US Patent 10156109 Subterranean pump with pump cleaning mode

A method to dislodge debris from a pump system in which the pump system includes a down-hole pump coupled by a rod string to an above-ground pump actuator, which is coupled to a controller configured to operate the pump system. The method also includes determining that the pump system should begin operating in a pump clean mode, and implementing the pump clean mode configured in the controller. The method also includes impressing a preset vibration frequency during a portion of a pump stroke of at least one pump cycle. Further, the method calls for determining that the pump clean mode is complete, and returning the pump system to a normal operation mode.