New user, question about sand filter for use with Intex pools.

Not a spammer. We had contemplated putting in an inground last year, but when it came time to go, we chickened out for now. Just too much money to invest when we can get a pool membership for a few hundred a year. So summer comes, and we get to talking about getting a pool membership, and decided to try a cheap intex pool since the investment was only about the same as 2 seasons of pool membership, and its so convenient to just be able to jump in after work.

We ended up with a 20' x 48" metal frame intex for now. Added the saltwater system as well.

Only real complaint thus far is that the pump doesnt move enough water to effectively skim the surface, or use the included vacuum. Basically have to 'shop vac' the bottom, and havent really found a way to keep the top clean. I am assuming a bigger pump will take care of most of these issues, but i dont want to invest a ton of money, because if we use it as much as i think we will, and maintenance is no worse than i think it will be, we will definitely be upgrading pools before too long.

So, any suggestions? As i understand, too much pump can be as bad as not enough pump. We are thinking about either the 14" or 16" intex sand filters, or the one hayward makes for these pools. Open to other suggestions.

Too much pump is bad if it's matched with too little filter.

Didn't know Hayward was making a pump & filter set for Intex; have to check that out

My intex is smaller than yours but I have found a good way to get the dirt out of the bottom with the intex vacuum that hooks to your skimmer. I live on a dirt road an get a large amount of dust that falls from the air in the evening into the pool. The problem with the using the vacuum as instructed, the debris bag and filter does not catch all of the fine particles and they return to the pool as cloudy water. I unhook the return line from the pool side and loop it up through the metal from so water doesn't run through (and of course stopper the return hole in pool), then hook a larger diameter pvc pipe to the outlet from the pump and aim it down hill form the pool. I then vacuum the sand and debris out of the pool with the water being shot right out onto the ground. I loose about 1.5" of water in the 10 or so minutes it takes while actually running the vacuum.
With the intex vacuum that comes with the deluxe pool care set (not the one that hooks to a water hose), you must empty the debris bag frequently or the pump will not be able to pull the sand or debris off the bottom. And be sure to rinse the pump filter when finished, because it gets pretty dirty while using the vacuum.
Hope that helps with the vacuuming issue.