Experiencing Cloudy or Foamy Water in your Hot Tub? Here's some tips
If you have owned a Hot Tub you most likely have experienced less than desirable water quality and cleanliness. Things like cloudiness, milky colour and foam are indicators that something is not quite right in your water. This is not something to worry about as these problems can be easily overcome by using certain methods.
Cloudy Water
Cloudy water is where your hot tub water becomes unclear and seems to have small particles floating in it. There is no one cause of this issue and you will see this recurring in the other types of water issues.
The problem can be caused by the following factors, We recommend starting with a water test to determine:
- Unbalanced Sanitiser, PH or Alkalinity. The first thing I would check is the sanitizer which is a major cause of cloudiness
- Suspended insoluble particles
- Organic Debris
- Filters not working correctly
- Heavy usage leading to an imbalance in core levels
- Airation with jets on
- Algae Occurence
Some ways to fix this issue are as follows:
- Check your filters, make sure they are not clogged and are providing good filtration. Perhaps it is time to replace or to clean them out by hosing or soaking in a bath overnight.
- Check Water Balance levels by using a test kit and checking the above
- Shock the Spa or try a Clarifier
If nothing else works, you could potentially empty the spa as a last result
Milky Hot Tub Water
- Unbalanced core levels (Sanitiser, PH, Alkalinity). More likely to be an excessively high sanitiser level if milky.
- Suspended insoluble particles
- Aalgae
- Organic debris
- Filters not working
Some ways to fix this issue are as follows:
- Check your filters, make sure they are not clogged and are providing good filtration. Perhaps it is time to replace or to clean them out by hosing or soaking in a bath overnight.
- Check Water Balance levels by using a test kit and checking the above
- Shock the Spa or try a Clarifier
If nothing else works, you could potentially empty the spa as a last result
Foam in Hot Tub Water
How to fix and clear foamy hot tub water
- Shower before entering the tub! Solve the problem by tackling it at the roots. Showering before use of your Hot Tub helps to prevent non-organic materials from getting into your hot tub water. Washing your bathing costumes in detergent is not wholly necessary when using a hot tub although it is better for your hot tub if you rinse them under the tap then hang them up to dry meaning that no detergent can sneak its way into your hot tub.
- Shock your spa and clean your filters: Using a Non Chlorine shock will oxidise these non-organic products and dump the particles on your filters. Clean your filter thoroughly with a filter cleaning solution.
- Use anti-foam products: No Foam is a product that should be used sparingly, as it is more of a quick-fix for the symptoms of foaming and does not prevent the problem from reoccurring. Using it in small amounts can quickly clear the foam from the waterline in the short-term and therefore helps the appearance of the spa but it is best not to rely on it long-term.
- Drain down the hot tub and flush the system. This is a last resort as almost all foaming can be fixed without needing to drain and refill. By draining the hot tub you are removing the water affected by foaming and replenishing fresh so this will cut the foaming.