Just realized I was clearing the suction line wrong for 3 years
Tbh, I always let the pump run dry for a few seconds after pulling the pipe up, thought that was normal. Then my buddy at the St. Louis dock pointed out I was sucking sand back into the system every time. Has anyone else been doing this and not knowing?
Well now, letting it run dry isn't really the issue there. If you pull the pipe up slow enough, the sand should settle back down before you restart it. Might want to check with someone who runs a dredge line for a living, they've got tricks to keep your foot valve clean without the backwash problem.