What Causes Hot Tub Bubbles?

Having a bubble bath might be desirable if you’re in your bathtub and want to add some luxury to your soak. But having bubbles in your hot tub is not something you should be aiming for. Excessive foam and bubbles in a hot tub usually mean that something is out of balance and the water isn’t quite right. What causes hot tub bubbles? In this article, we’ll go over the various explanations of why there might be bubbles and foam in your hot tub and what you can do to rectify the situation.

Water Contaminants

If your hot tub water suffers a build-up of contaminants you might end up with excessive foamy and bubbly water. Many of these contaminants are introduced into the hot tub by the users themselves. Soap residue, deodorants, perfumes, makeup, sweat, oil, and dirt can all be inadvertently added into the water by the bathers. The easiest way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to have everyone shower before getting into the hot tub. Soap residue can also attach itself to bathing suits and find its way into the hot tub. If possible, you should rinse your bathing suits in freshwater before entering the hot tub.

Chemical Quality

When you own a hot tub, you need to keep chemicals on hand to keep the water properly balanced. If you use old or poor-quality chemicals, it can be harder to keep the water balanced which may result in excessive foam and bubbles. Keep your chemicals stored in a cool, dark place and make sure to keep them out of the sunlight as much as possible. Many discounted hot tub chemicals have lower concentrations of the active ingredients, so although they may cost less upfront, you’ll likely end up having to use larger quantities more often, which will end up costing you more.

Hot Tub Shock

Hot tub shocking is the process of adding chemicals to the water to reduce the presence of organic material. Organic waste products can be responsible for foamy, cloudy and foul-smelling water. Shock additives can be chlorine or non-chlorine based. It’s best to use a chlorine-based shock when first filling your hot tub with water. After that, you can use a non-chlorine-based shock treatment on a regular basis. The frequency of shocking will depend on how often the hot tub is used. If your hot tub is used often, shock the water once a week. If it’s being used less often, you’ll only need to do it every other week.

To learn more about maintaining a hot tub, download a free hot tub buyer’s guide today.