Well Pump Not Working: Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Step 1: Figure out what the pump is doing

Go to the tank, open a faucet and listen.

WAYNE and Goulds sort their own troubleshooting tables the same way. If you have a constant pressure drive with a display, read the code first; the fault code step below covers it.

Step 2: Check the power

Find the pump breaker. If it's off or in the middle, reset it once. Both WAYNE and Goulds list a tripped breaker or blown fuse as a cause of a pump that won't start.

If it trips again right away, stop and leave it off. A breaker that won't hold points to a short. Our page on a well pump that keeps tripping the breaker covers what comes next. Also check for a separate disconnect switch near the tank or well, which people bump with boxes.

Step 3: Check the pressure switch

With the power off, take the cover off the switch.

• Is there a lever on the side? That's a low-pressure cutoff. Boshart explains that some switches shut off the pump when pressure falls about 10 psi below cut-in. Lift and hold the lever while someone turns the breaker on. If the pump starts and pressure builds, let go once it passes cut-in. See resetting a low-pressure cutoff switch.
• Are the contacts burned or pitted? Black, pitted contacts may not close anymore. WAYNE lists a faulty pressure switch as a reason a pump won't start. Replace the switch rather than filing them.
• Bugs, water or corrosion inside? Same answer: replace it. HomeAdvisor puts a new pressure switch at $120 to $175 installed.

Some people tap the switch cover with a screwdriver handle and the pump kicks on. That's a diagnosis, not a fix. See pressure switch problems.

Step 4: Check the control box (three-wire pumps)

A three-wire submersible has a control box on the wall, usually near the tank. It holds the start capacitor and relay. When either fails, the motor hums or won't start. Look for a scorched smell or a bulging capacitor, but don't open it with power on; capacitors hold a charge.

A tech tests the box and capacitor at the surface. HomeAdvisor puts a start capacitor at $100 to $150 installed and a control box at $200 to $500. Goulds also lists the wrong control box for the motor as a cause of overload trips. Two-wire pumps have no box; their starting parts are in the motor. More on control box and capacitor problems.

Step 5: Let an overheated motor cool

Pump motors have a thermal overload that shuts them off when they get too hot. WAYNE says the overload resets automatically once the motor cools. Goulds lists the causes on a submersible: low voltage, bad connections, a hot control box, debris binding the pump and the pump not being deep enough in the water. If the pump runs a while, quits, and comes back later, one of those is the reason.

Step 6: Check the pressure tank

A waterlogged tank makes the pump start and stop every few seconds, which eventually kills it. Boshart lists rapid switch clicking, short cycling, a fluttering gauge and pulsing pressure as the signs. Knock on the top half of the tank; it should sound hollow. A solid thud means it's full of water. See waterlogged pressure tank.

Step 7: Read the drive's fault code (constant pressure systems)

If you have a variable-speed drive instead of a plain pressure switch, it tells you what's wrong. On Franklin SubDrive units, for example:

Franklin says some faults clear on their own, and for others you power off for a few minutes and restart. If a code keeps coming back, it needs a pro. Other brands use different codes, so check your drive's manual.

Step 8: If the pump runs but water doesn't come

This is where the problem moves down the well.

• Jet pump: WAYNE says to check priming first by removing the prime plug. After that, look at suction leaks, a clogged or stuck foot valve, and a water level below the pump's reach. See how to prime a well pump.
• Submersible: Goulds lists a faulty check valve, an air-bound pump, debris binding the pump, excess gas in the well and excessive pump wear. Goulds suggests starting and stopping the pump several times to clear an air-bound pump. Beyond that, it's a pull.
• Low well: Water that comes back after a rest points to the well, not the pump. See no water from your well.

When to call a pro

Call a licensed well contractor once you're past the breaker, switch and tank, or any time the breaker trips twice, the motor hums without starting, or the pump runs without moving water. Those need meter readings at the control box or pressure switch, and possibly pulling the pump.

HomeAdvisor's average well pump repair is $974, with most between $373 and $1,624. A house call usually runs $100 to $150. If the pump itself is gone, HomeGuide puts a submersible replacement at $1,000 to $2,500 installed. See well pump repair for what's worth fixing.

Brand-specific troubleshooting for Goulds, Franklin, Red Lion, Flotec or Sta-Rite pumps lives in the installation manual for your model. Use the steps here to narrow it down, then check that manual's troubleshooting table. The model number on the motor label or control box is what a contractor will ask for.