Here are just a few things to keep aware of whether you are caring for all your hot tub needs or you have a service coming in and doing all the work. It is always good business to be aware of your investments, again, even if you have a service caring for them. An educated owner of whatever the product may be is a wise owner.
Hot tub spa water foam is caused when the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level in the water build up and are brought to the water surface by either the use of the air bubbler (blower) or the air being injected through your jets. The dissolved solids in the water sort of “stick” to the air bubbles coming up through the water and are brought to the surface. You see this as “foam”. The foam is actually the dissolved solids clinging to the air bubbles as they escape upwards into the air. The foam is the “stuff” that was previously dissolved in the water.
TDS levels can build up in the water from many things. When you get in a hot tub, a lot of unpleasant stuff comes off of you. Perspiration, dead skin cells, underarm deodorant, soap residue and dirt from bathing suits, skin lotions, and creams, hair spray, etc.
Some of this microscopic stuff is caught by your filter, but a lot of it simply dissolves in the water. Also, every time you add any type of chemical to the water, you are introducing additional solids into the same body of water.
Depending on how much of these items are put into the water, and how fast (days, weeks, or months), this will determine the point at which your water becomes saturated. Once that starts to happen, the first thing you will see is the foam. Soon thereafter, the water will permanently cloud – as it reaches its true saturation point of TDS’s.
Once that happens, no amount of filtering or additional chemicals will clear the water and you will have to change it. Hot tub water defoamer will help combat foam for a while, but your best bet is to be as clean as possible before going into the tub. That way you should be able to get about 8 weeks between water changes.
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Many hot tub owners report problems with their water chemistry that could easily be avoided if they used hot tub shock oxidizer properly. Here we will discuss what hot tub shock does and the correct way to use it.
Basically, a shock treatment to water consists of instantaneously raising the sanitizer level of the water to immediately kill off all the foreign bacteria present at that time. Shocking water does not provide a long-term residual base of sanitizer and should only be used occasionally when needed. It is not recommended to use either bleach or pool chlorine in your hot tub spa.
Shocking a spa usually consists of adding 2 or 3 caps-full of Spa Shock to the spa water once per week. If you are in doubt, read the instructions on the Spa Shock product you have to figure out the correct dosage for the size of your particular spa.
The most common times to shock your spa are when you have just refilled it with fresh water, just before and just after a party or other period of heavy usage, once a week when you adjust your other spa chemicals, if your spa ever turns green or you develop a slimy greenish color on the spa walls or floor, if your water smells musty or looks cloudy, or if you test your water mid-week and find a low bromine reading.
As you can see, the times your spa needs Shock the most are the times when there is a low bromine level combined with a high bacteria count. Proper use of hot tub shock will help keep your spa water crystal clear and safe for the whole family!
