I started learning and using the 3 B's process at the begining of last season and only use bleach to chlorinate now. The pool is a 12000 gal fiberglass with cartridge filter. My water is clear and has been; my cl levels won't hold constatnt i.e. are dropping and that is why I initially asked about the stabilizer. It sounds like I need stabilizer as I suspected. I can not find a source for the stabilizer reagent locally. Leslie's said they'll have it by the middle of next week. I'm inclined to put in 1.5 lbs of stabilizer ( acquired at Wal-Mart) and then check cya next week when I acquire the reagent.

I use a Wal-Mart test kit to calculate my cl. Using the shot glass method gives me free cl when I'm 'shocking' per cya levels on the best guess calculator. Can I read total cl by waiting for two minutes while the color fully develops and then subtract the free cl reading to arrive at combined cl even while using the s. glass method? That is the method that I have been using. Maybe I don't understand the s. galss method, although it seemed to work last year.