Objective
This guide explains how to use the Hamilton Index™ to effortlessly balance your pool water. This proprietary system removes the guesswork from pool chemistry, ensuring your water remains stable, your equipment stays protected, and your maintenance time is drastically reduced.
Why the Hamilton Index Beats Traditional Balancing
If you feel like you are constantly fighting your pool—adding acid one day to lower the pH, only to add soda ash a few days later to raise it back up—you are experiencing "pH bounce." Traditional balancing methods, such as the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI), are complex and often force you to fight the water's natural tendencies.
Created by United Chemical, the Hamilton Index™ is a practical, real-world approach to water chemistry. Instead of treating pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness as isolated numbers, the Hamilton Index recognizes that they are intimately connected. By adjusting these three pillars into a specific harmony based on our official chart, you stop fighting the water. The chemistry "locks" into place. This equilibrium prevents acidic water from eating your pool heater and stops alkaline water from forming white calcium scale on your tile line and salt cell.
Prerequisites
A high-quality liquid drop test kit to accurately measure your current pH, Total Alkalinity (TA), and Calcium Hardness (CH).
A copy of the official Hamilton Index™ Chart (available in your product packaging or for download in our portal).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Test Your Baseline: Using your drop test kit, carefully test your water to determine your current pH, Total Alkalinity, and Calcium Hardness levels. Write these numbers down.
Consult the Index: Open your Hamilton Index™ chart. First, locate your current Calcium Hardness level on the chart. Your Calcium level will dictate exactly what your target Alkalinity and target pH should be.
Adjust Alkalinity First (Crucial): Alkalinity is the bodyguard of your pH. Always adjust it first. If your Alkalinity is too high =according to the chart, navigate to your pool and apply the calculated dose of Easy Alkalinity Down™.
Adjust Calcium Hardness: If your Calcium is drastically out of range, adjust it next using a Calcium Hardness Increaser. Never adjust Alkalinity and Calcium on the exact same day.
Fine-Tune Your pH: Once your Alkalinity and Calcium are locked into the Hamilton Index ratios, your pH will naturally stabilize. If a slight correction is still needed, use Easy pH Up™ or No Mor Muriatic Acid™ to hit the exact pH target on the chart.
Lock it in with Borates (Recommended): To make your Hamilton Index balance practically bulletproof, apply an initial dose of Sparkle Treat™ (our premium borate clarifier) to lock the pH in place for the entire season.