To scoop the foam or to not scoop the foam when SLAMMING?

[adonnell]

When doing my weekly SLAM of the tub (chlorine to ~15ppm and a couple ounces of the oxidizing sanitizer), a lot of foam is generated. Should I be scooping that foam out or are there still "active" chemicals in there that have more work to do and I should leave it alone and let the filter do its job?

Thanks!

 

[Mdragger88]

I have never had foam when bringing my tub to shock level.
What exactly have u added?

 

[adonnell]

Thank you for your response.
I added ~24oz of 7.5% bleach and ~3oz of potassium peroxymonosulfate (MPS).
See the attached pic for the foam and the gunk that it leaves on the wall. The gunk comes off easily with a paper towel, as long as it doesn't have time to dry.

 

[Mdragger88]

It seems you need to do a purge or two w/ Ahhsome then drain & refill.
What are your cc’s & other results?
That’s alot of gunk.
Have u used a clarifier? That can cause foaming.
Are u following the chlorine guide for maintaining your spa?

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

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[CuckooChris]

Do you put the same bleach in every day as your usual sanitizer?

 

[adonnell]

Do you put the same bleach in every day as your usual sanitizer?

Yes. Lately it's been brand name Clorox bleach. Regular stuff, not the "no splash" or scented or anything.

 

[adonnell]

It seems you need to do a purge or two w/ Ahhsome then drain & refill.
What are your cc’s & other results?
That’s alot of gunk.
Have u used a clarifier? That can cause foaming.
Are u following the chlorine guide for maintaining your spa?

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.troublefreepool.com

I last did the Ahhsome purge and refill at the end of Oct/beginning of Nov and was hoping the water would last a bit longer.
I do follow the chlorine guide and all the numbers are good. I've been TFP follower since I got a pool years ago and have used it for my spa as well.
The foam and gunk only comes out after the first pump cycle and then it's all fine.
It has been a long time since I used a clarifier.

My original question is really about scooping the foam out vs not scooping it out. Do I waste some "still good" chemistry in the foam by scooping it out or is it all waste products at that point?

 

[CuckooChris]

Hmm, I've read from the experts here that every Clorox has some kind of additive in it. Do you still get some foam when you add an ounce or two? Or is it only while slamming? The Clorox could explain the foaming, but not sure about the other gunk. It kind of looks like what happens when you use Ahh Some. I don't think it's a problem to scoop out the foam, but I'm not an expert. 24oz of bleach sounds like a lot, wonder if it could be breaking something down in the pipes and then when the pump comes on it flushes it out? Idk, just guessing.

 

[Mdragger88]

Brand name clorox has cloromax which is a polymer - not good & may definitely contribute to foaming - more so in a hot tub than a pool due to water volume & aeration.
I would definitely scoop out the foam & gunk & wipe it up w/ a microfiber rag.
You probably need to clean/ rinse your filters as well.
Get u some pool bleach (chlorinating liquid) or some unadulterated bleach & leave the clorox in the laundry room.
Unadulterated generic bleach is getting hard to find.
I buy all my liquid chlorine from a local pool store & get some at the end of pool season to get me through the winter.
The residual gunk can be from lotions, hair conditioners, self tanner, or fabric softener to name a few. I have to make a point to not apply those things before soaking or take a shower 1st & instruct others of this as well.
It never fails when my daughter has friends over that i have an issue w/ less than optimal water. Usually hair conditioner or lotion is the culprit. Us ladies & our beauty products …
Nothing a little extra fc & a filter wash won’t solve though.
If you’re always maintaining appropriate sanitizer levels according to the FC/CYA Levels then there’s no need to “weekly” slam or use mps on a schedule - the cc testing & bather load is more the indicator of that need no matter how often it occurs.
most people who manually dose their spa increase to/near shock level fc after their soak if they don’t intend to use the tub again until the next day. This allows enough fc to oxidize bather waste as well as have enough residual to possibly get to/ through the next soak.
Fwiw i have never used mps - never had the need. I guess it’s possible your mps could have an additive as well
Liquid chlorine & a little dichlor here & there generally solves all my sanitation & oxidation needs.
Mps also skews cc readings which are an important indicator of sanitary water so I prefer to omit mps & keep it simple.