Easy Pool Calc

What size pump and sand filter for a 24 ft above-ground pool?

Short answer

A 24 ft round above-ground pool filled to about 46 inches holds roughly 13,000 gallons, so an 8-hour turnover needs about 27.1 gallons per minute. The sand filter should be rated for at least that flow; DOE’s efficiency advice (50% more, not a minimum) would be about 40.6 gallons per minute.

How to work it out

  1. 13,000 gal ÷ (8 h × 60 min) = 27.1 gpm
  2. Slowest: 13,000 gal ÷ 1,440 min = 9 gpm (34 L/min)
  3. Fastest: the larger of 13,000 gal ÷ 360 min and 36 gpm = 36.1 gpm (137 L/min)
  4. Filter: rated for at least the pump’s 27.1 gpm (103 L/min); DOE’s efficiency advice adds 50%: 40.6 gpm (154 L/min). Sand bed 27.1 gpm ÷ 20 gpm per sq ft = 1.35 sq ft

A 24 ft round is the most popular big above-ground size. With a 52 in wall filled to around 46 in, the water surface is 452 sq ft and the pool holds roughly 13,000 gallons (Intex lists 12,481 gallons for its 24 ft × 52 in Ultra XTR). That volume decides both the pump and the sand filter.

Adjust for your project

gal
Don’t know it? Work it out with the pool volume calculator or the above-ground pool calculator.
hours
A turnover every 24 hours is the minimum (DOE Building America guide). The energy code that APSP adopted says don’t go faster than a 6-hour turnover (or 36 gpm, whichever is greater). 8 hours is a middle-of-the-road starting point.
Printed on the pipe. Above-ground pools often use hoses; check the size on the pump and filter ports.
On the filter’s label or spec sheet (“design flow” or “max flow”). Blank to skip.
Pump flow you need27.1 gpm (103 L/min)
Water moved per hour
1,625 gal
Slowest allowed (one turnover in 24 hours)
9 gpm (34 L/min)
Design limit where adopted (6-hour turnover or 36 gpm)
36.1 gpm (137 L/min)
Pipe check
OK: 1-1/2 in pipe carries up to 45 gpm
Filter rated for at least (your pump’s flow)
27.1 gpm (103 L/min)
DOE efficiency advice (not a minimum): rated 50% above
40.6 gpm (154 L/min)
Sand filter area at 20 gpm per sq ft
1.35 sq ft
Smallest listed sand filters that meet it
Hayward S166T (30 gpm) or Pentair Triton II TR40 (38 gpm)
  • Horsepower alone tells you little. DOE says a pump of 0.75 hp or smaller is generally enough for a home pool; a variable-speed pump lets you run the flow above for longer at low speed. See what a pump costs to run.
Before you buyThis gives the flow you need, not a model. A pump’s real flow depends on the resistance of your pipes, filter and fittings; check the pump’s published curve at your system’s head, and have plumbing and electrical work done to code.

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Above-ground pool pumpAt about 27 gpm you are in above-ground pump territory. Match it to the filter: the filter’s rated flow should be at or above the pump’s.
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24 ft round (13,000 gallons) by turnover time

24 ft round (13,000 gallons) by turnover time
TurnoverPump flow you needFilter rated for at least (your pump’s flow)Smallest listed sand filters that meet it
6 hours36.1 gpm (137 L/min)36.1 gpm (137 L/min)Hayward S210T (44 gpm) or Pentair Triton II TR40 (38 gpm)
8 hours27.1 gpm (103 L/min)27.1 gpm (103 L/min)Hayward S166T (30 gpm) or Pentair Triton II TR40 (38 gpm)
10 hours21.7 gpm (82 L/min)21.7 gpm (82 L/min)Hayward S144T (25 gpm) or Pentair Triton II TR40 (38 gpm)
12 hours18.1 gpm (68 L/min)18.1 gpm (68 L/min)Hayward S144T (25 gpm) or Pentair Triton II TR40 (38 gpm)
24 hours9 gpm (34 L/min)9 gpm (34 L/min)Hayward S144T (25 gpm) or Pentair Triton II TR40 (38 gpm)

Pump flow for a 24 ft round

At about 13,000 gallons, an 8-hour turnover is 1,625 gallons an hour, or 27 gpm. The slowest acceptable rate, one turnover a day, is 9 gpm, and the energy-code ceiling is about 36 gpm: for a pool this size the 6-hour turnover and that rule’s 36 gpm alternative land almost on top of each other. In other words, almost any above-ground pump sold for this size lands in the right range; the question is how hard it pushes the filter.

Which sand filter for a 24 ft above-ground pool?

  • Rated flow. Common practice is a filter rated at or above the pump’s flow, so the Hayward S180T (35 gpm) covers 27 gpm. DOE’s efficiency advice of 50% extra (about 41 gpm) points to the S210T (44 gpm), which takes 200 lb of sand and runs longer between backwashes.
  • Intex systems. Intex rates its SX2800 for pools up to 17,200 gallons (2,150 gph system flow, about 36 gpm) and its SX2100 up to 12,800 gallons, just under this pool’s volume.
  • Sand. Whatever you choose, the amount is on the tank label; the pool filter sand calculator has every listed model, including how much sand a Hayward S210T takes.
  • Hoses and fittings. If your above-ground plumbing is 1-1/2 inch, 27 gpm is well under the 45 gpm Hayward lists for that size.

The volume itself is worked out on how many gallons in a 24 ft round, 52 in pool. Bigger inground pools are on what size pump for a 15,000 gallon pool and what size pump for a 20,000 gallon pool.

Different size? Use the full Pool Pump Size Calculator (GPM & Turnover).

What you’ll need

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Frequently asked questions

What size pump for a 24 ft above-ground pool on a 10-hour turnover?

About 21.7 gpm (82 L/min), and a filter rated for at least that (32.5 gpm (123 L/min) with DOE’s optional 50% margin).

What size pump for a 24 ft round pool with a 48 in wall?

Filled to about 40 in, a 24 ft round with a 48 in wall holds roughly 11,200 gallons, so an 8-hour turnover needs 23.3 gpm (88 L/min).

Other common sizes

Sources