well water filter

From what it sounds like to me is the well has sat un-used for a period of time thus the bore hole is full of sediment. I think I"d free pump the bore for a few days where the water will discharge right after leaving the casing and see if that won"t cure the majority of the sediment problem.

This will be alot better for your pump as it will remove most of the sand from the water so it doesn"t wear on the pump componets as much.

As to installling a filter, look up what they call a sand filter. A sand filter is basicly a 3ft square cube with SS screens with sand and gravel layed. The water enters the bottom where it is forced up thru the media where it cleans the water that exits at the top of the filter media then enters the supply piping.

To clean the sand filter you back flush the filter, run water from the top to the bottom, then dump the waste water. Depending on your water quality this needs to be done every couple months.

They work great for pool filters and or removing heavy sediment contained water to a near peferct drinking water quality and are very easy to build.
Sand filters have been popular for the past couple thousand years.

T_Bone

Soundguy

You will want to put ball valves on each side of your filter. This allows you to change the element without draining the whole system and/or making a mess. It also limits the amount of air that enters the system at change-out time. For extra credit, add a bypass line and a third valve so you can run without the filter for whatever reason.

I never like to put valves or filters ahead of the pressure switch. As was mentioned, a blocked filter or inadevertantly closed valve can create a situation where the pump is dead-headed. Since pressure never comes up in the tank, the pump runs and runs and runs.

Depending on the sizing of the pump, it may create enough pressure while deadheaded to blow out the piping in the well or from the well (particularly common with poly pipe), or to blow up the filter housing.

Alternatively, a lower pressure pump may stay within the pressure ratings, but now it is operating with no water flow through the pump to carry away heat from the motor, thus damaging the pump.

The pressure switch should be mounted right at the tank for best operation. Thus, the filter will be downstream from both the tank and pressure switch if you want to avoid this potential problem.

Pooh Bear