This is our third year (installed summer 2018) having an intex 15’x4’ above ground pool. We used chlorine and the pump that came with the pool the first year. Changing the filters and using chlorine was not blowing my skirt up. The filters had to be replaced every two weeks minimum, and the chemicals were somewhat challenging to keep balanced. We decided last year to upgrade to a salt water system. I didn’t look at a sand filter due to cost. We bought an upgrade summer 2019 salt water pump, which used the same disposable filters. The pump was adequate, but we still had to skim the water with a net to get out the layer of bugs and bio matter from the trees for about 10-15 minutes before swimming each and every day. To be fair, there are three trees that contribute to the mess. We got the pool ready this year (2020), but the pump would not operate. We knew we had to buy a new one.I do quite a bit of research on most products I purchase, especially a bigger purchase such as this pump. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of saltwater pumps on the market whether its Amazon, Academy, or our local pool suppliers (Nashville). I saw that this pump had adequate reviews but not stellar. I also know that items like this usually receive a few poor reviews because there are too many user variables for product performance consistency.I can say for us, this pump performance exceeds our expectations. My husband installed it April 27, 2020, and said it was somewhat difficult. I can attest to the amount of time it took-approx 1 1/2-2 hours. We had multiple sized connectors due to previously purchasing a second pump, so that was not an issue for us. The power of this pump is noticeably stronger than the previous two pumps we had. See photos. Kind of like a hot tub if you’re up close. This has not been an issue even for our 10m old in her float.The best aspects of this pump are that the water stays much cleaner, no need to skim before each and every swim, no disposable filters, backwashing the sand is a breeze. You can actually see the funk flush out of the sand! Stop backwash when water runs clear. Bam, you’re done. Always less than a minute.I attribute the improved performance because of the type and strength of filtration system. The water stays clear. We do have to shock and use clarifier, but the frequency is much less and will be necessary with any system. I never have to worry about cleaning the surface before putting my baby in the water. HUGE, time saver. That’s pretty impressive considering the trees around the pool. We do run the pump 12hrs/day most days, especially when we swim.I hope this helps anyone considering either switching to a saltwater system or upgrading to sand. This is the way to go. It’s more costly initially, and the sand is an additional cost, but we feel this will save us money in the long run. I believe the sand lasts 5-7 years.