Monday, July 16, 2012

My Well Has Stopped Working- What To Do


One day you turn on the faucet and nothing happens. If you have a private drinking water well you will have to determine how to get your water back “on.” There are a number of reasons why a well might suddenly stop producing water, but basically they all break down into equipment failure, depletion of the aquifer or other groundwater problems and failing well design and construction. There is one other possibility-that your pipes have frozen. (See February 19, 2015 article).

Equipment problems are not only the easiest to identify and fix, they are more common than groundwater problems (which were covered in a previous post) or well design and construction issues.First check the power to the well and check to see if you have a short. If your well stopped working right after a thunder storm, check to see if the well was struck by lightning. This is fairly common in the south. If there is a short in the pump system it will blow the circuit and if there was a power surge as the pump was turning on a circuit could have blown. So turn off and on the pump’s circuit breakers or change the fuses. Pumps generally have two circuits tied together because an immersion pump draws a lot of power (240 volts). Make sure both circuits are on- a small water drizzle is one sign of a 240 volt pump getting only 120 volts.If the pump keeps turning off and it is not because of dry well, then there might be a short.

Intermittent episodes of severe water pressure loss or even no water is usually a sign of a problem with the water supply. If you have water first thing in the morning and again when you get home from work, but the supply seems to run out especially when doing laundry or taking a shower, then you may have a groundwater problem. Sudden failure or failure after a power outage is probably a mechanical problem with components of the system.  The first step in identifying the cause of a water failure is to check the equipment. The essential components of a modern drilled well system are: a submersible pump, a check valve (and additional valve every 100 feet), a pitless adaptor, a well cap, electrical wiring including a control box, pressure switch, and interior water delivery system. There are additional fittings and cut-off switches for system protection, but the above are the basics. To keep the home supplied with water each component in the system and well must remain operational.

The components within the basement provide consistent water pressure at the fixtures in the house and the electrical switch that turns on the pump. The pump moves water to the basement water pressure tank, inside the tank is an air bladder that becomes compressed as water is pumped into the tank. The pressure in the tank moves the water through the house pipes so that the pump does not have to run every time you open a faucet. The pressure tank typically maintains the water pressure between 40-60 psi. After the pressure drops below 40 psi, the electrical switch turns on the pump and the pressure in the tank increases. Any failure in any component or loss of electricity can cause a well to suddenly stop producing water when a faucet is turned on.

If you have power (and I assume you do if you are reading this), the most common cause is a failure of the pump, but first remember to check your circuit breakers to make sure that the problem is not electrical. Next check the pressure gauge on your pressure tank, read it. If it is not showing a pressure of 30-50 psi or 40-60 psi (slightly left of center) that could be your problem. The electrical switch at the pressure tank (grey box) is a fairly common cause of failure in the pump/private well water system; so check the switch to make sure it is working. Manually closing the pressure control switch should turn the pump on. Close the switch, if when you do this the pump does not turn on the problem is the pump. If the pump can not be heard to turn on when you manually turn on the pressure control switch, that is your problem. The pump is the piece of equipment subject to the most wear and tear and most likely to fail. When the pressure in the pressure tank falls to 35-40 psi the switch at the pressure tank turns on the pump.

There are two types of pumps; a jet pump and a submersible pump. Most modern drilled wells are built with a submersible pump so that the ground water is not exposed to potential contaminants before it reaches your home. In older pump installations and dug wells, above ground jet pumps were often used, which potentially allowed the introduction of contaminants at the surface concrete well cap. A drilled well generally has a 6 inch diameter pipe sticking out of the lawn somewhere. A dug well is wide enough for a man to fit down into the well so that the well could be dug. Dug wells tend to have concrete lids or other large lid that can sometimes be confused with multiple septic tank systems. Dug wells are more susceptible to contamination and tend to be older. The pump for a dug well is sometimes in a pit next to the well or it will be located in the basement.  Jet pumps are easier to check since they are not in the well and you can pretty much see if they are running. A submersible pump in a drilled well can be checked for power and the pressure switch can be checked with a volt meter and the pump can be heard operating. The safety switch and control box for the pump should be in the basement on the wall near your pressure switch. If you needed me to tell you these things now would be a good time to call the well driller to come out and diagnose the problem. Well drilling companies can generally replace, pumps and pressure tanks and other well components. Things like a leaky valve at the bottom of the well can result in a pump losing it prime after a power failure.  In addition, they can diagnose an improper well design. Private well construction was not regulated in Virginia until the 1992 and is still not regulated in many places including Pennsylvania. I have seen some funky well designs as a VAMWON private well volunteer. An electrical problem will require an electrician, but component replacement can be done by the well drilling company. In Virginia a license is necessary to work on a well as a certified water well provider. Plumbers generally do not have this certification. Do not call a plumber for a well problem.

The submersible pump is a long cylindrical unit that fits within the 6 inch diameter well casing. The bottom portion consists of the sealed pump motor connected to a series of impellers separated by a diffuser that drives the water up the pipe to the plumbing system through the pitless adaptor and a pipe that runs from the well beneath the ground to the basement. Submersible pumps should last 15 years or more, but silt, sand, algae and excessive mineral content can impact their life. A submersible pump operating high sediment water may fail in 5 or 6 years (and several have in my neighborhood). The sediment and mineral content in groundwater acts as an abrasive that wears out the pump bearings and other moving parts and causes the pump to fail prematurely. Often old wells produce less sediment than new wells and a replacement pump may last longer. Any impact to the well (hitting the well pipe with a car or truck), or a bit of gravel broken loose from the formation can cause the pump to wrack, hit the sides of the well and fail. As a well owner you might want to consider a planned replacement of system components rather than waiting for system failure.

If you can hear the pump turn on, yet no water is delivered to the house the problem might be a failure of the pipe leading from the well to the house. If like me your pipe runs under a portion of the driveway, this turns out to be a fairly expensive, but simple fix-excavating the pipe and replacing it. If the horizontal well piping between well and building does not slope continually upwards or if it has a high spot, an air lock can form in the piping. If you need help with a well problem, the Wellcare® Hotline is staffed by the Water Systems Council (WSC), the only non-profit organization solely focused on private wells and small well-based drinking water systems. The Hotline operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and can be reached at 888-395-1033.
Also, if you are in Virginia you can call or email the Virginia Master Well Owner’s Network for help. My name and email are near the bottom of the list with the volunteers and I am happy to help if I can.  http://www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/contact_mwo_table.php

87 comments:

  1. Hi. We have had such terrible luck with a well at our home. We are located in the Allentown area in PA. (About an hour north of Philly) We are in a small community, 11 home sites, with 6 homes built so far. No one has had any issues with their well. We contacted the company that drilled the 4 of the wells and they only lost one. We have 5 wells drilled, 1 worked for 8 months and on New Years Day just all of a sudden stopped. Here's a link to my blog that I started hoping to find some resolution. http://weowewhat.blogspot.com/ Can you please read it over and see if you have any advice to offer. We are so desperate. Thank you so much!

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  2. Megan, I'll read your blog tomorrow. E-mail me at info@washingtonadvisors.com

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  3. call the private well owner hotline at 1-855-420-9355 it is operated by the National Ground Water Association and is supported by the EPA. Also you can visit and utilize the information on wellowner.org as well.

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  4. Hi I am a single mother living in West Virginia-We have been without water for 3days now. Our house has a well which most of the components are underground including the pressure tank. I have replaced the pressure switch myself back in the summer and the water has continued to turn off several times since then. Usually I can stat the pump by engaging the switch but this week the switch will not stay engaged. I cannot afford to call a well driller or plumber. Please help!!!!

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    1. My email is info@washingtonadvisors.com why don't you snap a few pictures of your system components and email them to me so I can see what you dealing with.

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  5. My well water won't work at all. The first that my brother did is take the pressure from the tank. The gauge reads 0. I had someone come look at it and everything seems to be ok in his opinion. I have power at the switch and the pump. Please help.

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    1. my email is info@washingtonadvisors.com

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    2. You need to put air in it at least 30 on gauge

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  6. My well stopped turning on. My sister was taking a shower and the water turned off completely. We checked the breaker and it was not tripped. We flicked it anyway just to make sure. We went outside and checked the power switch for the well and flicked that on and off. We heard no power to the well.. Please can you help us.

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    1. Damion,
      Sudden failure is usually a mechanical problem. The pressure switch and pump are the most common failures unless your well was hit by lightning. You might want to call a well service company. Email me directly at info@washingtonadvisors.com
      Elizabeth

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  7. My family has a cabin up near a local ski resort. The water is supplied by a well, but it stopped working this last weekend. Like you, I can hear the well pump turn on, but I'm not sure where the pipe goes. Is there an easy way to find that out? We need to get it fixed before the ski season is over.

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  8. Great information in this entry. I live in Alaska, and since the earthquake over the weekend I have been unable to draw water from my well. I'm in the process of troubleshooting, and your information is quite helpful! Thanks!-Hil Hartman

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  9. I am a single mother living in South Carolina. My son and I have been living in our double wide trailer for 5 years with no running water. We manage with four 5 gallon buckets of water. This is how I cook, bathe, wash dishes, and flush my toilets. None of my neighbors have a problem with their Wells. I can't afford to pay for repairs. Please help us.

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  10. We have a 4-inch submersible well we have replaced it this will be the 4th time we have lived at this residence for approximately 11 years but have changed the well pump this is the fourth one and six years we don't understand what the problem is and why we keep having issues please help or explain or give me some ideals why would this keep happening it's getting to be very expensive. Our well is 100 feet deep. Can to much laundry or showers cause this to happen? Please any ideas ?

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    1. While you might have the worst luck ever, it is really unlikely that 4 pumps have burned out, failed or been struck by lightening in the past 6 years. it is probably not your pumps that are causing the problem, and you need to have a CERTIFIED, licensed well company examine your whole system, to identify the underlying cause of the repeated failures.

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  11. In the last 6 years we have replaced or 4-inch submersible well pump this will be our fourth time this time the electric flickered and went off a couple times and then we had no water we are for sure it is our pump again but like I said this is our fourth one what would be the reasons why this would happen I mean we need answers as expensive this is getting expensive.. could to much laundry or showers cause this?

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  12. My house well just decideso to kick off randomly sometimes. Especially if I have been using the hose. When this happens I have to open and close the circuit breaker connected to the well why is this?

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    1. While your well could be running dry and the pump turning off to protect itself, it could also be an electrical problem or your pressure switch. Check your pressure switch first since it is the easiest to do. http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html

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  13. What happens when the breaker is not flipped and your pump shows pressure but no water is coming out and ours is a submersible pump.

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    1. please send an email to info@washingtonadvisors.com

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  14. My neighbor next door neighbor lives on an elevation about 30 ft higher than my house. After a thunderstorm and loss of power last week she no longer has water upstairs. She does have it on the first floor. This is a new one year old home with a private well. Any thoughts?

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    1. Equipment problems are the most common well problems. The components in the basement provide consistent water pressure at the fixtures in the house and the electrical switch that turns on the pump. The pump moves water to the basement water pressure tank, inside the tank is an air bladder that becomes compressed as water is pumped into the tank. The pressure in the tank moves the water through the house pipes. The pressure tank typically maintains the water pressure between 40-60 psi or 30-50 psi for smaller tanks. After the pressure drops below the cut in pressure (typically 40 psi), the electrical switch turns on the pump and the pressure in the tank increases as the tank fills. If however, the pump is not delivering water fast enough the pressure tank could fail to regain its full head while the water is in use. Also, jiggle the tank to make sure that there is not a hole in the bladder and the area above the bladder is not filling with water.
      The first two things to check are the pressure in the pressure tank and your circuit breakers to make sure that the problem is not electrical. Pumps generally have two circuits tied together because an immersion pump draws a lot of power (240 volts). Make sure both circuits are on- a small water drizzle or no pressure for upstairs is one sign of a 240 volt pump getting only 120 volts. Next check the pressure gauge on your pressure tank, read it. If it is not showing a pressure of 40 psi (slightly left of center) that could be your problem. Also, turn on a tap and let the water run and while that is happening check the pressure on the tank, to make sure it does not fall. The electrical switch at the pressure tank (grey box under the gauge) turns on the pump. It is probably working since you have water, but check it anyway. Check the voltage before and after the switch just to make sure. When the pressure in the pressure tank falls to 35-40 psi the switch at the pressure tank turns on the pump. Also, you can get what is essentially a vapor lock and the tank may simply need to be drained, bleed and recharged. Before you do that check to make sure that the tubing to the valve is not clogged.
      Also, see http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html

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  15. I wish them a ton of luck. I hope it works. We still don't have a well....since January 1 2012. We don't have any money to drill one. We are 50k in the hole.

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  16. Our well in our basement Hums and water pressure is at 42. It never fluctuates. It also does not kick on when we have the water on. Is the motor shot?

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    1. I assume that your well has stopped working. It may be the pump, but I would need much more information to understand what equipment you have and it's condition. Please email me.

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  17. I live in boise, id and a few days ago i started losing water pressure while showering or doing dishes, it would lose pressure slowly then stop for a minute then kick back on this went on for a few days then yesterday it stopped completely. I have checked all my valves and breakers, the hot water heater reads 0psi, i changed the pressure switch and the pump is only about 2 years old.. Going to buy a voltage meter tomorrow. Any sujestions for me before i do that?

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  18. We have a well shared by 3 homes. We have intermittent water while the other 2 ha e good water. We have a new well pump and ha e had to clean the strainer in the pressure regulator valve in the house. Still having issues. What to check?

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  19. Logically, the problem is with your system. Try checking the pressure switch and pressure tank. http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html

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  20. Hello, my water is intermittent and low in evenings , but now nothing. Pump will turn on, maybe some brownish water , then nothing but a bucket full. I'm in fl and a single mom of 4 and am panicking, please help, not sure what to do now. It's a submersible pump, thanks

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  21. Hello, my water has been going intermittent for awhile then by the end of the day, down to a trickle usually a brownish water, my well is a submersible. But now, not but a gallon. Please help, I'm a single mom of 4 in fla and now panicking, not sure what to do or how to get some help.

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  22. You can email me directly at info@washingtonadvisors.com or read http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2012/05/is-my-well-running-dry.html
    Unfortunately, what you describe are the symptoms of a well going dry.

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  23. Hello! I live in Georgia and I also have a well. I am a single mother and I don't have money to call in someone to fix my well. This morning, I had water. A hour later, I had no water at all. I just put a new control box on a few weeks ago. There is power at the well. Not sure if it could be my pressure switch or not. Someone please help me!!!

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  24. You are going to need some on the ground expertise to figure out what is happening with your well. In Georgia start with the Non-Public Well Program (NPW), housed in the State Environmental Health Office. They can provide you with information on wells ranging from installation of new wells, maintenance of wells and wellhead protection, and sampling recommendations.They are your best place to start. Also, they may be able to guide you to the Rural Housing Repair and Rehabilitation Loan Program that will lend to repair or replace a well for low income households. Also, the USDA has the Household Water Well Program. The Household Water Well Program is funded by the federal government and administered through qualified non-profit organizations. The program loans up to $11,000 per household for existing home owners to repair or replace wells. The 20-year loans are repaid at 1 percent interest. Good Luck.

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  25. Thank you so much for the great information Ms. Elizabeth Ward! I never knew about these programs. I will be checking into them to see if they can help me. UPDATE ON MY WELL: So I was out of water all yesterday and last night. This morning I had water. I didn't do anything to the well tank, didn't change any breakers, or nothing! I did notice on my pressure switch the the clicker part (I think they call it the points) was kind of burned. I was told that I could file them down a little with sand paper but I didn't have any. But it was a really great sound this morning when I was able to flush the toilet. ☺ Is there any reason why I didn't have water yesterday and this morning I have water after doing absolutely nothing?

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  26. That is a classic symptom of a well going dry. It recharged a little overnight. see this blog post.
    http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2012/05/is-my-well-running-dry.html

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  27. My well was left on for to long accidentally, now there is no water. This has happened in the past but the water came back in a few hours. It's been 6 hours and still nothing. I reset the breakers and still nothing, what else can I do besides call a well and pump specialist?

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  28. Hi Gayle, You simply ran your well dry and the recharge is apparently low this is due to drought or a failing well. Wait, it does not sound like the well has gone dry. It will recharge, but slowly. see this article. http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2012/10/after-your-well-goes-dry-what-can-be.html

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  29. Hello, I found this blog while pulling my hair out looking for answers. My husband an dI just purchased a home in Delaware right next to the C&D Canal (lovely view). There were 2 wells already on the property. One abandoned and one in use. Well the second one (180ft.) has failed. No to very little water that was extremely red. Our General Contractor hired a company to dig a 3rd well. After 320ft. no notable water. He has stopped digging because he needs a rig that can dig deeper. I just think at this point we need intervention. A Hyrdogeologist, technology or heck even dowsing to find where on our land the water is. The neighbors have no problem. Their wells are under 200ft. My house is the only one which is very close to the canal on a slope. Before we drill again, I just don't want to spend anymore money drilling blind. What can you suggest? Any advice is welcome. Thank you!

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  30. First contact the DNREC Division of Water. They will have the most knowledge of the hydrology in your area. Then you are right, you should hire a hydrogeologist. Email me at info@washingtonadvisors.com and I can pull the USGS Groundwater Atlas for your location.

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  31. Ensuring each member of your household knows how to turn off the water to your home in the event of a water line break or water heater failure can prevent severe flooding and damage in the event of a critical failure. unclog toilet

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  32. Hi, I am a single mother in Ga and just moved into a house with a well. I was watering a small vegetable garden this evening and did not realize my hose had broken and was leaking. As I was watering a plant the water just stopped. Nothing. And still no water. I checked the breaker and it had not flipped. Any idea what could be the cause.. And how to fix it. The pump was still running. I shut off the breaker becausevI was afraid the pump would burn out with no water.

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  33. Are there any well assistance programs in Wisconsin?

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  34. We had a severe storm effect our area on 8/4.As a result many of our appliances, electronics, generator and well were affected. Insurance adjuster validates some of the issues however two weeks later after being told our well pump was good, it trips the circuit and burns out. The same adjuster came back pulled the pump and said the connections were loose and burnt the pump. He says not storm related but I find it to be more than a coincidence. Prior to the storm we had no issues. After the storm it took 6 hours for water to come back on, and with low pressure. Could the surge have caused loose connections? Thank you.Alicia

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  35. My well stopped working.There is water on the floor with nothing coming out of the facets.Before it stopped working we heard loud metallic sounds the night before.

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  36. I'm a single mother of 2 in VA. This evening after a day of rain (finally) my water turned very brown and had silt/sand in it. What do I do? Starting to panic

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  37. Hi Elizabeth,
    We started a drip irrigation hose today and ran it for an hour. This is pretty small amount of water coming out while maintaining a fair amount of pressure on the line. Ran for an hour. Switched to another line. After about an hour our well quit working. It has all new components. I turned off the hose with the drip line. Worked with the pump and water is on again. All is fine. Don't know why the well stopped working with a drip line in use? Help appreciated!

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    1. I need a lot more information to even try to help. Please email me so we can discuss this in more detail. eward@washingtonadvisors.com

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  38. We had a new well drilled about 3-4 yrs. ago. When I run a sprinkler for 30-45 minutes it loses its pressure and just trickles out. Why does it do that.

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  39. Help we get water all day then at night it stops.if I change the filter it goes back on. But then by the end of day nothing. This is going on 3 days now. We just moved to the house noone was living here for 8 months

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  40. I have a solar water pump submersible installed into my borehole (well) a month and half ago. It has been working well ever since but last week friday could not run when switched on. there is no sound of power to the pump attempting to pump. There are two lights on in the control box, green one at system and red at tank level. What could be the problem?

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  41. Hello, we are in PA and just woke up to no water. Went to the basement and the is running but there's a tiny hose that should be connected to the expansion tank and it's not. It is just spraying water. So we reconnected it but the pump is still running. I'm concerned about leaving it run or why that line popped off.

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  42. It sounds like the pressure switch is clogged or broken in the on position and blew the hose off the pressure tank. See this article for help. http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html

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  43. After having water earlier today I just came home and we have no water, we have a j-class submersible pump and on the water storage tank the gauge reads 0

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  44. Hi Elizabeth,
    I,m baffled. I've had problems with my submersible well-pump on and off for the last few years. The first time I had to replace a capacitor at the control box. Next I had to replace the whole line from the house to the well. Finally . last summer I replaced the whole control box.Last night was the latest ordeal. I had no water so I tested at the control box for power on both legs and that was good. I pushed the reset button but no help. I turned the breaker off in the house for an hour or 2 and got water but not a lot of pressure. Filled up some jugs, turned off the breaker and went to bed. This morning I got up and had plenty of water after turning the breaker on. I went out for 6-8 hours and came home to no water. Any ideas?

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    1. It could be lots of things-I need a lot more information to have anything useful to say, but you have had a series of electrical problems, so look there first. It does sound like a short in the system. If you have a control box you have a three wire installation with a ground as the 4th. You need the red, black and yellow to all work. Test at the control box, then test the voltage and resistance at the well head to see if there is a problem with the wiring between the house and the well. If you have voltage at the well head it may be a pump problem or a wiring problem in the well. Before you pull a pump, test the pressure switch and shut off the breaker and turn it back on (make sure you turn on both pump breakers). You could have a short in the wiring between the well head and the pump.

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  45. Hi. My name is Felix and came upon your blog by searching about an issue we just encountered with our well water. I had just finished taking a shower and had excellent water pressure. But as I opened a sink faucet, the water pressure dropped. At first I thought it was a dirty sediment filter, but when I went to check, the pump was running dry; no water flow. I primed the pump using the irrigation pump through a spigot and everything seems to be working fine. Pressure is normal and pump is cutting off at adjusted pressure. The well and pump are about three years old. It's night out, so must wait until tomorrow to do some troubleshooting, but what should I look for? The only thing that comes to mind is the pressure switch, but how would I check? I know ants could cause switch to malfunction, but that's not the issue this time around. Any thoughts? Thank you.

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  46. see if this helps
    http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html

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  47. I checked the pressure switch, including checking condition ofotje diaphragm and all seemed to be fine. Pump has been working fine as well. I suspect that somehow the issue was caused by an air packet, but not sure how. All connections are tight and I didn't notice any leaks. We'll keep an eye on it though; can't afford to lose the pump as they can be expensive. Thank you for your suggestion.

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  48. I live in Michigan we had water last night got up no water there is power and psi show up right. Any ideas

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    1. sounds like frozen pipe or pipes. See https://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2015/02/no-water-from-well-it-could-be-frozen.html

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  49. Help please, we live in Oklahoma and today is the coldest day of year my water worked fine until about 6:15 this evening and suddenly stopped we hadn't turned the heater on in the well house yet so we did immediatly had to replace the heat lamp under house and still 5 hours later no water I have reset the switch the pressure gauge shows between 39-45 psi our pipes have froze before and it's never taken this long to thaw out unfortunately the people that did our well didn't put a valve in and our well is like 90 foot we absolutely can't afford to replace or have it pulled again if anyone has any ideas please share we are desperate. Thanks so much.

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  50. Good morning, please help. We live in the western part of North Carolina in the mountains. We are at about 2500 feet. We have a well that is down the hill from our home. We had torrential rain pour yesterday. We had 7 inches in our area. Yesterday morning all water systems were fine. When we came home we saw that the power had been out, but had come back on. What was strange was that we could hear gurgling in the pipes all over the house. If we turned on the faucet you would get a little water but a lot of hissing. We went to the basement and checked the blue pressure tank. The read out read psi anywhere from 0 to 50. When the water would come in the pressure would go up and stop then the water seem to leave and the pressure would go down. We could hear water in the pipes. We watch this for many cycles.Water would run in and we could see it goes through a large cartridge filter and as the water came in the pressure would go up. After watching multiple YouTube videos we learned about the little tiny valve on the top of the tank and tested it. There was no water that came out of it and it did let air out. We turned the circuit breaker on and off. We turn the power off and back on. But it still just seems to cycle. Normally I would just call a plumber, with great trepidation, but I just had to have very unexpected oral surgery and endodontics that cost an out of budget expense of $5000. There is no money right now to call a plumber. Is there anything that we can do to fix this? My husband is quite familiar with electricity and had wired a house we had built in another state, so if it is something electrical I believe that he can handle that. I am almost in tears as I write this at the thought of another expenditure. Please help if you can. Thank you Judy

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    1. It's really hard to guess without seeing what is going on, but it is probably related to the rain. Go take a look at your well head- make sure the well cap is in place, the well head is not flooded and the area around it has drained. It may just be that all the rain brought mud and sediment into the well. Try draining the pressure tank and removing, cleaning and replacing the pressure switch. Clean the filter and replace the cartridges. Then start up the system again. That might work.

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  51. If the power has gone out in the past we've had to reset (turn on) the pressure switch to our pressure tank over the years. Recently there were a few times that while showering or running a tap we'd lose pressure and I'd lift the switch and it would work. Then a few days later we had quite high pressure for a few days. Then one morning the water just stopped. Any ideas? How do I diagnose whether it's the pump or pressure tank or switch. We were going to have it checked but too late... I'm scared we've ruined our pump.

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    1. Check the pressure switch first it's an inexpensive piece of equipment. http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html
      Then the pressure tank.

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    2. also- http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2014/07/loss-of-pressure-from-well.html

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  52. I live in Arizona.my pump is making a humming noise pressure is at 60 lbs but no water coming out of faucets.disconnected wires last nightreconnected them again had water early this morning now no wayer again

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  53. Have a 4inch sumergble deep well pump. My points keep kicking on and off . the tank feela up and then shuts off . but when it kicks back on. It just kicks on and off..ive replaced 3x already. And in the last 8 years ive had to change pump 3x ..please help with advice.. Im lost

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  54. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  55. We have a well that we use to water plants, wash cars, etc. It is NOT our main water source. Recently, a couple of times we have discovered no water coming out of the faucet at the house. The first time, the breaker had flipped, so we flipped it back, and it worked fine for a couple of days. Today, that trick didn't work, but when my husband went to check on the pump, he discovered the faucet by the pump works fine, just not the ones at the house. Any ideas?

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    1. What type of well is it? How deep? What type of pump? Do you have a pressure tank?

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    2. Now none of them seem to be working and the pump was VERY HOT when we checked on it. yesterday. I'm not sure about the specifics of the well. We are thinking maybe it has lost its prime?

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  56. Live in Yorktown, Va. Been in home since 92. Pump is in garage, replaced expansion tank and pump about 5 years ago. Also installed check valve near pump because would lose prime when away form home for extended periods, worked fine since. Came home from work a couple days ago, pump running constantly pressure 38psi, cutoff set at 50psi. Removed pump and noticed water was very dirty, clay like. Checked whole house filter it was covered with clay with about 1" of clay type material in bottom. Re installed old pump and new filter, after priming pump several times, pressure never got above 35psi. Filter clogged again with clay like material. Original well for house built in 67, was told it is 75'. Original owner told me approx where well is, nothing exposed just grass. Can see where 1" galvanized pipe goes out the front of house. Thinking well maybe bad. May start digging to see if I can locate. Any suggestions?

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    1. The pump is running constantly because it cannot pull enough water from the well to fill the pressure tank. It is pumping either mud or possibly iron bacteria. If it is slimy it could be iron bacteria. If you are pumping mud, your shallow well may be going dry or collapsing, or the screen may have corroded over the years. Given that this is the upper Potomac Aquifer, the water level in the area may be falling below the well. This is the time of year when groundwater levels tend to be at their lowest. Even without a drought in the area, you well may simply be going dry. Your well has served the house for 53 years. You may need to call a well driller and take a look at what is going on. You may end up drilling a new well. Call the health department to see the information they have available on your well and location.

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  57. thank you for explaining in detail most problems. it helped me fix my well problem on my own.
    btw... apparently there's no single dads out there, or perhaps they never have well issues

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  58. Glad to help. As to single Mom/ Single Dad. Sociology is not my field so I would not hazard to explain your observation.

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  59. Replaced pressure switch a month ago had water until lastnight pressure switch keeps kicking on and off will not hold pressure

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  60. It may not have been the pressure switch. When a well is drying out, the pump will cut off to protect itself. Also, a failing pump or short could cause that problem. You are going to have to check those things. Other articles to look at:
    https://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2020/12/figuring-out-why-there-is-no-water-from.html

    https://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2016/01/water-well-problems-pressure-switch.html

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  61. The power company shut the power off for four hours today. Now the well water pump runs nonstop but there is no water. I have no idea what to do.

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  62. Best guess is that the pump lost it's prime.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SsTj8ZtGLo

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  63. we just moved into our house last June. The house is only 4 years old and from what i know the well pump is the same age. We live in South Texas. In Febuary we were hit with that crazy winter storm we were prepaired for the cold but we didnt expect our electricity to turn off and turn our pump off and our well ended up freezing. After everything was said and done everything seemed fine but our pump started acting up by that i mean that it will run off and on all day and on days that i do laundry it our water will completly stop flowing when i go out to the well house the pump is hot to the touch after about 20 mins the water will flow again. i checked a few mins ago and the psi is a little above 40.

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  64. Though you should definitely have your equipment checked, this sounds like the well is drying out when you do laundry. South Texas is in a severe drought and laundry takes 26 gallons for a front loader and 52 gallons for a top load washer. Pull the well driller's report to see what the recharge rate was at well completion and how deep the well is. This will give you some idea if it possible that the well is drying out. The well depth is also your water storage if the recharge is below the use rate.
    see if this article can help.
    https://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-well-went-dry.html
    https://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2020/12/figuring-out-why-there-is-no-water-from.html

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  65. Hi,my water well has been out, going on a month, 1/2 hp submersible pump 3 wire, replaced control box upgraded to a 3/4 hp control box, breakers in well house and breaker box behind house, installed a new pump, was getting 126 volts on both sides of pressure switch, still not engaging. The problem occurred after toilet handle to tank did not let the flap seal, causing it to continually run. Any ideas? Or suggestions? Thank you.

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    1. If you've got power on both sides of the pressure switch, a new pump and controller...check both the wire to the pump-the pump may not be getting power and the pressure switch.

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  66. Our tank is in the garage. The clicking noise that goes with the pressure valve stopped clicking a couple of days ago. It seemed to click all the time and I noticed the electric bill went up. A couple of day’s ago I noticed it quit clicking. The pressure is still at about 42, and I haven’t lost water. I turned the breaker on and of. The pressure switch hummed and then clicked a few times and hasn’t clicked again. With the water working what would be the problem?

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  67. With the water working the pressure switch is in the on position. Constantly on would keep the pump running...it would explain an increase in the electric bill. So, where is the water going? You could have a cracked pipe or do you have a second pipe or hose to a barn...look for the leak.

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