What is Biofilm and How Can I Get Rid of It?
Biofilm is a bacteria film that grows in warm, damp places. Wipe the surfaces, clean the cover, and chemically treat the plumbing and filters.
Biofilm is a bacteria film that can grow in a spa, a skimmer basket, or even a filter. It likes areas that are warm and damp, which describes a spa almost exactly.
How to tell if you have it
- Your spa water quality starts to decline.
- The water turns cloudy.
- It foams, sometimes heavily.
- It has a strong odor.
Biofilms can become resistant to chlorine and bromine. So if your sanitizer levels read correctly and the water still will not come right, biofilm is worth ruling out.
How to get rid of it
- Wipe the surfaces of your spa. This lifts the biofilm off the surface so your sanitizer can reach the bottom layer of bacteria and kill it.
- Clean your spa cover. Skip this and you will reinfect the spa.
- Chemically treat your plumbing and filters with a product made specifically for removing biofilm. Wiping only reaches what you can touch, and the plumbing is where most of it sits. This also helps clear biofilm scaling off your heater.
Why it is worth doing
Removing the biofilm should give you a longer life from your spa, its filters and its heater. Most spa owners also find it easier to keep their chemicals balanced afterwards.
Products and further reading
Natural Chemistry Spa Purge is made for removing biofilm from spa plumbing and filters. You can also browse our full range of hot tub and spa chemicals.
For more on biofilm, including what to do if the problem keeps coming back, read our blog post on what biofilm is.
Still need help?
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? You can always contact us at support@royalswimmingpools.com or choose the category below to see our most frequently asked questions for that topic: