On Tue, 05 Sep 2006 16:42:19 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

an_Musicant writes:
:
: A pool supply place I'm talking to doesn't have it but they stock
: calcium hypochlorite, which he says is a "pool shocker" or some such
: thing. Is that a dessicant (i.e. OK) ...
:
:No. Calcium hypochlorite is an elemental chlorine source. You don't want
:that near anything or even inside the house.
:
:You want calcium chloride. Any pool supply place will have that. Perhaps
:they're too typically ignorant to know the chemical name. They might only
:know it as some variation of the words "calcium hardness increaser." Look
n the bag or tub for a chemical ingredient.
The guy I had on the phone was far from knowledgable. Sounded like a
kid. He said to call tomorrow (which is today) and ask for his boss,
which I'm going to do right now...

I talk to him and he says they don't supply it. It's a place called HD
Pool and Patio Supply. I ask him for recommendations near me and he
gives me the name of a place that's around 15 miles from me. I think
I'll try looking up wholesale chemicals warehouses. I bought some
chemical some years ago from such a place and thought it reasonable.