Is there anyway to check the pH and Alkalinity when the chlorine level is still too high(19)? I have been checking at least the chlorine level daily and it does seem to go up and down. The SWG is off. The cover is off most of the time, but we are expecting a lot of wind in the next 48 hours, so we have closed it to keep leaves, etc. out of the pool. Chlorine level seems to go up when the cover is on (even if I check it hours after opening the cover). Also, does temperature have any effect on the chlorine level? Anyway, since the chlorine level is still too high I can't get an accurate pH and Alkalinity check. As these two seemed to be going up steadily, yesterday I did add 1.5 pints of muriatic acid. There was a slightly decrease in the alkalinity, (now 130 so still too high, it was 150). No affect on the pH (I am getting 7.8, but according to acid demand test on the Kem-tek 5 way test it wants me to add 4 pints of acid----which of course, I am not going to do).....but we are still wanting to use the pool at Thanksgiving and I am trying to get the Chemistry right. I didn't have all this trouble this summer----was it because the pool was open and the sun was shining and it was hot?