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You should always run your pool pump in freezing weather to keep the water moving. Doing so prevents the pool water from freezing and protects your pool from the damage that often comes along with frozen water. You should also run your pool pump when temperatures are approaching freezing, as a precaution. There’s no need to run a pool heater during the winter, as keeping water moving is generally enough to keep it from freezing.

Yes, you will need to shock your pool with high levels of chlorine or bromine when you first fill it to kill off bacteria and pathogens. You’ll need to wait for the chlorine concentration to come back down to a safe level before swimming. After that, you can test and maintain the chlorine and other levels as normal. The only exception to this is if you get pool water delivered by a professional. In that case, the water might come pretreated, so you might not need to shock it.

Yes, it's possible to make an aboveground zero-edge pool. Note that it's most common to build an inground one, but, if you raise the deck and surrounding poolscape, you can install an aboveground version. Keep in mind, if you need to haul in dirt, it can significantly raise your land prep costs.

It’s a good idea to wait at least 24 hours after opening your pool before you swim in it. Pool opening often involves shocking the water, and the chemical levels need to come down a bit before it’s safe to swim. You can continue testing your water pH and chlorine levels if you’re in a rush. It’s wise to wait until your chlorine levels drop to under four parts per million (ppm) and you have a water pH of between 7.2 and 7.8. You can artificially lower your water pH to speed up the process.