Major Sediment issues

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bushwood

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Hello!

Just moved into a 20 yo house that has an open loop geothermal hvac system. During the well inspection they noted excellent water flow 40gpm, but with quite a bit of sediment and low ph. The sediment is not sand like, but larger. After running the bath there is quite a bit of grit. There is currently no filtration or treatment system. There are Rusco spin down filters before each heat pump, but I am having to flush these several times a week, so installing additional for the house water doesn't really appeal. Some of the faucets are clogging with low pressure in some as well. Have been cleaning screens quite often as well. The company that did the well and water test recommended at least a 1" cartidge filter and acid neutralizer. I'm thinking the cartridge filter will need constant replacement and found the Lakos ILB and sandmaster through a search. Would that be something that should be considered, or is it only effective for sand? I see they have an automatic flush system as well, but where exactly would I flush that too? Would they be best installed before the pressure tank? I wouldn't want to flush to the septic or sump, as I would think that will just cause issues with both. I'm needing something that would be relatively maintenance free, but am confused as to what would be the best solution for a DIY. Ay thoughts, links, resources, etc. are much appreciated!

Well is 80'
Liner is 50'
Casing is 40'
Pump set 60'
 

Craigpump

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The Lakos seperators work really well, I have a few irrigation systems with that particular separator installed. An automatic flush valve can be installed, it's basically a timer with a motor driven valve. Our drain lines go into a gutter drain, but for domestic water you should arrange the drain line so there is an air gap to prevent any possible cross contamination.
 

Valveman

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I agree with Craig. Lakos works very well for that heavy stuff. I would be more concerned that the abrasives will quickly wear out the pump. In that case Lakos makes a sand separator that fits on the pump. It will drop the sand back down the 20’ of hole you have below the pump. Sometimes an extra long flow inducer sleeve can work almost as well as the Lakos. The water velocity in the 4” inducer below the pump is so slow that the sand can’t get up into the pump.

The main problem with these options is that eventually the 20’ of hole you have below the pump will fill up with the sand and need to be bailed out.

Your best option is to have a professional and experienced well driller make you a new well with a proper gravel pack. The gravel pack is the filter and it keeps the sand out of the well to start with.

In our area you can get a sand free well guarantee. If the well makes sand, the gravel pack was not installed properly and we would have to drill you another well to make it right.
 

LLigetfa

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In our area you can get a sand free well guarantee. If the well makes sand, the gravel pack was not installed properly and we would have to drill you another well to make it right.

I sure could have used one of those. On my well, the sand comes up the 6" casing and will bury the pump motor. I had the driller come back once to blow it out and he tossed a bit of crushed stone down the hole but that didn't fix the issue. I could not get him to come back a second time and I had to bail it by hand.

In my case it is at higher GPM that the sand becomes mobile, so what I do now is keep the pump from pulling too many GPM.
 

Smooky

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Depending on the diameter of your well you might be able at add a casing and well screen and install a pump that would fit inside this new casing and screen. It could be set up like a gravel pack well. Pumping all that course sand will eat up your pump over time and continue to clog filters etc.
 

Reach4

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Musings from an amateur:

On that sand master, maybe you could route the drain outside so as to not send sand toward your septic. Tilt the pipe down so it drains, and don't do a flush during bitter cold.

I have seen people recommend TwistIIClean. Here are a couple of the threads where that came up: https://terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?46812-Has-anyone-used-a-LAKOS-Twist-II-Clean-Filter
https://terrylove.com/forums/showth...c-flush-valve-for-sediment-filters-like-Rusco

While doing changes, I would add 1 or 2 Big Blue 20x4.5 inch filter housings for the water going to the house. There are a lot of filter elements available. This would follow your sand filters to catch what they missed. They hold a lot more than smaller filters, and are more economical than bigger filters. If they are not really needed, you should be able to get a year out of filter elements. If you don't get that much life, you really needed them.
 

Boycedrilling

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Is your sediment magnetic? You mentioned low ph. You have a possibility of galvanic corrosion. Dry some sediment, them place it on a paper towel. Place a magnet under the paper towel. Move the magnet around. If the sediment follows the magnet, it's coming from the metallic components of your plumbing system.
 

Craigpump

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I would have suggested the in well Lakos separator, but I saw that you said the well has a liner. If the liner is 4"' there will be no way to put an in well Lakos unit on your pump
 

bushwood

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Thanks everyone! I talked to the well company today and they will be out next week. He mentioned over the phone about a sand separator that goes into the well along with gravel to filter out the bigger particles, which I believe is what was mentioned above. They said this was the most expensive, but that it should eliminate most of the issue and save the wear on the pump(which was replaced in 2010 according to the previous homeowner). I will ask him about the need to bail the accumulated grit out, and what that will entail as well and whether our well can accommodate the actual separator. He also talked about installing a back washing filter as a lower cost alternative. Thanks again for your insight and input!
 

Reach4

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He also talked about installing a back washing filter as a lower cost alternative.

Backwashing filters are good and handy, and they can also remove iron and/or sulfur depending on meda, but the backwash has to go somewhere. Septic tank?

That sand separator sounds good... I would hope there is not enough sand to fill the bottom of the bore.
 

Boycedrilling

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I haven't used the Lakos separators on small 4" submersible pumps, but I have used them on large lineshaft turbines. Typically the sand will accumulate to a certain level in the well and then the well will get into an "equilibrium" state and no additional sand will accumulate in the well. If you pull the pump and bail the sand back out, it will build back up to the same level again in a short time and then no further.
 

VAWellDriller

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I would have suggested the in well Lakos separator, but I saw that you said the well has a liner. If the liner is 4"' there will be no way to put an in well Lakos unit on your pump

Lakos does have a unit that you push in under a packer in a 4" well...then install the pump above it.
 

VAWellDriller

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Lining 6" and greater wells with packers is easy....Starting with a 4" well is tough, but w2 times, I've successfully installed welded steel 3" liners in 4" wells...it gets tricky though. These were both 4" screened wells that the water I wanted came from the screen at the bottom, and there were casing failures up high. So I put a screen and a K-packer and blocked off everything up high.
 

Gary Slusser

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It sounds to me that he has a 6" rock bore well which is normal in most of PA and for some reason a 4 " liner was required. Probably to stop this sediment. With low pH, and 20 year old steel casing and liner there may be holes in both that are allowing the sediment problem. That is really bad for a geothermal system, especially if it is an open loop type (taking the water from this well but putting the water back in the ground but not into this well). If it were mine, I'd really want a guarantee that any money spent on trying to stop the sediment would work and I would not attempt to remove the sediment. If no guarantee, I'd drill a new well rather than fool around with this one but... I'd look into a closed loop geothermal system too instead of taking water from this well.

If a new well or a new closed loop is not an option, then I would go with the Sand Trap or Mini Sand Trap at;
http://www.apwinc.com/auto-flush.html I'd probably add the auto flush valve if I was going to do sediment removal on the present geothermal system. And I'd use two full sized Sand Traps in parallel to be able to treat the maximum gpm flow rate.

There shoud not be anything installed before the well pressure tank/pump pressure switch.
 
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