A pool is not supposed to be like a bubble bath. Finding your pool foamy is a bad sign and indicates a larger problem that you will want to address. In reality, it is a gross phenomenon. It means that your water is “thick” and that is not a quality you want your pool water to have. Tons of bubbles form in the water and they are circulated in the pool via the jets, leading to the accumulation of foam. There are a variety of different causes for a foamy pool, but all of them indicate a need to recalibrate your water chemistry.
What Causes a Foamy Pool Anyway?
It might be better to think of your pool water as a solution rather than pure water. There is a lot of organic material in the water, from hair, leaves, skin oil, and more. Pool foam can be a result of too many dissolved solids in your water, which can be determined by a water testing kit that includes this measure. Other common causes of foamy water include swimmers that have soap or shampoo residue, and even from common deodorant. If swimmers in your pool have a lot of hair products in their hair like gel or hairspray, this too can contribute to a foamy pool.
Algaecide is another common reason that pool water gets foamy. While there are varieties of algaecide that claim to be “foam-free”, it is still best to use it sparingly. If you have recently used a new brand of algaecide, there is a good chance this is the culprit of your foam. The best solution to an algae problem is to drain your pool, do an acid wash, and then keep a good eye on your pool chemistry. If the water never gets too out of balance, algae shouldn’t be an issue.
Additionally, the use of cheap pool chemicals or simply too much chemical can also contribute to foamy water. Over time, used chlorine, debris, and other materials begin to collect in the water. When this happens, it might be time to do at least a partial drain of your pool so that you can add a lot of freshwater that can be properly sanitized.
How to Avoid a Foamy Pool
Cheap chemicals can cause a lot of damage to your pool and will not sanitize your pool properly. You want to make sure that you use pool-specific chemicals and not household chemicals. These chemicals will often have lots of other additives, like fragrances, that are not present in actual pool chemicals. When using algaecide, always look for a non-foaming variety and use it sparingly. You can always add more if you didn’t use enough to solve the problem, you can’t remove it once it has been added.
Another way to avoid pool foam is to make sure that all swimmers who use your pool rinse off thoroughly or shower before getting into the water. Sweat, sunscreen, shampoo, soap, makeup, etc., can all easily get in the pool water where they can wreak havoc on your pool chemistry and lead to problems with foam.
How to Get Rid of Pool Foam
All the preventative advice is great if you don’t already have a foamy pool on your hands. What to do in this case? Well, it depends on the source of your foam. If your pool is foamy because of the algaecide you used, it will simply take time for the substance to break down. It can take a few days for it to become absorbed into the water. You can skim any foam off the surface to help speed the process along, but the main cure for foam from algaecide is time.
If algaecide is not the source of your problem, chances are you are dealing with some sort of chemical imbalance. You will want to test your water for dissolved solids and basic chemistry. Foam is often tied with pH issues, so this is where you want to focus your attention. You want your pH to be with 7.4-7.6 and the alkalinity between 100-300/ppm. Once you have tested your water, you can adjust your chemicals accordingly.
Sometimes, however, just adjusting the chemicals may not be enough to solve the problem. In this case, it is a good idea to shock your pool. You can refer to our article discussing this process here. Make sure that you give your pool enough time to outgas all that extra chlorine before reopening the pool. It will usually be safe to use when left overnight, but you will still want to test your water to ensure that it is within a safe range before reopening it. How long it will take all the chlorine to outgas will depend on all sorts of factors from temperature to the amount of sunlight, so there is no set time that your pool will be down after a shock.
If all of these things fail, it may be time to do something a bit more drastic. At this point, you are only left with two choices: try an anti-foam product or drain your pool. Anti-foam products are effective, but also known to cause other issues with pool chemistry and is only recommended in the direst instances. If, for example, you are having someone special over for a pool party and you don’t want to cancel it to drain your pool, this might be a good time for one of these chemicals. However, if you can avoid using them, it is best.
Draining a pool is an expensive ordeal but sometimes it is the only effective solution. If the water has gotten too saturated with solids and other substances, this may be the only way to get your chemical levels back in balance. Most often you can get away with just a partial drain of the pool (about a quarter to a half drain), which can significantly reduce the water costs associated with refilling a huge pool. The freshwater is usually enough to start bringing the chemicals back down into a workable range.