Foamy Pool Water – Pool Cleaning in Tampa Area

How professional pool service can banish the bubbles

It’s one thing to relax on a resort deck overlooking the sea and watch the mighty waves crash toward the shore, sending rivulets of foam scurrying up onto the shore.  It’s another thing to see a bunch of foam in your pool.  This foam can be caused by several things, and while it’s generally not hazardous to swimmers, it’s not something the average person wishes to swim in.

Splash Splash Pool Service of Brandon, Florida provides expert pool cleaning to remove foam from the water and expert maintenance to keep it from coming back.  We perform pool care for customers in the greater Tampa area including Riverview FL, Valrico FL, Seffner FL, and the East Tampa area of Hillsborough County.

Why is there foam in my pool?

In simple terms, pool foam is created when certain substances get agitated in the water.  Think of it like how laundry detergent foams up in a running washer.  When a pool service professional addresses a foamy pool, the first step is determining why the foam is there.

The four most common causes of pool foam include:

1. Oily person-borne substances in the water

Substances applied to the body such as suntan oil, hair spray, mousse, moisturizing lotion and even deodorant come off during a swim.  All of these substances can turn to foam when swimming and splashing activity takes place.  This is the reason that most public pools ask swimmers to shower off before entering the pool.

2. Imbalance of pool cleaning chemicals

The chemicals used in regular pool service to keep the water free of bacteria and other substances can create foam if they aren’t balanced correctly.  This is a fairly common occurrence when homeowners perform their own pool service rather than having a professional do it.  Additionally, soft water with low calcium levels and cheap or incorrect pool chemicals also can create foam.

3. Incorrectly applied algae treatment

Chemicals designed to kill and prevent algae in the pool can lead to foam in the water when applied incorrectly.  Most often this happens when the person doing the pool cleaning adds an excessive amount of copper- or silver-based algaecides.

4. Other causes

Foamy pool water often results as a combination of air in the water return line and an insufficient amount of algae-fighting chemicals.  A clogged pool filter can cause a correct level of algaecides in the water to turn foamy.

How to prevent foam in your pool

Even with regular, weekly pool service, foam can periodically appear in your pool.  Here are a few prevention steps.

• Encourage swimmers to shower before swimming

• Keep water hardness between 200 and 400 parts per million

• Avoid copper and silver algaecides; purchase non-foaming versions of these products

• Regularly inspect pool feeder lines to ensure that they’re free of air

• Check the pool water’s pH and alkalinity levels weekly to make sure there is a correct balance

• For quick (but not permanent) foam removal, add specially made anti-foam chemicals to your pool

At the end of the day, the absolute best way to prevent and remove foam is to let a pool service professional care for your pool on a weekly basis.  Proper pool cleaning, chemical introduction and regular inspection will make all the difference.  Splash Splash Pool Service is standing by to help with all your pool care needs.  Give us a call at (813) 526-0433.