Calcium Chloride COMPOUND and prices

Appears neither PoolMate nor PuriTech brands are 100% calcium chloride either.

Bit old that thread, but it just got reactivated and I noticed it for the first time.

Not sure if your conclusion above came from your calculations with Calcium Chloride and Calcium Chloride Dihydrate.

Just to clarify this: Calcium Chloride Dihydrate is still "pure" Calcium Chloride. Calcium Chloride gets hydrated when exposed to humidity. Even if you buy a bag of Calcium Chloride (anhydrous), it will turn at least partially into Calcium Chloride Dihydrate once the bag is opened.

Since the hydrated version is heavier on a molecular level because of the added H2O, you have to add more product by weight to add the same amount of Calcium.
 
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Some time ago I emailed the manufacturer of Pool Mate Calcium Chloride product from Amazon. They sent me the SDS, attached.

I assume the wide range on Calcium Chloride vs water means they don't guarantee you're getting anhydrous CaCl2.
 

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  • Pool Mate Calcium Increaser.pdf
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Bit old that thread, but it just got reactivated and I noticed it for the first time.

Not sure if your conclusion above came from your calculations with Calcium Chloride and Calcium Chloride Dihydrate.

Just to clarify this: Calcium Chloride Dihydrate is still "pure" Calcium Chloride. Calcium Chloride gets hydrated when exposed to humidity. Even if you buy a bag of Calcium Chloride (anhydrous), it will turn at least partially into Calcium Chloride Dihydrate once the bag is opened.

Since the hydrated version is heavier on a molecular level because of the added H2O, you have to add more product by weight to add the same amount of Calcium.
Use pool math app and the dihydrate option.
So is calcium chloride in liquid form and cc dihydrate in solid form? Is that the difference?
 
For documentation sake,
My target is 450.

3/1/23 - CH was 220.
3/11 6pm - added 50 lbs of Snow Joe (red label)*
3/12 @noon - CH 310
3/15 @noon - added 50 lbs of SJ
3/16 @noon - CH 580 (unreliable)
4/12 - CH 490
4/24 - CH 500
(ran out of test drops)
6/23 - CH 450
6/23 - added 25 lbs SJ
6/29 - CH 480
7/4 - CH 450
7/9 - CH 400

*Paid $18.08 +tax per 25# from Amazon on 3/10/23 ($116).
7/9/23 price is $17.30 +tax

I’ll add 25# today (when the current downpour stops) and order 200# more ($75) to have on-hand.

We had very mild temps this spring and start of summer. (Usually swimming first of May. It was well inside first week of June this year.)
But summer hit with a vengeance about 2-3 weeks ago and we have been having afternoon pop-up thunderstorms the last 10 days where it absolutely POURS rain for about an hour. (Had to dump water for about 5 min last week because water was above the returns.)

By these calculations we will use 600 lbs of SJ this year (March 2023-March 2024)($450’ish).
Total CH increase = 1288
= 100 lbs ($75) per month just in Calcium increaser (OUCH!)
 
For documentation sake,
My target is 450.

3/1/23 - CH was 220.
3/11 6pm - added 50 lbs of Snow Joe (red label)*
3/12 @noon - CH 310
3/15 @noon - added 50 lbs of SJ
3/16 @noon - CH 580 (unreliable)
4/12 - CH 490
4/24 - CH 500
(ran out of test drops)
6/23 - CH 450
6/23 - added 25 lbs SJ
6/29 - CH 480
7/4 - CH 450
7/9 - CH 400

How are you getting numbers that are not multiples of 25? What test kit are you using?
 
Use pool math app and the dihydrate option.
So is calcium chloride in liquid form and cc dihydrate in solid form? Is that the difference?

They are both solids. In Calcium Chloride Dihydrate, water molecules are inside the crystal structure.

Calcium Chloride is hygroscopic and attracts water that is incorporated into the crystal structure. Because this property, anhydrous calcium chloride is also being used as a desiccant.
 
I am going to pull the trigger on this ice melt for my pool. It happens to be the same exact ice melt I use for my sidewalk and driveway! I also have purchased other winter products from this website (i.e., snow blower).

I cannot find any 50lb bags, which is what I usually buy, but that has to be because its the middle of summer, and maybe Alaska is the only place in the US that has snow right now. At $17/25lb, this is a steal to increase Calcium Hardness.

The SDS is from the Snow Joe website and dated July 2019. I am not sure what the other 2.5% is...

Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Report
1689029737143.png

The link to the best price I have found is on Amazon Snow Joe AZ-25-CCP Pure Calcium Chloride Pellet Ice Melter, 25 lb Bag, White, though the product is available at Home Depot for about the same price and Walmart for about $2 more. Target is out of stock.

I used to either buy IN THE SWIM - 25 LB. PAIL CALCIUM HARDNESS INCREASER or Leslie's - Hardness Plus for Calcium Hardness, 25 lbs., both are about 3X price - hover around $57-60. Unfortunately, neither site provided a SDS.
 

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I am going to pull the trigger on this ice melt for my pool. It happens to be the same exact ice melt I use for my sidewalk and driveway! I also have purchased other winter products from this website (i.e., snow blower).

I cannot find any 50lb bags, which is what I usually buy, but that has to be because its the middle of summer, and maybe Alaska is the only place in the US that has snow right now. At $17/25lb, this is a steal to increase Calcium Hardness.

The SDS is from the Snow Joe website and dated July 2019. I am not sure what the other 2.5% is...

Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Report
View attachment 512411

The link to the best price I have found is on Amazon Snow Joe AZ-25-CCP Pure Calcium Chloride Pellet Ice Melter, 25 lb Bag, White, though the product is available at Home Depot for about the same price and Walmart for about $2 more. Target is out of stock.

I used to either buy IN THE SWIM - 25 LB. PAIL CALCIUM HARDNESS INCREASER or Leslie's - Hardness Plus for Calcium Hardness, 25 lbs., both are about 3X price - hover around $57-60. Unfortunately, neither site provided a SDS.
My guess is 50# bags are harder for delivery drivers.
 
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I reached out to Leslie's and In the Swim for their SDS on their Calcium Chloride products. They both say their composition is a minimum of 94%, but In the Swim's product goes as high as 100% while Leslie's product goes as high as 97%.
I have been using the Snow Joe ice melt (94.8%) for the past two weeks without any issues. The increases in CH seem similar to when using other Calcium Chloride products. The only notable difference is visually it seemed that the pellets of Calcium Chloride in the pool products were more uniform in size while the ice melt seem to have varying size of pellets. I am going to bring my pool water to Leslie's to see if I am putting any metals in my pool (I am about due for a pool store check anyway).

In the Swim - Calcium Hardness Increaser
1690034011556.png

Leslie - Calcium Hardness Plus
1690034084795.png
 

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  • In the Swim - SDS - Calcium Hardness Increaser.pdf
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  • Leslie - SDS - Calcium Hardness Plus.pdf
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