Why do I have no water from my well?

The short version

No water at all usually means one of three things: the pump has no power, a control part has failed, or the pump is running but cannot deliver water. The first two are usually the smaller repairs. The third points down the well, at the pump, its pipe, or the water level itself. What you can safely do is note what you see and hear; the testing and repair are work for a licensed well or pump contractor.

The pressure tank stores water and provides water under pressure when the pump is not running,^[2] so the taps rarely stop all at once. They fade as the tank empties, and that delay is a clue in itself: the pump stopped refilling it a little while before you noticed.

The pump has no power

As Virginia Cooperative Extension reminds well owners: "Your water pump is electric."^[4] A power outage stops the water as soon as the tank runs out.

When the power is on and the pump still will not start, the usual causes are no power or incorrect voltage, blown fuses or a tripped breaker, a damaged pressure switch, a control box malfunction, damaged wiring, a bound pump, or a damaged cable or motor.^[1] Supply matters too: the voltage at the line terminals must be within 10% of the motor's rated voltage, and the fix is to contact the power company if it is not.^[1]

A breaker that will not stay on is a symptom for the technician to trace.

A failed pressure switch or control box

The pressure switch, usually located at or near the pressure tank, is the brain of the system:^[2] it tells the pump when to start. Improper contact of the switch points can cause voltage less than line voltage,^[1] so the motor can see too little power to start.

Deep wells add a second control. Single-phase, three-wire submersible motors require the use of control boxes,^[1] usually on a wall near the tank. Control boxes contain starting capacitors, a starting relay, and, in some sizes, overload protectors, running capacitors, and contactors.^[1] A failed capacitor or relay leaves a good motor unable to start.

If the water stopped during a thunderstorm, tell the technician. "All submersible motors require a dedicated surge arrestor",^[1] although motors of 5 hp and smaller marked as equipped with lightning arrestors have a built-in surge arrestor.^[1] Ask which kind you have before agreeing to add a separate one.

The motor, its cable, or a stuck pump

If the controls are fine, the fault may be in the well: a motor that has failed, a cable that has been damaged, or a pump that cannot turn. A pump jammed by sand is easy to recognise on a meter: a sand-bound or misaligned pump draws 3 to 6 times its normal current until the overload trips.^[1] Our guide to what a well technician checks explains how those faults are tested from the surface before anyone pulls the pump.

The pump runs, but no water comes out

If you can hear the pump running, or the meter shows it drawing power, the problem is in the water path. The first suspect is the well itself: the pump may be drawing more than the well can supply.^[1] To check, a contractor will shut the pump off, wait for the well to recover, and check the static and drawdown water levels from the wellhead.^[1] If the water stopped after weeks of dry weather or unusually heavy use, such as filling a pool, tell the contractor: a low well is a different fix from a failed pump.

A worn pump can look the same: the symptoms of a worn pump are similar to those of a leak in the drop pipe or a low water level in the well.^[1] Other causes include a blocked intake screen, a check valve stuck closed, or a loose coupling or broken motor shaft.^[1] Telling these apart takes measurements, which is why a good contractor tests before replacing anything.

A jet pump that has lost its prime

Jet pumps are the most commonly used pumps for shallow wells,^[3] and they sit above ground. They have a failure of their own. An air leak in the suction pipe or a water leak in the drop pipes will cause the pump to lose its prime,^[2] and then it runs without moving water. That is also why the suction pipe must have a check valve to hold water so the pump will not lose prime.^[2]

Frozen lines in winter

A frozen line stops water as surely as a failed pump. A submersible pump does not need frost protection, since it sits below the frost line,^[2] and pitless adapters attach to the well casing below ground and send water to the house through a buried pipe deeper than the frost line.^[2] The risk is above ground. For a jet pump, because the pump is above ground, it requires frost protection,^[2] and the same goes for pipes in a pump house, crawl space or unheated garage. If the water stopped on a very cold night, read how to tell if pipes are frozen.

When the well is fine but the house is not

Sometimes the well delivers and the house does not. A poorly designed or installed piping system, or an aging plumbing system, can result in an inadequate water system, even when the water source, well and pump are adequate.^[2] If one fixture has no water and the rest do, the cause is usually inside the house, and a plumber is the right call.

What to note before you call

You can save diagnostic time without touching any equipment:

• whether the rest of the house has power, and whether there was a storm or outage
• whether the pump's breaker shows as tripped
• whether you can hear the pump running, and the reading on the pressure gauge near the tank
• whether water faded slowly or stopped at once, and whether it was cloudy, sandy or spitting air before it stopped
• the weather: a hard freeze, or weeks without rain

When to call a licensed pro

Call as soon as the water stops and power is on, or the pump runs with nothing coming out. Virginia's private well regulations state: "Persons engaged in the construction, repair, or alteration of a private well shall be licensed and certified".^[7] A pump and tank job can go to a well and pump contractor, and the Board for Contractors' rule does not exclude licensed plumbing, electrical or HVAC contractors from installing pumps and tanks.^[8] If a new well has to be drilled, only the water well specialty covers that work: "No other classification or specialty service provides for construction of water wells."^[8]

The health department's rules split the same way. Under Virginia's private well regulations, no person shall construct, alter, abandon, or increase the depth of a private well^[6] without a written construction permit, but "The replacement of a well pump" is listed among the jobs that are not a well alteration.^[6]

Once the water is back, think about its quality. Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends shock chlorination after any maintenance or repair of a private water supply system,^[4] and the EPA says to test your well immediately when you replace or repair any part of the well system.^[5] For what the repair is likely to cost, see well pump repair costs in Virginia.

Get your water back

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