Every question is a dumb question because asking a question means you don't know the answer to that question which is the definition of being dumb (or, more politely, being
uninformed) ... you only get kicked off this forum if you use the words "
alternative to chlorine" or you make fun of Maddie's (
@YippeeSkippy ) accent ....
Personally I'm not a fan of sand filters and, due to where I live, they make no sense. I have a Pentair QuadDE-100 filter on a 16,000 gallon pool which is vastly oversized...but I love it because it means I only have to clean the filter once per season and I
never backwash it. Without knowing specifics, and if you asked me, I'd say stay away from sand and DE and just get a HUGE Pentair Clean & Clear cartridge filter (either a 460 sq ft or 520 sq ft model). Those filters will have the absolute lowest hydraulic head of any filter and, when oversized, will barely ever need to be cleaned. If you want to minimize your equipment pad maintenance, bigger is always better with filters and having a removable media like a cartridge makes it super-easy to maintain.
One point on autocovers - be sure that the track is installed properly and uses high quality stainless steel screws (marine grade if the builder is willing to take a suggestion). Cover tracks are often made out of aluminum and aluminum in contact with cheap steel screws will cause the screws to corrode. The presence of chloride ions (Cl-) enhances certain forms of iron corrosion and the higher TDS of pool water allows for galvanic corrosion to occur easily. An easy solution to this is to have the track connected to a sacrificial anode (magnesium works best) that is buried in moist soil near the the pool. It's an easy solution in theory BUT in practice can be difficult if the pool build is complicated. Good quality (316L) stainless steel screws will hold up very well so, even if you can't do the sacrificial anode thing, that's the first line of defense....good materials.