No Water From Your Well?
Taps dry and the toilet won't refill? Check the few safe things below, then call. We'll work to connect you with a local well professional as quickly as possible. If no one picks up, leave your name, number and town and you'll get a call back.
Safe things to check first
- Power: is the rest of the house on? Check the well pump breaker in your panel (usually a double breaker). If it tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, stop and call.
- Pressure gauge: near the pressure tank. If it reads zero, the pump isn't delivering water.
- Frozen pipes: in cold weather, check the well house, crawlspace, or wherever the pressure switch and tank sit. Gentle warming with a space heater (kept safely away from anything flammable) may help. Never use an open flame.
- Filters: a completely clogged sediment filter can stop flow. If you have a bypass valve, try it.
- Water treatment equipment: a softener or filter stuck in backwash can block water. Try its bypass.
Don't open the well cap or touch pump wiring. Well pumps run on 240 volts, and an open well can be contaminated.
Common causes of no water
- Failed pressure switch (very common, and often a quick fix)
- Burned-out pump motor or failed control box/capacitor
- Frozen line or switch during a cold snap
- Power surge or lightning damage
- Broken drop pipe or wiring in the well
- Water level dropped below the pump (late summer or drought)
While you wait
- Fill buckets from a neighbor or store-bought water for flushing and drinking.
- Turn off your water heater if the tank may run dry.
- Note what happened before it stopped — lightning, a power outage, sputtering, cold weather. It helps the pro diagnose faster.