Dirt/Sand Clogging Filter

[john6185]

I had a 160 foot well drilled in 2010 for lawn irrigation and it has always had sand and dirt in the water. The company that put the well in raised the submersible pump 12 feet with no improvement. I was told that this well company had similar problems in their wells.
I put in a 40 micron filter inline and it would work 2-3 weeks and I’d have to clean it out. Then I ran a pipe down the wel for a hand pump, removed it and installed a new 60 micron in line filter and it would last about one cycle of watering the lawn and need cleaned out. It is the spin down type filter.
So now what would be my next step? The drilling company that put in the well has shut down and is no longer operating.

 

[Reach4]

What diameter is the well? How far down is the pump mounted? How far down is the pump?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[john6185]

The casiing is 5" in diameter and the pump is right at 100 feet

 

[Reach4]

A Lakos Sandmaster may be worth considering. I think you put a valve on the bottom and open that to expel accumulated sand.

SandMaster Separators

SandMaster Separators

www.rcworst.com

Even a flow inducer, that extends a foot or two below the pump, could help considerably, and that is cheap if you are pulling the pump anyway.

 

[Valveman]

R4 has good suggestions. But I would try to pump out the sand first. The well has never been developed. Pumping wide open for hours or days if needed will get some sand out, and make a sand media filter in the well with the sand that doesn't come out.