Stumbled across this discussion last nite and felt it necessary to add some
insite. I have held a public pool operators certificate for 10 years and i am appalled at the lack of understanding of the basics of pool chemistry on this site. The first thing that you missed is that lime is extremely CAUSTIC!!!, AKA alkaline! If you really want to destroy your systems this is a great first step.

What I see here is that you folks just want to back door your local pool store operator for a few bucks savings on a product that is one of the most consistent items in pool water balance.

If you cant manage an average size pool for between 7 and 10 dollars per
week working with a reputable pool store you need to get rid of the pool!

I regularly talk to several of the store owners in my area who have invested a large part of their lives to teach people to manage their pool, and are the first ones you turn to when you cant fix it by groping around here.

I wonder how some of you would feel if the customers that pay your daily wage started to figure out how not to pay you for th skill set you chose to earn a living!