Key takeaways
- Work from easy to hard. Breaker, then pressure switch, then the gauge, then the tank's air charge. Only then suspect the pump.
- Look at the gauge. Where the needle sits, and whether it jumps, tells you a lot.
- A pump that clicks on and off every few seconds is often a tank problem, not a dead pump.
- Never run a pump dry. Pentair's jet pump manual lists running the pump dry among the things not to do.
- Pump wiring can kill. Turn off the breaker before you open any cover. If you aren't sure, call.
- No water at all in the house? Start with no water in the house, then come back here if you are on a well.
First, are you on a well?
If you have a water bill from a city or utility, you are not, and the pump isn't your problem. See low water pressure instead. If you have no bill and a pressure tank or pump in a basement, utility room or well house, you are on a private well. Many homes outside the city in Washington, Carter and Sullivan counties are.
The checklist
Go in order. Stop when you find the cause.
### 1. The breaker or fuse
A pump that has stopped completely may have tripped its breaker. Find the panel and look for a tripped breaker labeled "well," "pump" or "water."
- If it has tripped, switch it fully off, then back on once.
- If it trips again right away, stop. The pump, the wire or the motor has a fault. Leave it off and call.
- If the breaker is fine and the pump still doesn't run, go on to the switch.
### 2. The pressure switch
The pressure switch is a small gray or black box on the pipe near the tank. It turns the pump on when pressure drops to a set point and off when it reaches a higher one. A switch with burned contacts or a plugged sensing port can leave the pump off when it should be on, or on when it should be off.
You can look, but don't open the cover with the power on. Turn the breaker off first. Burned or pitted contacts, or a nest or insects inside, are a sign the switch needs replacing. Don't tap the gauge or the switch and call it fixed.
### 3. The pressure gauge
Read the gauge on the tank with the pump running and with it resting. The two numbers tell you a lot.
- Needle at zero and the pump never starts. Power or the switch.
- Needle at zero and the pump runs but you get no water. The pump may have lost its prime (a jet pump), may be pumping against a broken line, or the well may be low.
- Needle jumping up and down fast, pump clicking on and off. Go to the tank.
- Pressure reaches the "off" setting and holds, but water at the taps is weak. The problem may be a clog or a leak in the plumbing, not the pump.
### 4. The tank's air charge
A tank that has lost its air cushion makes the pump cycle fast. Flotec's owner's manual for its pre-charged tanks says to check the air charge with no water in the tank or pressure in the system. Turn the pump off, open a faucet until the pressure is gone, then read the air valve with a tire gauge.
The manual's chart calls for an air charge a little below the pump's switch-on pressure. For a switch set at 20 psi on and 40 psi off, the chart calls for 18 psi. The manual also says water coming out of the air valve means the bladder has leaked. See well pressure tank repair and replacement for what to do next.
### 5. Signs the pump itself has failed
If the breaker, switch, gauge and tank all check out, the pump becomes the likely cause. Signs:
- The breaker trips every time the pump tries to start.
- The pump hums but doesn't turn, or doesn't run at all with power at the switch.
- The pump runs and the gauge never climbs.
- Gritty or sandy water, or weak flow that has been getting worse.
Pentair's submersible pump manual lists a plugged intake screen and a stuck check valve as problems you find by pulling the pump. A submersible pump sits down in the well, so checking it means pulling it. That is a job for a plumber or pump installer. Pentair's jet pump manual says a jet pump must be primed, meaning filled with water, before it runs. A jet pump that has lost its prime can look dead.
### 6. A dry or low well
Sometimes the pump is fine and the well can't supply it. A dry spell, a well that was never very deep, or a lowered water table can leave a pump pulling air. You may hear sputtering, get air in the taps, or see water that comes and goes. A driller or pump installer can measure the water level. Don't keep running a pump that has no water to pump.
What to write down before you call
A plumber or pump installer can sort out a well problem faster with a few facts. Note these before you call:
- What the pump does. Does it run, hum, click, or do nothing at all?
- What the gauge reads. The number when the pump is running, and when it has rested.
- How long it has been happening, and whether it got worse slowly or stopped all at once.
- What happened just before. A storm, a power outage, a freeze, or a recent repair.
- What the water looks like. Clear, cloudy, sandy, or with air in it.
- Whether the breaker tripped, and how many times you reset it.
Say you are on a well when you call. A photo of the tank, the gauge and the pressure switch helps if the company asks for one.
What not to do
- Don't keep resetting a breaker that trips. Reset it once.
- Don't run the pump dry. If there is no water to pump, turn it off.
- Don't bypass or jam the pressure switch to keep the pump running. The switch is what keeps the system within its pressure limits.
- Don't open the tank, the switch or the wiring with the power on.
- Don't tap the gauge or the switch and call it fixed. Something made it stick.
- Don't ignore a pump that cycles fast. It wears the pump. Frequent cycling is a reason to call.
When the power was out
After an outage or a storm, a well pump may not restart on its own, a breaker may have tripped, or the system may have air in it. Check the breaker first. Then open a faucet and run it for a few minutes to clear any air. If the pump still won't run, or the breaker trips again, follow the checklist above from step 1.
When it happens in winter
Cold snaps cause no-water calls on wells. A frozen pipe in an unheated well house or between the well and the house can stop the flow while the pump runs. If it is freezing and you hear the pump running with nothing coming out, look at exposed pipe and well house first. How to thaw frozen pipes explains the safe way to warm a line. Never use an open flame.
Well water and your health
If your water has changed, don't just replace the pump. The EPA advises testing a private well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, and testing again after flooding or when the water's taste, color or smell changes. Its private well guidance says to contact your local or state health department for advice on testing. The National Ground Water Association recommends a professional well inspection every year.
When to stop and call
- The breaker keeps tripping.
- You smell burning or see scorched wiring or a melted switch.
- Water is pouring from the tank, the pipe or the wellhead.
- The pump has no water to pump, or you can't find the cause after the steps above.
- You aren't comfortable working near wiring.
For after-hours trouble, see emergency plumber. If you need a pump swapped, well pump repair and replacement explains what a plumber or pump installer does, and what a well pump replacement costs lists national figures with their sources.
Safety
Pump wiring carries voltage that can injure or kill. Pentair's submersible pump manual labels it "hazardous voltage" and says to disconnect the power supply before installing or servicing. Switch the breaker off before you open the pressure switch or touch wiring, and don't work near the pump or the switch with wet hands or while standing in water. Never open a pressure tank that still has pressure on it. Never run a pump dry.