Before you decide to purchase an above ground pool there are several things you need to consider.
The first decision is to determine if you have an area big enough for the size you want and if it is level. A pool and the weight of the water within it can make a big difference to the functionality of it, if your land is not level. I have a pool and this will be the second year I have used it. My land is not level. I had it taken down last year to built up the area. (I will have to take it down again to try this and level the area one more time.) I fault myself for not being there when I had the pool water delivered this last time. I would have stopped the delivery had I known that this delivery person would not smooth out the pool liner and so on…
Your next decision is what size. There are a lot of pools out there and they all mostly function the same. My pool is a 16×48 and had a cartridge filter. The pump for this filter system only lasted about a month into this year and replacement parts do not exist. I obtained a replacement pump by searching Craigslist and found that it was not strong enough to filter the water to my satisfaction. (Not to mention that the hose sizes were different.) I went back to Craigslist and posted a "wanted" add looking for a pump and sand filter. I will be switching to that one this week after finding stronger hoses that are not prone to crimping.
Cartridge filter systems are an excellent way to manage a pool. You regularly clean the filter and make sure that you monitor the chemical levels in your pool to keep the alkalinity, pH and chlorine at acceptable levels. Make sure you take samples of your water to your local pool store if you are unable to balance the chemicals. If you start out using Chlorine do not switch to other chemical types!!!! On the other hand, pumps that use sand filters tend to have less internal cleaning needs but they do use additional water and energy. (Translate that into a higher electric bill.) The pool will still use the same amount of chemicals regardless of the type of pump you use.
It is a pleasure to have a pool but, it does require maintenance. You will need to test it about every other day. I suggest you keep your basic chemicals on hand such as Chlorine with a water clarifier and Algaecide.
