Foam in your Arctic Spa, where does it come from and how to get rid of it

I’m Christian Staples with Arctic Spas®. Every summer the city where I live puts on summer parties in the parks located throughout the city with food trucks, live music, outdoor movies and lots of other activities including a foam pit for the kids. Well at least pre-covid they had the foam pit. My kids loved it. You send them into this area that is basically an inflatable corral with multiple machines that are blowing white foam into this contained area. Your kids soon disappear in the white foam only to reemerge looking like Santa Clause with white hair and white beards. This is all fun in the foam pit but not so much fun in your Arctic Spa.

Today we’ll talk about foam in your Arctic Spa. What it is, why it is there, and how to get rid of it.

First, foam comes from oils on the surface of the water that are agitated with the air especially from the jets. These oils come from the natural body oils, lotions, makeup, hair products, soaps, cleaners, and basically everything else that we put on out skin that will wash off in the water. Normally these oils are removed through oxidation from what you are using to treat your water such as chlorine, bromine, and other oxidizers such as ozone and non-chlorine shock.

These oils can be present on the surface of the water without any foam. Then you turn on the jets, creating that aeration, agitating the water, and this turns these oils into foam.

I usually say have some foam is normal when the jets are running and there is really not much you can do about it. I would limit this at maybe 1” of foam. Anything more than that is really needs your attention.

There is really only one way to get rid of the foam instantly and this is stopping the bubbles from forming when the jets are on. This is accomplished by using something like the Arctic Pure Foam Dissolve. Just a little squirt, puts a layer of silicone across the surface of the water and prevents the foam from developing. Now before you all go out and buy a bunch of Foam Dissolve, remember this is a temporary fix and does not get rid of the root of the problem, the oils. It will instantly get rid of the foam though. Also, one other thing to keep in mind is that it will tend to clog filters. Using this as an emergency when you have foam just before your hot tub party is ok. Using this frequently, will cause more issues because your filters will get clogged. Use it very sparingly.

So how do you attack this long term and get rid of the root cause of the oils?

Proper water chemistry is the biggest cure. You need that oxidizer at the proper level consistently. Letting the level get too low or disappear all together will bring your foam problem back. The second part of the water chemistry issue is the pH. High ph slows down the oxidation in your water. This will cause more foaming even with proper oxidizer levels. The third, which is rare, is low calcium level in the water. The vast majority of you will never need to worry about low calcium level but if you use a soft water to fill your spa, this could be your issue. This causes more surface tension keeping those oils on the top of the water where they can turn into foam.

Prevention is the method that people talk about all the time but frankly, it is too much work for me when you look at the value you receive from it. People will tell you to shower before, don’t use soap when you wash your swimming suit, don’t get in your Arctic Spa after working out, and lots of other things. All of these things will help for sure. But why did you buy your Arctic Spa. I bet it was not for more work. I love just getting in the water without thinking much. So make your judgement call on this one but while you might be showering to remove all those oils, I will be relaxing in the hot water of my Arctic Spa.

Filtration is often blamed for the foaming. When it is the culprit, then you need to fix it by replacing the filters. Most of the time though, it is not a filtration issue. Make sure you have fresh filters and the skimmers working properly pulling the water off of the surface and through the filters.

You can remove oils from the water using other methods besides oxidizers. These methods include sponges that soak up oils such as a Zorbie. Remember, never squeeze out the Zorbie as it will not absorb oils after that squeeze. Enzymes such as Spa Perfect or Sea Klear can also be used to biodegrade oils in the water. You would just add one of these two products to your weekly routine as they are maintenance items, meaning you need to replenish them each week. All of these methods will make a change in the water by removing the oils over time.

Lastly, just like most water issues, draining and refilling will solve the foaming issue as well. Sometimes your water is just tired and needs to be replaced. We normally recommend replacing the water quarterly or if you are using one of our saltwater systems, then yearly. However, if you have a foam issue, sometimes this is the fastest sure bet to solve the problem.

So there you have it, 5 ways to get rid of foam in your Arctic Spa, 4 good ones and 1 that is just more work than what it is worth according to me.

All of these products I have mentioned can be found with links in the description below or by going to our online store at ArcticSpaStore.com where you can find everything you need or want for your Arctic Spa with the convenience of free home delivery. If you need more help, be sure to check out our support page at ArcticSpaStore.com/supportor email us at Support@ArcticSpaStore.com.