In this period of modern technology, 42 million Americans still use household wells for their water supply. And guess where you can find the biggest cluster of these individuals? In the cities.
Water wells are significant in our society. They are a source of reliable and ample water for thousands of families, irrigations, and industries. In places like deserts where water is limited, people use wells to get underground water to survive and live. However, serious problems may arise if your well starts pumping sand, dirt, or silt.
Some of the effects include:
- Loss of water pressure
- Fixtures damage
- Blocked pipes
- Destruction of your home appliances
When it comes to sand management, you might need the help of professional well contractors. But, what could be the reason that sand is getting into your well?
Why Sand Gets into a Well
1. You have an oversized well pump.
If your pump is too big, it will shoot the water so high due to extreme force, pulling sand from the surrounding aquifer. As a result, there will be a fast deterioration in the pump’s valves, leading to a sand build-up at the bottom of the well. That’s when sand starts coming out of your water lines.
2. Degraded well screen or well casing
When your contractors were still drilling your water well, they lined it with iron, steel, or PVC plastic called the casing. They will install the casing in the well shaft. In the casing, there are grooves that permit water to penetrate the well from the surrounding groundwater, and at the same time to prevent grit and sand. This is called the well screen.
Your submersible pump inside the casing is put under the water. Unfortunately, a good screen can end up corrode or degrade, leading to sand and silt entering the well, which is then pumped into your water system.
3. Your well pump is too low or poorly positioned.
If you suddenly noticed your well is pumping sand and sediment, this can be a result of the pump placed too low in the well near the bottom of your well since most water wells utilize submersible pumps in a casing under the water.
Typically, the pump is at a minimum of 10-20 feet higher than the case of the well. But if the pump is too low near the well’s base, grit, sand, and sediment can be drawn in. Furthermore, if your well is old, the well shaft can fill up with fine silt and sand, resulting in the pump starts sucking in sand from this build-up.
How to Clean Sand Out of the Water Well?
If you see that your water well begins to pump sediment or sand, it’s always best to call well experts or specialists so they can find out the primary issue and find ways to repair it.
If you’re wondering about whether a DIY repair work, this may be a bad idea since there are circumstances when these well experts will have to pull up the pump 10 to 20 feet to eliminate sand uptake. They have modern equipment, such as an electronic camera, to check your well screen if it needs repair. It might also include other specialized devices, such as a sand filter to eliminate sand.
In many extreme problems, they may recommend you to get a brand-new casing. Other possible options they can suggest include:
- Centrifugal sand separator
- Filter screen with flush valve
If you’re looking for sand filter oil and gas experts, you might want to check out Enercorp. They’re one of the most reliable companies that offer engineered solutions to any water well in North America.
