaming, the simplest thing to do is purge, drain & refill the spa. Worried about wasting water? Keep in mind that the average family of 4 uses about 100 gallons of water each day between toilet, tea & coffee, cooking, laundry, showers & baths.

If you still need help, here's how to reach us:

Telephone (during store hours): Stratford  203-377-0100
FAX: (24 hrs) 203-375-7787

Email: techhelp@parpool-spa.com