TVL
Member
We have a 145 foot sand well with 4 inch casing and a one horsepower submersible pump. The well was drilled in 1978 and has never given any problems other than having to replace the submersible pump.
Just a couple of weeks back, we started experiencing sprinkler heads binding or not wanting to turn freely. Upon closer examination, I discovered small amounts of very fine sand in the the sprinkler head "workings". We still do have plenty of water, but the need to clean the sprinklers every other day is frustrating.
What might be causing this problem all of a sudden?
Side note: A friend of a friend who dabbles with drilling wells around our part of the country (South Carolina) has stated we should disconnect the piping from the well head and let it run for about an hour to purge the system of any buildup. He has stated that all wells will normally have a buildup of residue after a number of years AND the fact that we are in a drought and the water table has dropped several feet doesn't help matters. Does this sound reasonable?
If it does sound reasonable, then why doesn't the system simply purge itself as we irrigate with the sprinklers. Or stated another way, why would I need to take the piping loose at the well head and run the pump for an hour or so to purge the system? To me, whether pumping water through a sprinkler head or directly onto the ground at the well head is the same .......... I can't quite understand how his approach will clean the system any better???????
Thanks!
Just a couple of weeks back, we started experiencing sprinkler heads binding or not wanting to turn freely. Upon closer examination, I discovered small amounts of very fine sand in the the sprinkler head "workings". We still do have plenty of water, but the need to clean the sprinklers every other day is frustrating.
What might be causing this problem all of a sudden?
Side note: A friend of a friend who dabbles with drilling wells around our part of the country (South Carolina) has stated we should disconnect the piping from the well head and let it run for about an hour to purge the system of any buildup. He has stated that all wells will normally have a buildup of residue after a number of years AND the fact that we are in a drought and the water table has dropped several feet doesn't help matters. Does this sound reasonable?
If it does sound reasonable, then why doesn't the system simply purge itself as we irrigate with the sprinklers. Or stated another way, why would I need to take the piping loose at the well head and run the pump for an hour or so to purge the system? To me, whether pumping water through a sprinkler head or directly onto the ground at the well head is the same .......... I can't quite understand how his approach will clean the system any better???????
Thanks!