Ook wrote:
I believe I have the intake for my well too close to the bottom. I
raised it, but apparently not far enough. It use to run nice and
quiet, but when I opened the outlet wide open, it seems to have sucked
up some sand. I can hear it going tink, tink, tink, as the pump runs.
It's not a lot, just enough that I can hear it.

How bad is this? My old pump always made that sound, and I didn't
realize it was sand until I took it apart and found the sand in it.
Can I run a bit and clean it when I get around to it? Or should I stop
and flush the sand out *now*? I have a screen on my foot valve, so
nothing bigger can get in, but it won't stop sand.

Lastly, are there any inline screens available? The foot valve has a
screen that has a small area, but it's a flat metal screen that won't
stop sand. I'd like to have a bigger and better screen that will
actually stop sand without restricting water flow. I can put it inline
somewhere so that I can service it as necessary. Any recommendations?

Can't imagine sand going "tink"...

There are sand filters for the purpose that go on the inlet but ideally
you can get to a water level that doesn't have sand. Of course,
over-pumping a well's capacity can lift sand/silt, too, where a slower
pumping rate will not.

Much sand will, as another said, certainly shorten a pump's life (by
impeller wear, mostly).

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