Calcium chloride smell?

[JamieP]

I bought this MELT brand calcium chloride product to bring up my CH awhile back (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Snow-Joe-MELT-50-lb-Calcium-Chloride-Pellets-Ice-Melter-Resealable-Bag/46625837?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=46625837&placement_id=irs-106-m3&strategy=PWBAB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=8aea3616-1c35-4548-97fa-cc7afdbb029f&customer_id_enc&config_id=106&parent_item_id=42286822&parent_anchor_item_id=42286822&guid=28a038d4-c8ca-4cb0-8172-2674a777601e&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n#about) and noticed it gave the pool water a funny smell that wasn't there before. With all the rain we've gotten I had to add some more, and I'm running low on the original stuff I bought. Before buying some more of the same stuff to have on hand, I wanted to know if any smell from added calcium chloride is normal? I can smell it in the pool, and on our swim clothes/towels once we are out. No one else in my family notices or comments on it, but it bothers me.

Thanks for your help!

PH= 7.7
FC= 9.0
CC= 0
TA= 70
CH= 300
CYA= 80
Salt= 3150 (per SWG reading. Probably lower.)
Temp= 85

PS: CH is a focus of mine because I have noticed some etching and pitting due to my CH not rising as quickly as anticipated over the summer and the CSI being too low as a result (at least that's my assumption.) I finally brought the CH up to 350 to help the CSI but more rain diluted it, so that's why I need to look into buying some more calcium.

 

[VinDeeLoo]

Your CSI is -.24 should be fine. (-.6<-.24) (correct?)


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[JamieP]

Your CSI is -.24 should be fine. (-.6<-.24) (correct?)


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Yes, right now it is fine. My understanding is that I want to keep it above -0.3 to avoid problems. Over the summer my CH had been lower and I was bringing my ph lower to compensate for running a fountain all day to lower the pool temps. This gave me a much lower CSI at times, enough to adversely affect my pebble finish, it seems.

My biggest question now is the smell. I just took a small amount of the calcium chloride pellets and melted them in a glass dish of tap water and the smell is definitely coming from them. Is this the calcium chloride, or the 6% impurities in the MELT product? Has anyone else ever noticed a smell?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I can't see what would cause a smell other than impurities in the product. Snow melt as a substitute for calcium chloride is something of a gamble as there are some really bogus products on the market for "ice melt". The really low quality products will be a mixture of mostly salt (sodium chloride) with a little bit of calcium chloride in it and impurities ranging from magnesium chloride to dirt, sand and rocks. Even the SnowJoe brand melt has a "Enviro Melt" product (to satisfy some "greenies") which is nothing more than green colored calcium chloride....so their standard product with food dye in it.....how bogus is that?!?!?!

That being said, the smell will likely subside. This is one time I will give Pool Stores a little credit as the Hardness-UP products they sell are far more likely to be closer to high purity calcium chloride than anything else. You could also try The Chemistry Store (Calcium Chloride Anhydrous - ChemistryStore.com) as you can at least expect their products to be pure. Looks like 50# runs for $60, so definitely more expensive but you're guaranteed purity.

 

[JamieP]

Thanks Matt. It must be the impurities that smell, like you said, as the data sheet from the Chemistry Store link you sent characterizes calcium chloride as odorless. I should mention that the dry pellets are odorless though... It only smells when wet, if that makes a difference to their "odorless" description.

Either way, I guess I won't be gambling with ice melt products again!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

By the way, if you need to increase your CH levels or if you get enough rain wash out that supporting CH is an annual concern, you can always use a little cal-hypo chlorinating powder to help bring up your CH levels slowly and then just dial back the SWG to maintain the right FC. It'll also increase pH and TA a little bit but that's easily managed with acid.

At least with good quality cal-hypo you avoid potential contaminants in ice melt products.