The Hamilton Index???

[cbee]

In my quest for using less chemicals I came upon this article:

"The Hamilton Index causes us to completely rethink spa water chemistry. It is an alternative approach that has proven itself to be very effective, safe and simple. It maintains that total alkalinity should be between 100 and 120 rather than the traditional 60 to 80. The pH levels should be between 7.6 and 8.2 with a sanitizer level of around 1 part per million.

Maintaining these higher pH and alkalinity levels has a truly amazing effect on amount of maintenance required to keep your spa at its peak. You will find that you need to add chemicals to your spa once a week rather than once a day. It has the added benefit of increasing the longevity of your sanitizer and reducing the amount of chlorine or bromine required from 2 ppm to 1 ppm. The higher alkalinity helps to lock the pH in place.

When your pH remains stable, you’re less likely to have cloudy water. A higher pH will reduce the amount of sanitizer needed, improve overall water clarity and is easier on the internal workings of your spa. A slightly higher pH also greatly reduces the likelihood of skin and eye irritation.

The Hamilton Index is no newcomer to the spa industry. It was developed by pool professionals specifically for use in pools and spas and was tested over the course of eleven years. Give it a try and let me know the results. I’m confident that you will substantially reduce the amount of chemicals needed to maintain your spa while enjoying the feeling that you’re helping the environment as well as your health.

The Hamilton Index.
pH: 7.6 to 8.2
Total Alkalinity: 100 to 120
Sanitizer: 1 ppm (.05 ppm or none in spas with ozone, depending on the system)"

What are your thoughts?

[green1320]

If this really works it would be great. Every time I get my T?A level to 100-120 ppm my PH goes to about 8. Then I  add PH decreaser and the PH goes down to around 7.5 but the T/A goes to 60-70. Is it better to have a higher PH level and T/A level or too drop the PH to 7.5 and go with the lower t/a level. Thanks Steve

[hottub.pool_boy]

We use a BioGuard Computer Water Analysis System. Operating system is AlexMillenium, utilizing a medical-grade strip reader. Our system balances to the Saturation Index.
Alkalinity raised to 150ppm
Ph adjusted to 7.5
Calcium to 120ppm
Chlorine 1-3 ppm.
Don't know if it's the same Index as Hamilton, but it works flawlessly for both pools and spas. Concrete pools and spas, calcium is adjusted higher.

[The_real_Clown_Shoes]

Seems bogus and possibly legit at the same time.

At a higher pH the chlorine is less aggressive.  However hand in hand with that the chlorine is a lot less effective when you shock.  It seems to be a very scale-happy environment as well.

I would never ever get the pH over 8.0 if I could prevent it.  You can't even test for pH higher than 8 in a standard Taylor comparitor, so I wouldn't want the pH that high, either.  I'm all for keeping the alkalinity in that 100 to 120 range, but the pH that high?  No.

[Vinny]

I maybe mistaken but I thought the Hamilton index is a simplified (or modified) version of the Langlier index. I think the Langlier doesn't take into account the higher water temps of a tub. I had researched it back a few years ago and I believe that using either one is close to each other.

My opinion is lower PH (7.2 to 7.4) will give you more available chlorine ions to do the work, other than that - experiment!

[cbee]

I left out the beginning of the article:

"The currently accepted method for maintaining pool and spa water chemistry, called the Langelier Index, was originally deigned for municipal water systems to provide sanitary drinking water without destroying underground lead pipes.

Langelier was adopted by the pool and spa industry in the 60’s essentially for lack of any alternative. The index has been modified and adapted slightly over the last forty years, but has essentially remained unchanged. It is the ideal solution for the chemical companies to promote for spa care as it is nearly impossible to sustain and requires a massive amount of expensive and toxic chemicals.

According to Langelier, spa water should have a sanitizer level of 3 parts per million, a pH of 7.4 to 7.6 and total alkalinity in the range of 60 to 80. Langelier looks easy enough on paper, and it works just fine for municipal water supplies where the water is only used once. The nightmare starts when one tries to maintain these balances with water that is kept over 100 degrees and used over and over.

It is simply not possible to maintain these levels without constant tweaking of the pH, sanitizer levels and total alkalinity. Every time you add chlorine or bromine, you have to balance the pH by adding more chemicals. By adding more chemicals, you alter the total alkalinity, increase the number of total dissolved solids and create chloramines and bromamines, which are the leading cause of “spa itch.”

[Vinny]

How can I put this delicately ... That article is a bunch of BS! ... I guess I couldn't!

Either index is there for a reason and is a person's mathimatical conclusion on what balanced water is. I have 5 years experience of taking care of an above ground pool and now 1 year of spa ownership. I have used a calculated Langelier index (and Hamilton) on my pool and now use the Taylor watergram to balance my water. Taylor uses Langelier BTW.

I keep my alk levels at about 80 PPM - maybe more or maybe less - I worry more about PH than Alkalinity because after testing my spa water I have found that the alkalinity rises in proportion to the PH. My pool is kept at about 80 PPM as well and I do adjust alkalinity and PH seperately since baking soda doesn't work the same as it does in the tub.

My calcium level is usually about 170 to 200 PPM and as I have said chlorine is usually in the 1.5 to 3 PPM range depending on how many people are in the tub. My PH doesn't bounce and I don't have to tweak anything but add 2 oz every 3 weeks or so of baking soda.

I just started using trichlor in my pool and I had to tweak up the PH BUT trichlor has a PH of 3 so I would expect any index to get blown away from that. But I will report on it in a few days.

I think this article has something it's trying to promote. I use 2 oz of baking soda yesterday to boost up my PH and alk (I don't know what it was or where it went to) and now it's at 7.6 and I probably won't need to adjust it again for 3 weeks like I said. I use 1 or 2 teaspoons (0.16 to 0.32 oz) everytime I soak and 1 teaspoon (0.16 oz) every other day when I don't. Other than an ounce of Sea Klear clarifier once in a while, 2 oz of MPS for shocking once in a while and calcium when I fill up - that's all the chemicals I use. If you don't use MPS, Sea Klear or calcium there ain't too many chemicals left.

Do you drink water? Do you take showers and baths?  What do you do with these? There is no law that says you can't soak in chlorine, actually there's laws that say you should.

If you're that concerned buy enzymes such as "The Natural" or "Eco One" - some people have had good results but they can be expensive.

OH and I don't have spa itch either!

[The_Bends]

By adding more chemicals, you alter the total alkalinity, increase the number of total dissolved solids and create chloramines and bromamines, which are the leading cause of “spa itch.”

I am glad that someone brought this up.  

First of all, I don't think anyone with a hot tub in their backyard will need to run the Hamilton, or Langalier Index for their spa water.  Most people don't have the means to test for total hardness anyway.  

Secondly, most first time spa owners that don't use chlorine (everyone from this post barred!) mistakenly think that the obnoxious chlorine smell is from the chlorine (or bromine for that matter, because I liken the smell of bromine to bad breath).  Chloramines and Bromamines are responsible.  This is what happens when the good stuff comes together with the bad stuff (from us).  That is part of the reasons to shock, either with MPS or sanitizer, is to free or burn off those chloramines (bromamines) and 'free' up your sanitizer.  

Thirdly, I am a little worried about all of the 'jock itch' posts, ewww!    

Water changes for everyone!

[In Canada eh]

Langelier Index, was originally deigned for municipal water systems

According to Langelier, spa water should have a sanitizer level of 3 parts per million, a pH of 7.4 to 7.6 and total alkalinity in the range of 60 to 80. Langelier looks easy enough on paper, and it works just fine for municipal water supplies where the water is only used once. The nightmare starts when one tries to maintain these balances with water that is kept over 100 degrees and used over and over

It may have been "originally" for municipal systems but its not in use today.  3ppm chlorine levels are far to high we dose at approx. 1.3 not 3 or the phone would ring off the hook.  Must municipal systems using surface water (lakes and rivers) do not adjust for ph or alkalinity.  Lake Erie has a fairly consistant 7.2 to 7.4 ph reading on its raw water, alk. is in the 80 range.

  I gotta agree with Vinny and say that ad was a bunch of hooey!

[Vinny]

Is hooey the Canadian word for BS? Then I agree with you too! 8-)

[tony]

IMO...forget the indexes and keep your levels within the recommended range.  It doesn't get much easier than that.

[mugs]

I was very surprised at the large number of negative comments!

I began using the Hamilton Index back in the early 1980s, long before I knew what it was called.  I was a Chemistry major at the time, working my way through college as a pool manager and head lifeguard at a very prestigious and upscale high-rise apartment complex in Northern Virginia, and was dissatisfied with the 7.5/1.0 pH/Cl standard at the time.  If you asked people about the difference between alkalinity, total alkalinity, or hardness and calcium hardness, you'd get all sorts of answers, most of them wrong.  I called one of my professors in college, who sent me a copy of the chart from a page in a book, along with a few handwritten notes. 

When I implemented it, my water got ridiculously crystal clear, as in 83 feet crystal clear.  That was greatest dimension in my pool at the time.  For the rest of the summer I kept my chlorine around 2.0, and my pH around 8.1, almost effortlessly.  I swam laps for half an hour a day, without goggles, and without any eye discomfort whatsoever.  The kids were happy.  Their parents were ecstatic.  I was inspected by the health department in Northern Virginia.  He said, "I see you've switched to the Hamilton Index.  Good!"  I starting winning awards for water quality, and kept winning them.  I was asked to visit dozens of pools throughout the remainder of that summer and "fix them."  I spent the next two summers as a traveling consultant to high-end aquatics facilities, fixing hundreds of pools with whacked out chems, kids with red eyes, and adults with dry, itchy skin. 

It more than paid my way through college.

Years later, I wrote the following upon request from my old employer:

The vast majority of pool chemistry guides, manuals, and even state and federal regulations are myopically based on the Langelier Saturation Index, or LSI, developed in 1936.  It was developed as a method for predicting the pH at which water is saturated in calcium carbonate (pHs), in order to prevent scale deposits in municipal water systems. 

It was never intended to be used as any sort of standard for swimming pool or spa chemistry. 

It has been somewhat modified with additional recommendations for pH, chlorine, and alkalinity.  The recommendations, however, are poorly suited to swimming pools and spas, as they are based on the pH range of 7.2-7.8, which is well-suited for its original venue of municipal water handling and supply systems, but is poorly suited to either bather comfort or the long-term maintenance of concrete and plaster pools.

By contrast, the Hamilton Index was developed by a swimming pool professionals and chemists, and for the express purpose of maximizing bather comfort, minimizing chlorine/bromine use, and minimizing the long-term damage and chemical wear and tear on pools and spas.  The index is easy to use, results in greater bather comfort, water clarity, better overall pool/spa health, and best of all - reduced expenses with respect to sanitizing chemicals.

Step 1:  Test your total hardness, not your calcium hardness.  The total hardness will indicate with high precision where to put your total alkalinity.

Step 2:  Adjust your total alkalinity to where the chart (next page) tells you.

Step 3:  Keep your pH between 7.8 and 8.2.  Never allow it to drop below 7.6, as that's just too much discomfort for the kiddies.   

Step 4:  Keep your chlorine between 1 ppm and 2.5 ppm.  Once your total alkalinity is properly adjusted, you can maintain 2.0 ppm chlorine at a pH of 8.0 and have the same degree of sanitization as with chlorine at 1.0 ppm, pH of 7.5 under the Langelier method, but with significantly greater bather comfort while using less pool chemicals in the process.

Bottom Line:  Continuing to use the ill-suited Langelier Index just because "that's the way it's always been done" is an injustice to your bathers, your pool, and your pocketbook!

[Spoiledrotten]

I'm reading and learning..

My ph seems to stay a little on the high side, so this would be perfect for me, but I'm going to wait for more post.

[rin-spa-aic]

Subscribed...

Impressed with the results when I've used United's products.

Will just watch this thread until chemgeek weighs in, then see where it goes from there!

[Tman122]

Thank you Mugs.....good stuff.