No water, low pressure, pump that won't shut off, pump cycling constantly — most well pump problems have a clear cause and a known fix. Diagnose yours here before paying for an emergency service call.
Jump to your problem
Every well water system has three parts that fail differently: the pump (submersible, down in the well, or jet pump, above ground), the pressure switch (a small electrical switch that turns the pump on/off based on pressure), and the pressure tank (a tank with an air-filled bladder that stores pressurized water so the pump doesn't run every time you open a tap).
Most "well pump problems" are actually pressure switch or pressure tank problems — both are cheap, fast DIY fixes. True pump failures (the motor itself, down in the well) are less common but more expensive to fix.
Step 1: Check the circuit breaker
Well pumps run on a dedicated 220V circuit, usually labeled "well pump" in the panel. A tripped breaker is the single most common cause of total water loss. Reset it — if it trips again immediately, that points to a short in the pump motor or wiring, which needs a professional.
Step 2: Check the pressure switch
Locate the pressure switch — a small box, usually near the pressure tank, with two electrical leads and a pressure connection. Remove the cover and look for burnt or corroded contacts (dark, pitted, or melted-looking metal). If the contacts look fine, use a multimeter to check for continuity across the switch when pressure is low.
Pressure switches cost $15–$50 and are one of the most common points of failure in the entire system. If yours is more than 10 years old and you're seeing no water, replacing it is often the fastest fix.
Step 3: Listen for the pump
Open a faucet and listen near the pressure tank. If you hear the pump humming or running but get no water, the problem is likely lost prime, a failed check valve, or — in serious cases — the well has run dry or the pump itself has failed. If you hear absolutely nothing, the problem is electrical (power isn't reaching the pump) rather than mechanical.
If the well itself has run dry
During drought conditions or with high water demand, the water table can drop below the pump intake. Symptoms: pump runs, sounds normal, but produces little or no water, and this often coincides with dry weather or high seasonal usage (irrigation, filling a pool). This requires a well contractor to assess depth and possibly lower the pump or deepen the well — it isn't a DIY-fixable problem.
Check the pressure switch settings
Most residential systems run a 30/50 or 40/60 PSI cut-in/cut-out range — the pump turns on at the first number and off at the second. If someone (or a prior owner) lowered these settings, you'll get consistently low pressure even with a perfectly healthy pump. The settings are adjusted via two nuts inside the pressure switch — consult your switch's manual for the exact adjustment procedure, as turning the wrong nut changes the differential rather than the range.
Check pressure tank air charge
With the system off and a faucet open to drain pressure to zero, check the air pressure at the Schrader valve on top of the tank (it looks like a tire valve) using a standard tire gauge. It should read 2 PSI below your cut-in pressure (e.g., 28 PSI for a 30/50 system). Low air charge means less stored water pressure between pump cycles — pump up the tank with a bike pump or compressor if it's low.
Check for clogged sediment or iron buildup in the well screen or pump intake
Gradually declining pressure over months, rather than a sudden drop, often points to mineral or sediment buildup restricting flow at the pump intake or well screen. This is more common in wells with high iron content and typically requires a well contractor to address — sometimes through well rehabilitation (acid treatment or jetting) rather than pump replacement.
Check if the pump is undersized for the household
If low pressure is most noticeable when multiple fixtures run simultaneously (shower + dishwasher, for example), the pump's GPM output may be undersized for current household demand — common after additions, new appliances, or irrigation systems added since the original pump was sized. A pump upgrade, not a repair, is the fix here.
Short cycling — the pump kicking on for a few seconds, shutting off, then kicking on again repeatedly — is hard on the motor and almost always points to one specific cause.
Pressure tanks have a rubber bladder that separates an air cushion from the stored water. When the bladder fails (cracks, develops a leak, or the air charge bleeds out over years), the tank fills almost entirely with water and loses its ability to buffer pressure — so the pump has to cycle on almost every time water is used, instead of every several minutes.
How to check: Tap the side of the tank. A healthy tank sounds hollow in the upper portion (air) and solid in the lower portion (water). A waterlogged tank sounds solid (full of water) all the way up. Confirm with the air pressure check described in the low pressure section above — if the Schrader valve releases water instead of air, the bladder has failed and the tank needs replacement.
Other causes of short cycling
Check for a stuck pressure switch
If the switch contacts are stuck closed (often from corrosion or pitting), the pump will run continuously regardless of actual pressure. Tap the switch gently — if the pump shuts off, the contacts are sticking and the switch needs replacement.
Check for a leak in the system
A continuously running pump with no faucets open almost always means water is escaping somewhere — a burst pipe, a running toilet, or an underground leak between the well and the house. Shut off the main valve to the house (leaving the pump-to-tank connection intact) — if the pump stops cycling, the leak is in the house plumbing; if it keeps running, the leak is between the well and the shutoff valve.
Do not let a pump run dry for extended periods
A pump running continuously without delivering water (lost prime, low well yield, or stuck switch with no actual water flow) can overheat and burn out the motor within hours. If you suspect this is happening, shut off power to the pump at the breaker until you've diagnosed the cause.
Lost prime (jet pumps and shallow wells)
Jet pumps (above-ground, used on shallow wells) need to be primed with water before they can draw from the well. If air gets into the system — from a leak, a dropped water table, or simply sitting unused — the pump will run but spin without moving water. Re-priming involves filling the pump housing with water through the priming plug before restarting; consult your specific pump model's manual for the exact procedure.
Failed check valve
The check valve prevents water from flowing back down into the well between pump cycles. If it fails, water drains back down after each cycle, the pump loses prime repeatedly, and you may notice the pump cycling more frequently than normal before eventually producing no water at all. Check valve replacement is a moderate DIY job for jet pump setups; for submersible systems, the check valve is often down in the well at the pump itself, requiring the pump to be pulled.
Worn impeller (submersible pumps)
Over years of operation, especially in water with sand or sediment, the pump's impeller can wear down and lose its ability to move water effectively even while the motor still runs. This is a pump-internal failure — the pump must be pulled and either rebuilt or replaced. This is the scenario where calling a professional well contractor is the right call rather than attempting it yourself.
Costs vary regionally and with well depth. Deep wells (200+ ft) cost significantly more for pump replacement due to longer drop pipe, more wire, and the equipment needed to pull and reinstall the pump. Get at least two quotes from licensed well contractors for any submersible pump work — pricing varies widely by region and contractor.
✓ Reasonable DIY projects
Pressure switch replacement, pressure tank replacement, checking and adjusting air charge, check valve replacement on jet pump (above-ground) systems, re-priming a jet pump, diagnosing electrical issues with a multimeter (with power safely shut off first).
✗ Call a licensed well contractor
Pulling a submersible pump from a drilled well casing, any work requiring specialized pulling equipment, well depth or yield assessment, well rehabilitation (acid treatment, jetting), and any work on the well casing or wellhead itself. Submersible pump wiring splices also require specific waterproof connectors and technique — a failed splice underwater is expensive to diagnose and fix.