@faith_schmidt I actually prefer cheap floats after wetting and breaking them in for 20 minutes first.

Have you checked if the slurry density changed enough to mess with your pump curve? @abby836 makes a good point about equipment finding its sweet spot, but you might need to tweak the VFD speed or impeller clearance to match the wetter material. If your bearings are staying cool that's a win, just keep an eye on the discharge pressure to make sure you're not actually cavitating.

Tbh I'm with you on that, nothing beats the satisfaction of finding a factory print error and proving you're smarter than some guy at a desk in 1989.