Before you start hurling accusations and launching attacks, it might be wise if you knew something about your targets. Many of the people you are attacking are quite knowledgeable about physical chemistry--more than me.

People ask ALL sorts of questions about alternate sources of chemicals--many ARE extremely dangerous if handled incorrectly--lime is no more dangerous than 30% Hydrochloric Acid (Muriatic Acid to you) which is the strongest acid on the pH scale--it etches glass!

Next people are not recommending lime--they are merely discussing it as possibility and what the pitfalls are--we've have similar discussions over the years of sulfuric acid, acetic acid (vinegar), gas chlorination, ozonation, etc.

Everyone here is FULLY aware that lime is alkaline and that so are the calcium compounds...Think that just may be why new plaster pools push pH up, eh??

As for your absurd accusation of just wanting "back door" your local pool store to save a few bucks, well, I have three things to say to that:
1) When I can get "it" far cheaper someplace else I say "too bad". I've seen pool stores sell 4# of a "total alkalinity raiser" for $12--for 12# that's $36. Then I walked into CostCo and found a 12# bag of the same stuff (called Arm&Hammer) for $3.50--one-TENTH the price. One store sells PolyQuat for $34/quart! You can usually find it for $12-$20. Maybe YOU like wasting your hard-earned money un-necessarily, but most of us don't.

2) When there's a pool store with a knowledgable, experienced staff, I WILL buy there-they deserve to be paid for their help. I won't pay absurdly inflated prices, but if I'm buying a solar cover, I'm happy to pay them another $50 for their trouble. However, I frequent 10 different pool stores and most of the staff don't know their ear from their elbow.

3) So, so many people come to us after having been "Pool-Stored"--sold a lot of expensive chemicals they not only don't need, but shouldn't even use---EVER!! So they pay too much for what they need, are sold stuff they don't need, and are even sold stuff that's BAD for their pools. They come to us in droves EVERY SINGLE DAY saying "I have a mess. I spent a fortune at the pool store, it didn't work, so they sold me ANOTHER fortune's worth of chemicals, and they didn't work either! WHAT DO I DO?????'" We tell them. It works. They can't believe it, they are SO happy and they become loyal members.

Now if you aren't one of these who see a pool owner in trouble as your kid's college fund, then you are the exception--and they are out there--we count some of them among our most active members.

But if you see that pool owner as your Christmas Club, I have not the slightest sympathy for you losing business.

I've never understood that idea that I should pay you more to do something I can do myself, unless it is more convenient FOR ME to do so.

BTW, if you work in the pool business, our forum rules demand that you have a signature line you use EVERY post that states that.