Best Above-Ground Pool Filter: Sand, Cartridge and Combos

What Filter Is Best for an Above-Ground Pool?

The best above-ground pool filter is a Hayward ProSeries sand filter sized to your pool. For large pools that means the 24-inch S244T: Hayward rates it at 62 GPM, enough to turn over 29,760 gallons in an 8 hour run, and its VariFlo valve includes the Waste setting for vacuuming algae straight out of the pool. On a round pool under about 10,000 gallons, the 16-inch S166T does the same job with a third of the sand. Both are sold as filters only, so you pair them with an above-ground pump.

Above-ground pool owners have three filter types to choose from: sand, cartridge, and diatomaceous earth (DE). Sand suits most pools from 10,000 gallons upward and is the lowest-effort option week to week, because cleaning it means a 2 to 3 minute backwash rather than pulling a part out of the tank. Cartridge suits smaller pools under 10,000 gallons, tight equipment pads, and anyone paying for water, since it filters finer at 10 to 15 microns and wastes nothing on backwashing. DE filters the finest of the three at 3 to 5 microns but needs powder recharged after every clean, which is more upkeep than most above-ground owners want.

The plain recommendation: buy a sand filter sized one step above your pool volume unless your pool is under 10,000 gallons or you are on metered or well water, in which case buy a cartridge filter of 75 sq ft or more. If you own a soft-sided Intex or Bestway frame pool, or you would rather buy one box than two, the Intex Krystal Clear SX2800 sand filter pump is the cheaper route; Intex rates it for pools from 5,500 to 17,200 gallons. Whichever type you pick, size it to the pool gallons rather than to the pump horsepower, because an undersized tank is a common reason above-ground pools go cloudy. Check the sizing table in the next section before you buy anything.

What Size Filter Does an Above-Ground Pool Need?

Size the filter to the pool volume, not to the pump that came in the box. Divide your pool gallons by 360 to get the GPM needed for a six-hour turnover (the industry standard target), then buy a filter rated at or above that number at normal operating pressure.

Pool volume formula:

• Round pool: Diameter x Diameter x Average Depth x 5.9 = gallons
• Oval pool: Length x Width x Average Depth x 6.7 = gallons

If you know your pool dimensions rather than its gallons, this table maps the common above-ground sizes to the minimum filter for each:

The bands overlap at the boundaries on purpose. If your pool lands within 1,000 gallons of a cut-off, take the larger filter. Oversizing a sand tank costs a little more once, while an undersized tank reaches the backwash point sooner for as long as you own it.

Two more things to watch. First, above-ground pumps do not deliver their box-rated flow once a filter is in the loop. Intex’s own figures show the gap: the SX2800’s pump is rated at 2,800 GPH, but Intex lists the system flow with the filter in line at 2,150 GPH. So if your pool sits at the top of a band, take the larger tank and run the pump longer rather than chasing the higher flow number. Second, a filter rated above your requirement is never a problem, while one rated below it is a permanent one. The full method, including how to measure an irregular pool and how head loss changes the maths, is in what size pool filter do I need.

Why Bundled Above-Ground Pool Filters Are Usually Undersized

When you buy an above-ground pool kit, with pool, liner, ladder, pump and filter in one box, the filter is sized to the minimum that lets the manufacturer say it works with that pool. The minimum is not the same as adequate.

Take an 18-foot round pool. It holds about 7,600 gallons, so a six hour turnover needs 21 GPM. A kit filter that only just meets that figure on a clean day has no headroom left for pollen season, a busy weekend, or the dead algae that follows a shock treatment. The pressure rises, the flow drops, and the water goes hazy or green.

The upgrade path is straightforward: a sand tank or cartridge filter sized for the actual pool volume with the tables above, usually a 19 to 24 inch sand tank or a 75 to 100 sq ft cartridge on a mid-size pool. A tank that size keeps up through the bad weeks instead of falling behind in them.

Sand vs Cartridge for an Above-Ground Pool

Almost every above-ground buying decision comes down to these two types. Here is how they compare on the factors that actually cost you money and time.

Sand filter advantages:

• Lower per-cleaning maintenance: a backwash takes 2 to 3 minutes and requires no disassembly
• Better at handling algae, because you backwash dead algae out rather than pulling and cleaning a loaded cartridge
• A multiport valve gives you a Waste position for vacuuming algae directly out of the pool without recirculating through the filter
• Sand media lasts 5 to 7 years before needing replacement
• Lower sensitivity to heavy debris loads, since sand handles pollen, dirt and organic matter well

Sand filter disadvantages:

• Coarser filtration: 20 to 40 microns, against 10 to 15 for cartridge and 3 to 5 for DE
• Backwashing uses 150 to 250 gallons of pool water per cycle, which adds up on wells or metered water
• The tank needs 100 to 300 lbs of silica sand depending on size, so the first fill is heavy work

Cartridge filter advantages:

• Finer filtration (10 to 15 microns), so fine particles like pollen and dust come out of the water
• No backwashing, so all water stays in the pool
• Simpler operation: no multiport valve and fewer positions to set correctly
• Smaller footprint than an equivalent sand filter

Cartridge filter disadvantages:

• The element must be removed and spray-cleaned every 4 to 8 weeks
• Element replacement every 1 to 3 years ($30 to $120 per element depending on size)
• Less effective during active algae, because a loaded cartridge has to be removed and cleaned rather than simply backwashed

The verdict. For most above-ground pools, sand wins on effort and cartridge wins on water. If your pool is over 10,000 gallons, sits under trees, or gets a busy weekend crowd, take the sand filter: recovering from an algae bloom or a pollen drop is a backwash instead of a 20 minute cleaning session, and that difference decides whether the filter actually gets maintained. If your pool is small, your water is metered or drawn from a well, or you simply want the clearest water you can get without powder, take a cartridge of 75 sq ft or more. Cartridge filters reward owners who stay on top of maintenance schedules and live in areas with low pollen and moderate bather loads. Ten-year running costs land close enough that the choice should come down to which chore you will keep up with, not which one is cheaper.

There is a third option most above-ground owners never consider: DE filtration. It is rarely bundled but produces the clearest water of the three, and running a DE filter on an above-ground pool covers when it makes sense.

Cartridge Filters for Above-Ground Pools

Cartridge is the right call for a large share of above-ground pools, particularly the 12 to 18 foot round sizes where a full sand tank would cost more than the pool package. A cartridge filter traps particles down to 10 to 15 microns against a pleated element, so it catches fine pollen and dust that passes straight through a sand bed at 20 to 40 microns. There is no multiport valve to set wrong, no heavy sand to haul, and no water dumped to waste. The trade is that cleaning means shutting the pump down, opening the housing, pulling the element, and rinsing the pleats, which takes about 20 minutes every 4 to 8 weeks in season. Cartridge sizing follows the same rule as sand: match the element area to the pool volume, and do not go below 75 sq ft on a pool over 10,000 gallons.

The two costs that catch people out are element replacement and cleaning frequency. A pleated element does not last forever even when it is rinsed properly, because the fibres relax and the pleats lose their grip on fine particles. Budget $30 to $120 for a replacement every 1 to 3 years, and buy the element for your exact housing rather than a generic that only approximately fits. If you run an Intex or Bestway cartridge pump, our guide to Intex pool filter cartridge types and how often to replace them decodes the element letters and the replacement schedule.

What Is the Best Sand Filter for an Above-Ground Pool?

For a permanently installed above-ground pool, the best sand filter is a Hayward ProSeries top-mount tank matched to your gallons: the 16-inch S166T for round pools up to about 10,000 gallons, and the 24-inch S244T for anything larger, big ovals included. Both use Hayward’s VariFlo multiport valve and the same #20 silica sand graded 0.45 to 0.55 mm, per Hayward’s ProSeries owner’s manual. For a soft-sided Intex or Bestway pool, the Intex SX2800 is the better sand filter, because it connects to Intex fittings and Hayward’s manual says its pumps are not meant for storable pools.

The Hayward figures come from Hayward’s product pages and ProSeries manual, the TR40 row from Pentair’s Triton II brochure, and the Intex row from Intex’s SX2800 product page.

To choose between them, run the six hour turnover math from the sizing table. An 18-foot round at 7,600 gallons needs 21 GPM, comfortably inside the S166T’s 30 GPM, which covers about 10,800 gallons in six hours. A 21 x 41 foot oval at 22,300 gallons needs 62 GPM, which is exactly the S244T’s rating. If your pool falls between the two, take the larger tank. Every filter in the table runs on #20 silica sand, and our best pool filter sand review covers which bags to buy.

Shop the Hayward S166T on Amazon

Which Pump and Filter Combo Should You Buy?

Buy the combo that matches how your pool is built. For a storable pool, meaning a soft-sided Intex or Bestway frame pool that comes down for winter, buy the Intex Krystal Clear SX2800 (26647EG): it ships with two 1.5-inch hoses for Intex fittings, and Hayward’s ProSeries manual says Hayward pumps should not be used with storable pools. For a permanently installed steel-wall pool, buy a Hayward ProSeries system, which pairs the filter with a matched Hayward pump, or a tank alone if you already own a good above-ground pump.

Match the pump to the filter rather than the other way round. Hayward’s own S166T92S system pairs the 30 GPM tank with a 0.85 HP pump; a much bigger pump pushes water through a small sand bed faster than the bed can trap dirt. If you buy the parts separately, keep the pump’s real flow at or below the filter’s design flow. Installation for either route is in how to set up an above-ground pool filter, and Intex owners should follow how to set up an Intex pool pump and filter.

Product Rankings

1. Hayward S244T Pro Series Sand Filter: Best Overall

The Hayward S244T is a 24-inch top-mount sand filter with Hayward’s 1.5-inch VariFlo multiport valve. Hayward’s ProSeries manual lists the valve’s settings as Filter, Backwash, Rinse, Waste, Recirculate and Closed, and calls for 300 lbs of #20 silica sand graded 0.45 to 0.55 mm. Hayward’s product page rates the tank at 62 GPM across 3.14 sq ft of filter area, which works out to 29,760 gallons in an 8 hour run, enough for the largest above-ground ovals.

Hayward’s spec table lists the S244T as an in-ground filter, but the same page describes the ProSeries line as matched to Hayward’s above-ground pumps, and the tank works on an above-ground pool as long as the pump sits below the water line. Spare parts are listed by part number in the manual, from the SP0714T valve to the drain cap, so a worn part is a part swap rather than a new filter.

The S244T needs a separate pump. Pair it with an above-ground pump such as the Hayward SP1580X15 PowerFlo LX, and keep the pump’s flow at or below the tank’s 62 GPM rating.

Setup means filling the tank with 300 lbs of sand, which is six 50 lb bags. See our guide on how much sand for pool filter for the quantities other tank sizes take.

Specs: 24-inch tank, 3.14 sq ft, 62 GPM design flow, 29,760 gallons in 8 hours, 300 lbs of sand (all Hayward) Pros: Capacity for any above-ground pool; spare parts listed by number; VariFlo valve with a Waste setting Cons: Pump not included; 300 lbs of sand to buy and lift; more tank than a small round pool needs

Buy the Hayward S244T on Amazon

2. Intex Krystal Clear SX2800 (26647EG): Best Combo for Soft-Sided Pools

The Intex Krystal Clear SX2800 is a sand filter and pump in one unit, built for Intex frame pools. Intex lists a 14-inch tank that takes 77 lbs of #20 silica sand (or 55 lbs of glass media), a 0.6 HP pump rated at 2,800 GPH, and a system flow of 2,150 GPH once the filter is in line. Intex rates it for pools from 5,500 to 17,200 gallons and names the 24-foot Ultra XTR round and the 32 x 16 foot Ultra XTR rectangle as matches.

At 2,150 GPH, an 18-foot round pool of 7,600 gallons turns over in about 3.5 hours, and a 24-foot round of 13,600 gallons in about 6.3 hours. The valve has six functions: filter, backwash, rinse, recirculate, drain and closed. A 24-hour timer with 2 to 12 hour cycles is built in, and two 1.5-inch hoses come in the box.

The SX2800 is the right choice for soft-sided pools and for anyone who wants one purchase instead of a tank and a separate pump. For large steel-wall pools, step up to the Hayward S244T with a separate pump.

Specs: 14-inch tank, 77 lbs of sand, 0.6 HP pump, 2,800 GPH pump flow, 2,150 GPH system flow, pools of 5,500 to 17,200 gallons (all Intex) Pros: All-in-one purchase; fits Intex hose fittings; built-in timer; 2 year limited warranty from Intex Cons: Intex’s rating tops out at 17,200 gallons; smaller sand bed than a full-size tank; built around Intex fittings rather than rigid pipe

Buy the Intex SX2800 on Amazon

3. Pentair Triton II TR40: For Pools on Pentair Equipment

The Pentair Triton II TR40 is a 19-inch fiberglass sand filter for owners who want the equipment pad on Pentair parts. Pentair’s Triton II brochure lists 1.92 sq ft of filter area, 175 lbs of #20 silica sand and a 38 GPM rating, which Pentair puts at 18,240 gallons in an 8 hour run.

It is a side-mount tank sold without a valve, so budget for the multiport valve separately. Pentair sells it through its dealers and retail stores. For bigger pools, the 24-inch Triton II TR60 takes 325 lbs of sand and is rated at 63 GPM.

Specs: 19-inch tank, 1.92 sq ft, 175 lbs of sand, 38 GPM, 18,240 gallons in 8 hours (all Pentair) Pros: Fiberglass tank; fits a Pentair equipment pad; larger sizes in the same line Cons: Valve sold separately; side-mount plumbing; pump not included

Buy the Pentair Triton II TR40 on Amazon

4. Hayward EasyClear C400 System (C4001575XES): Best Cartridge Combo

The Hayward EasyClear C4001575XES pairs a 40 sq ft cartridge filter with a 1 HP PowerFlo LX pump for above-ground pools. Hayward says the system turns over at least 24,000 gallons in 8 hours, which it matches to a 24-foot round pool. As a cartridge system it needs no backwash water and traps finer particles than a sand bed.

The trade-off is element size. At 40 sq ft the cartridge is smaller than the 75 sq ft this page recommends for pools over 10,000 gallons, so on a 24-foot round expect to pull and rinse it more often than a larger cartridge would need.

Specs: 40 sq ft cartridge, 1 HP PowerFlo LX pump, at least 24,000 gallons in 8 hours (all Hayward) Pros: Pump and filter matched by one maker; no backwash water loss; finer filtration than sand Cons: The element has to come out for cleaning every 4 to 8 weeks; element replacement every 1 to 3 years; slower to recover from an algae bloom than a sand tank

Buy the Hayward EasyClear on Amazon

Above-Ground Pool Filter Installation Notes

Plumbing connections. Most above-ground pool filters use 1.5-inch diameter fittings. Your pump and filter must use the same connection size. Check the filter and pump specifications before purchasing.

Pad and level placement. Set the filter on a flat, level pad: concrete pavers, a plastic equipment pad, or compacted gravel. An unlevel sand filter can put stress on the tank neck and multiport valve connections, causing leaks. Intex combo units can sit directly on the ground since they are designed for above-ground pool portability.

Sand loading for new sand filters. Fill the tank with water halfway before adding sand; this cushions the laterals at the bottom of the tank during filling and prevents cracking. Add sand slowly, in sections, and reassemble the multiport valve before backwashing. See our guide on how to change pool filter sand for a full walkthrough.

Priming the pump. Above-ground pumps are not self-priming above the water line, which is why they sit below the level of the pool water. Fill the pump housing through the strainer basket lid before first start, replace the lid, then turn on the pump. It may take 30 to 60 seconds to fully prime and reach full flow. If the pump will not catch, our guide on how to prime a pool pump covers the fixes.

Above-Ground Pool Filter Buying Mistakes

1. Keeping the bundled filter because it came with the pool. The filter in a pool kit is specified to the minimum, not to a comfortable turnover. If your pool is over 8,000 gallons, the kit filter is almost certainly the weakest part of the package and the first thing you should replace.

2. Matching the filter to the pump instead of the pool volume. People read the pump box, see 1.5 HP, and buy a filter labelled for 1.5 HP pumps. Horsepower is not a filtration rating. Calculate gallons, divide by 360, and buy a filter rated at or above that GPM figure. A big pump pushing water through a small tank just channels it past the media faster and filters less.

3. Ignoring the 1.5-inch versus 1.25-inch fitting mismatch. Many Intex and other soft-side pool systems run 1.25-inch hoses, while Hayward, Pentair, and other rigid-plumbing filters use 1.5-inch fittings. The two do not connect without an adapter. Confirm the fitting size on both the pump and the filter before ordering, and budget $10 to $20 for adapters if they differ.

4. Undersizing to save a little money. A tank that is too small for the pool reaches the backwash point, which Hayward’s ProSeries manual puts at 8 to 10 PSI above the clean reading, much sooner than a correctly sized one. You backwash constantly, dump 150 to 250 gallons of chemically balanced water each time, and refill and rebalance it, so the saving on the smaller tank is gone within a season.

5. Forgetting that sand costs money on top of the tank. A sand filter is sold empty. Filling a 24-inch Hayward S244T takes 300 lbs of #20 silica sand per Hayward’s manual, which is six 50 lb bags, and you will do it again every 5 to 7 years. Add that to the sticker price when you compare a sand filter against a cartridge unit, and add the $30 to $120 element replacement on the cartridge side to keep the comparison honest.

Related Guides

• Intex Pool Filter Cartridge Types and How Often to Replace: Intex and Bestway cartridge letters decoded, with replacement intervals
• How to Set Up an Above-Ground Pool Filter: installation walkthrough for tanks and combo systems
• How to Set Up an Intex Pool Pump and Filter: hoses, valves and first start for Intex combos
• Pool Sand Filter Size Chart: How Much Sand by Tank Size and Model: sand amounts for Hayward, Pentair and Intex tanks
• What Size Pool Filter Do I Need?: the full sizing method for sand and cartridge filters
• Best Pool Filter Sand: #20 Silica Brands and Alternatives: which #20 silica sand to buy for the tanks above