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Sand filter pump buying guide

Updated: 16.10.2026

You have an above-ground pool, and amazon.co.uk puts an about £109.99 Intex beside an about £305.07 Bestway. Stars do not show voltage, system flow, or whether sand is in the box. This sand filter pump buying guide is the checklist for the eight listings in this capture, dated 16 October 2026, from the Products Compared editorial team. It does not rank them. The [sand filter comparison](/hub/pool-care/sand-filter) holds the table. Prices are the GBP figures in that file, not a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have an above-ground pool, and amazon.co.uk puts an about £109.99 Intex beside an about £305.07 Bestway. Stars do not show voltage, system flow, or whether sand is in the box.

Our top picks

Intex Intex 26648BS

Best overall

Intex Intex 26648BS
9.2/10about £194.49
View offer
AQUASTRONG AQUASTRONG SFPV120T

Alternative

AQUASTRONG AQUASTRONG SFPV120T
8.8/10about £231.63
View offer
Intex Intex SX925 26642BS

Preis-Tipp

Intex Intex SX925 26642BS
8.2/10about £109.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What to read on the listing
  2. 2.Pump flow and system flow
  3. 3.Sand, balls, and the grade
  4. 4.What this set does not tell you

What to read on the listing

Read pool size, pump flow, system flow, media, and mains before the stars. A 4.6 from 27 reviews can sit on a title that states 220–240 V, and a 5.0 from two reviews can sit on a row that never states volts. The score is not the spec. The 26641EG prints both flows: up to 4,500 gallons, 925 gph at the pump, and 550 gph in the pool. The SPSG100 and the AQUASTRONG SFPV120T state 2,500 gph and 2,000 gph system flow. The SPSG130T states 3,000 and 2,400 gph, up to 13,000 gallons. Bestway states gallon ranges and no system flow. Silence on volts is a missing fact. The pool sand filter UK plug page makes that cut.

Pump flow and system flow

Use system flow when it is printed. Pump flow is what the pump can move before the tank and the hoses. On the 26641EG the pair is 925 gph and 550 gph. Size from 925 and you are using the number the listing has already reduced. A six-hour turnover is a rule of thumb, not a figure on these listings. At 550 gph the printed ceiling of 4,500 gallons is about eight hours, not six. PWTAG describes high-rate filtration, about 25–50 metres an hour, for low domestic loads. These listings do not state BS EN 16713-1. The 26642BS flow field says “925 gallons per minute”. Leave it as printed. Do not merge it with the other SX925.
Intex Intex 26648BS

Testsieger

Intex Intex 26648BS
9.2/10about £194.49
View offer

Sand, balls, and the grade

The 26642BS needs 6.5 kg of silica, not in the box. Intex’s manual specifies No. 20 silica at 0.45–0.85 mm. Finer sand can return to the pool. A public-pool 16/30 bed is a different spec. Do not paste it onto these ASINs. The SPSG100 states up to 30 lb of sand or 1 lb of balls, the AQUASTRONG 50 lb or 1.5 lb of balls, and the SPSG130T 60 lb or 1.8 lb of balls. Thirty pounds is about 13.6 kg and sixty about 27.2 kg. Those are conversions, not kilogram weights on the listing. Balls are a substitute only where a ball weight is named. Both Bestway rows omit the weight.

What this set does not tell you

Six listings say “ac”, “AC/DC”, or “corded electric” and do not state volts. SFPV120T is a model code, not a voltage. The 26641EG does state 120 V, the wrong motor for a UK 230 V socket. Regulation 35 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 covers the plug on equipment intended for UK domestic use. It does not turn a blank into 230 V. HSG179 does not apply to a private family pool, though it can apply to a holiday let. If you still have the cartridge, use the sand filter or cartridge filter page. For one name and a skip, use the best sand filter pump page.

Common questions

Does the sand come in the box?
On the about £109.99 Intex 26642BS, no. It asks for 6.5 kg of silica, not included, and Intex specifies No. 20 sand at 0.45–0.85 mm. The SPSG and AQUASTRONG rows print pound loads of sand or balls as separate buys. Both Bestway listings omit the weight, so do not assume a bag is in that box.
Which flow number do I use, pump or system?
Use system flow when it is printed. The 26641EG gives 925 gph at the pump and 550 gph in the pool, up to 4,500 gallons. Bestway prints one GPH and a gallon range, with no system flow, so that check is impossible. The 26641EG also states 120 V, so the pair is an example, not a plug recommendation.
What sand grade do I buy?
Buy No. 20 silica at 0.45–0.85 mm, in the weight that listing prints. Finer grains are a known way sand returns to the pool. Do not substitute a public-pool 16/30 grade. A named ball weight is the only ball alternative, and this file does not show that balls filter more finely.
How do I check a gallon rating against my pool?
Divide the printed gallon ceiling by the printed system flow. At 550 gph, 4,500 gallons is about eight hours, longer than a six-hour rule of thumb. A 10 ft frame pool is a size UK reviewers mention beside the about £109.99 Intex, not a gallon figure that listing prints. With no system flow, you cannot run the sum.
Why do the two SX925 listings not match?
They are different models. The 26642BS is about £109.99, voltage unstated, 6.5 kg of sand extra, and a flow field of “925 gallons per minute”. The 26641EG is about £141.28, states 120 V, and states 925 gph at the pump with 550 gph in the pool. Do not merge them. Leave the 120 V unit if you need a UK socket.
Is a 5.0 from two reviews enough?
No. The SPSG100 at about £266.40 has that score, no review text, and no stated voltage. Two ratings cannot show a US plug or a dead pump. The 26641EG’s 2.2 from 328 is a large count dominated by 120 V complaints. Read voltage and review text first. A timer such as 2 to 24 hours does not repair either gap.

Related pages

How to backwash a sand filter

Sand filter

Best sand filter pump: a UK top pick and best value

Sand filter or cartridge filter for UK frame pools

Pool sand filter UK plug: is it 220–240 V or 120 V

Sources

Public UK sources and the Intex manual, checked on 16 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these eight listings.

  1. HSE: swimming pool safety (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSG179: managing health and safety in swimming pools (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. PWTAG: filtration rate calculator (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. PWTAG TN50: swimming pool filter specification (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. BS EN 16713-1:2016 domestic swimming pool filtration (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Intex Krystal Clear sand filter pump manual (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Electrical Safety First: plugs and fuses (retrieved 16 October 2026)