First time owner.
Before posting here, I tried pretty hard to avoid making one of those repetitive beginner posts. I have done a lot of research on hot tub water care through Google, forums, and YouTube, so if this still sounds basic, I apologize. I really did try to figure it out first.
For context, I have a Bullfrog R Series that came with the house I bought last year. The previous owner bought it about a year before that, so it is now around two years old. It is not a saltwater tub. They left behind a large supply of chemicals, including alkalinity and pH up/down, shock, and chlorine.
After researching all of this, I feel like I have narrowed routine water care down to the basics: sanitizer, shock, and alkalinity/pH adjustment. Aside from startup chemicals after a drain and refill, it seems like the extra stuff is not really necessary. In fact, the fewer products I use, the more stable my water seems to be.
So my first question is: am I right that products like descaler, clarifier, defoamer, water purifier, etc. are mostly unnecessary for normal maintenance?
My second question is about foaming. Before draining, I run Ahh-Some through the tub. As it drains, I spray the waterline to avoid buildup. Then I shop-vac out the remaining water, hand-clean the shell, and rinse everything thoroughly several times before refilling.
After refilling and balancing, the water looks perfect for about two to three weeks: clear, clean, and no foam. But by week two or three, I start getting foam every time, even if the tub has not been used at all.
So my second question is: why would foam keep developing even with zero use?
Beyond that, I would appreciate any advice on what else I should be doing, or what is not essential but still worth considering.
Thanks in advance.