Chemical tip: removing foam from spa water

The use of de-foaming products is the fastest and easiest way to remove foam from spa water, and when used correctly, you will often see the foam disappear in front of your eyes.

Unfortunately, this is just a band-aid fix to the cause of the problem and with continued use you will often find the spa water becomes very dull and cloudy.

Let’s look at the most common reason why spa water starts to foam, starting with organic build up in the water. This could be from several sources: build-up of body fats, sweat and cosmetics, as well as laundry detergents from swimming costumes. Using a non-chlorine oxidiser as a shock to remove these unwanted contaminates on a regular basis will assist in reducing the chance of foaming water.

Test and balance

It is also as important to regularly test and balance the spa water, making sure that all parameters are in line with standards including the hardness of the water. The reason for this is that soft water always foams more easily than hard water.

Make sure the filters are cleaned on a regular basis with a good filter cleaner and de-greaser.

If, after oxidising and balancing the water you find it still foams, then you know it’s time to refresh the water by draining the spa and refilling it with fresh water.

This will remove all the unwanted TDS and provide a perfect opportunity to clean the spa surface.

These tips are supplied by International Quadratics’ David Lloyd. For more information call (02) 9774 5550.