Calcium Chloride Latest inquiry

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Adonisinpool

Well-known member
Jul 21, 2024
81
Florida
I'm seeing posts on here that de-icers are ok to use for calcium chloride.
Do any of you recommend using this for CH? If not, please advise. Thanks

www.homedepot.com

Snow Joe 25 lb. Calcium Chloride Crystals Ice Melter MELT25CC - The Home Depot

CONTROL. SALT. DELETE. MELT25CC is a unique formulation of calcium chloride crystals that are super-enhanced with extenders for long-lasting traction control. MELT is designed to quickly, safely and effectively
www.homedepot.com
 
*disclaimer* many people use ice melt without harm.


That said, you couldn't pay me to do it. When the manufacturer catches something on a whim, they have zero concern for pools. Most already have a couple undesirables in them, some at low enough concentrations that don't matter, and others at levels that do matter. But neither matters for sidewalks and roadways and the company could change your brand that's worked so far tomorrow.
 
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sande005 said:
Couldn't read the ingredients in the HD link. Too lazy to go to SnowJoe to see what is in it. Some/many have lots of added things we never want in our pools.
This one, from Home Depot, is the one you want:

Snow Joe 20 lb. 94% Pure Calcium Chloride Ice Melt Pellets MELT20CPP - The Home Depot
Click to expand...
That one only has 5% calcium chloride. Not good.

Sodium Chloride 95.0-99.5% 7647-14-5 Not Classified
Calcium Chloride < 5.0% 10043-52-4 Eye Irrit. 2A, H319


I rather have something at least 95% calcium chloride.
 
Newdude said:
*disclaimer* many people use ice melt without harm.


That said, you couldn't pay me to do it. When the manufacturer catches something on a whim, they have zero concern for pools. Most already have a couple undesirables in them, some at low enough concentrations that don't matter, and others at levels that do matter. But neither matters for sidewalks and roadways and the company could change your brand that's worked so far tomorrow.
Click to expand...

So precisely what do you use?
 
Newdude said:
*disclaimer* many people use ice melt without harm.


That said, you couldn't pay me to do it. When the manufacturer catches something on a whim, they have zero concern for pools. Most already have a couple undesirables in them, some at low enough concentrations that don't matter, and others at levels that do matter. But neither matters for sidewalks and roadways and the company could change your brand that's worked so far tomorrow.
Click to expand...

This is from the Pool School webpage

CH – Calcium Hardness​

Calcium hardness can be raised with calcium chloride or calcium chloride dihydrate. They are available in some areas as Peladow, Dowflake, Tetra Flake, or Tetra 94, often sold as a deicer by hardware stores, and some big box stores, in colder climates. Pool stores will carry either calcium chloride or calcium chloride dihydrate under a variety of names, including Hardness Plus, Balance Pak 300, Calcium Hardness Increaser, etc. Calcium products should be spread across the surface of the deep end of the pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 

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PoolStored said:
My local p@@l st@re carries Dowflake.
Click to expand...
I used to get only that, but it became hard to get locally. Back then, it was 94%, like the SnowJoe I referenced. All I've come up with on-line has been DowFlake Xtra, which is 83%-87% Calcium Chloride. Most of the rest being regular salt. So in that case, not a concern (unless one is near the top for their SWCG).

If Home Depot ever delivers something that is not exactly as I ordered, back it goes.

Here's what's in the one I linked to: (Snow Joe 20 lb. 94% Pure Calcium Chloride Ice Melt Pellets MELT20CPP - The Home Depot)
Calcium Chloride, 94.8%,
Sodium Chloride, 2.5%
Magnesium Chloride, 0.1%
Calcium Hydroxide, 0.08%,
Calcium Sulfate, 0.01%

One can find it in 94-97%, but it gets pretty pricey. Calcium Chloride Anhydrous 94-97% - Food Grade (FCC, Kosher) - 50 lb Bag
As is usual for Pool Store things, I had a hard time finding the specifics for some of the CH increasers sold.

It wouldn't surprise me to find that most of the various brands source back to this company: https://www.oxycalciumchloride.com/home
 
Always looking for the deal - so I did some googling:

Doheney's sells what they say is 100%, at $2.29/ lb. (25 lb pail)
Leslie's never specifies - several suppliers/repackagers (USA or China sources), no breakdown as to ingredients $2.40/lb (25lb pail)
My referenced Snow Joe - 94%, $1.34/ lb. (20 lb bag)
Puritech 100% from Amazon, 25 lb, so $1.80 /lb
Dow Flake Extra 83-87%, from Walmart on line - 44 lb bag, $1.45/lb

Interesting that Pool Math has 2 varieties listed. For my pool, 10 lbs of listed Calcium Chloride raises CH by 47 ppm, Calcium Hardness Increaser raises it by only 35 ppm.
Which doesn't track with say Dow Flake vs Puritech. So whatever product - sneak up on it via actual testing.

Me? if I use it (vinyl pool), I might need 30-40 lbs each year. Hence the desire to pinch the penny.
While I have no issues with the Snow Joe, I may be switching to the Puritech (thanks Newdude !)
 
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sande005 said:
I used to get only that, but it became hard to get locally. Back then, it was 94%, like the SnowJoe I referenced. All I've come up with on-line has been DowFlake Xtra, which is 83%-87% Calcium Chloride. Most of the rest being regular salt. So in that case, not a concern (unless one is near the top for their SWCG).

If Home Depot ever delivers something that is not exactly as I ordered, back it goes.

Here's what's in the one I linked to: (Snow Joe 20 lb. 94% Pure Calcium Chloride Ice Melt Pellets MELT20CPP - The Home Depot)
Calcium Chloride, 94.8%,
Sodium Chloride, 2.5%
Magnesium Chloride, 0.1%
Calcium Hydroxide, 0.08%,
Calcium Sulfate, 0.01%

One can find it in 94-97%, but it gets pretty pricey. Calcium Chloride Anhydrous 94-97% - Food Grade (FCC, Kosher) - 50 lb Bag
As is usual for Pool Store things, I had a hard time finding the specifics for some of the CH increasers sold.

It wouldn't surprise me to find that most of the various brands source back to this company: https://www.oxycalciumchloride.com/home
Click to expand...

If anyone knows this, is there a minimum of Calcium Chloride that one should acquire or should it be 100%? Is any amount of sodium or other ingredients acceptable?
 
Adonisinpool said:
If anyone knows this, is there a minimum of Calcium Chloride that one should acquire or should it be 100%? Is any amount of sodium or other ingredients acceptable?
Click to expand...
In the US, most is made from evaporation of brine - either from salt production extracted from the earth, or from bodies of salt water. So the primary other ingredient is salt. Just like on your table. Your choice as to how much of that goes into your pool. Since Cl addition also turns into salt in the pool, the overall effect is negligible. Or, many of us dump many, many pounds of salt in to run our SWCG's. The other trace items are all found naturally in sea salt, at higher levels. In other parts of the world, it is a by-product of soda ash production (acid plus limestone), and through that processing can be purified easier.
Nothing to be concerned about - some like the assurance of purity, some are content otherwise - but no ill effects on you or the pool.
But to circle back - products sold as ice melt may have wildly differing chemical compositions, some of which are NOT good for you or the pool. That is the primary driver for buying pure Calcium Chloride - you know what you are getting versus some random hardware store bag that may not at all be what you think it is. But just as we shop for Baking Soda vs "Alkalinity Increaser" to save money from pool stores, if you pay attention to what is in a product, one can find less expensive alternatives.
 
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sande005 said:
Always looking for the deal - so I did some googling:

Doheney's sells what they say is 100%, at $2.29/ lb. (25 lb pail)
Leslie's never specifies - several suppliers/repackagers (USA or China sources), no breakdown as to ingredients $2.40/lb (25lb pail)
My referenced Snow Joe - 94%, $1.34/ lb. (20 lb bag)
Puritech 100% from Amazon, 25 lb, so $1.80 /lb
Dow Flake Extra 83-87%, from Walmart on line - 44 lb bag, $1.45/lb

Interesting that Pool Math has 2 varieties listed. For my pool, 10 lbs of listed Calcium Chloride raises CH by 47 ppm, Calcium Hardness Increaser raises it by only 35 ppm.
Which doesn't track with say Dow Flake vs Puritech. So whatever product - sneak up on it via actual testing.

Me? if I use it (vinyl pool), I might need 30-40 lbs each year. Hence the desire to pinch the penny.
While I have no issues with the Snow Joe, I may be switching to the Puritech (thanks Newdude !)
Click to expand...

Your preference, the Snow Joe, has 25% calcium chloride and 75% sodium. Which one has the 94%?

 
Adonisinpool said:
Your preference, the Snow Joe, has 25% calcium chloride and 75% sodium. Which one has the 94%?

Click to expand...
Wrong item - the MSDS for the one I linked to is: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...-1548-496d-b8f8-fd597044884e.pdf?v=1712939031

Here's the one I noted a few times, but the Snow Joe web site, rather than Home Depot: Snow Joe MELT20CCP Pure Calcium Chloride Ice Melt 94% Pure Pellets
Hence the warning to shop carefully. They use the "MELT" name for several of their very different products.
 
sande005 said:
Wrong item - the MSDS for the one I linked to is: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...-1548-496d-b8f8-fd597044884e.pdf?v=1712939031

Here's the one I noted a few times, but the Snow Joe web site, rather than Home Depot: Snow Joe MELT20CCP Pure Calcium Chloride Ice Melt 94% Pure Pellets
Hence the warning to shop carefully. They use the "MELT" name for several of their very different products.
Click to expand...

Ah. Got it now. 94% is a nice number. Home Depot is out of stock cus it's summer time. :)
Now I have the exact model number, Snow Joe MELT20CPP Pure Calcium Chloride. I'll have to research on the internet.
 

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