Alternative to name-brand

[W.Lynn]

The RP and I were discussing a need for some "damp rid" or similar. It seemed like we should be able to get the active ingredient ( calcium chloride) a LOT more cheaply than the little handful in the overpriced basket & tub. I looked online, pool supply shops carry it for adjusting water hardness. There are two supply shops near me, I'll pick some up, photos will follow.

[W.Lynn]

Assembly

My daughter sometimes buys two-pound tubs of yogurt, that's pretty big, but not as tall as the cotton candy containers from Easter. I also picked up a 4 lb container of Hardness Plus calcium chloride.

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The diameters of the two washed out food containers work well together. The yogurt tub slips easily into the cotton candy tub, but it has more of a flat ring for the upper edge so it doesn't go all the way in. It's not even a wrestling match to get it back out. So I abused the lowest part of the bottom with my pocket knife, and called his name Basket.

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Fill with the granulated calcium chloride, and I got home-made dampness solution.

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[angeryamerican]

That's cool, I like it.

[W.Lynn]

You'll like this even better, for those pinching every penny six ways to Sunday, the stuff can be had in tiny packages, all the way up to "de-ice your driveway with kid & pet safe" 50 lb bags and buckets. And probably bigger, I just didn't look for bigger.

[kickstand]

Not really trying to be dense, sometimes it just ends up that way. What would this be used for? Remember, I live in 8-10% humidity.

[W.Lynn]

Kickstand, you wouldn't need it for much (I used to live in Andrews/Odessa/Midland area.) What it does is chemically grab available moisture until the the chems that make up the granules are saturated, melt, and drip to the empty space in the bottom of the taller container.

Now if you were to find that the area under your sink had suddenly become a very humid environment due to a leak, then you might want it. You'd fix the leak, wipe up as much as you could, and put one of these under there to take up the remaining moisture as it evaporates from the wood surfaces, instead of leaving it available to condense on pipes or in creases and start growing mold.

Since it's also handy for the occasional round of iced steps and walkway, it's not like I'm keeping something that is otherwise useless.

[AmericanBTGoG]

This may be better than the "crystal cat litter in the nylons sachet" for ammo cans in high humidity places!

[roach2654]

I was going to say pool supply store ! Looks like you already found some. If you know or see a pool guy they may have some on their truck or he may know where to get it bulk ! Keep it sealed air tight or you will end up with a solid lump or a bucket of water !

[W.Lynn]

You can get 50 lb buckets as a "regular" item, that's bulk enough. I just got the little one for now so I can see how long it takes to work, and how long it will last.

If anyone's wondering, someone who follows the weather as much as I do, decided he'd get by without going to the RV and draining the lines before the freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw winter we had. Not much of a leak, the fresh water tank is big enough to resist little overnight freezes, and the lines are only under pressure when in use. The gray water and black water tanks have enough decay going on that they are ok anyway.

Now we have this DIY section for stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere, we need more content!

[W.Lynn]

This may be better than the "crystal cat litter in the nylons sachet" for ammo cans in high humidity places!

Yes, make one to put in the gun safe, and one for the workshop, and work out something small for your ammo can.

Just remember to remove the basket of granules sometimes and dump out any accumulated water.