The short answer
When a well pump stops working in a Northern Virginia house, the cause is usually the power, the pressure switch, the control box or the pump itself, from the easiest to check to the hardest. Start at the breaker: most well pumps run on their own 240 volt breaker. Then read the gauge by the pressure tank. At zero with the pump silent, the pump isn’t getting the signal to start, or can’t start. If the pump runs and you still have no water, the problem is down in the well. Our plumbers test each piece before anybody pulls a pump.
Check these first
- The breaker. Most well pumps have their own 240 volt double breaker. If it tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off: the pump, the wire or the control box is shorting, and resetting it over and over can finish the motor.
- The gauge. It’s on the pipe by the pressure tank. Zero with the pump silent points at the power, the switch or the control box. A reading that climbs slowly or stalls points at the pump or the well.
- The pressure switch. The gray box on the pipe near the tank turns the pump on at the cut-in pressure, usually 20, 30 or 40 psi, and off at the cut-out. Burned contacts or a clogged tube under the switch keep the pump from starting. Don’t open the cover to look: the terminals inside carry 240 volts. Our pressure switch guide goes through what you can safely check.
- The control box. A three-wire submersible pump has a control box on the wall in the basement or utility room, with a start capacitor and relay inside. When one of those fails, the pump hums down in the well or does nothing at all. A two-wire pump has no box: its starting parts are in the motor.
- Lightning or a power surge. A storm that knocked the power out can take out the switch, the control box or the pump motor along with it. The Virginia Department of Health has a checklist for private wells after a storm.
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What the symptom tells you
Swipe to see all columns →
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| What happens | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| No water at all, the gauge at zero, the pump silent | The breaker, the pressure switch or the control box, before the pump |
| The breaker trips as soon as the pump tries to start | A short in the pump, the wire down the well, or the control box |
| The pump runs, but no water comes and the gauge doesn’t climb | The water level fell under the pump, a split or broken pipe down the well, or a worn-out pump |
| The pump runs and runs and never shuts off | The pressure never reaches cut-out: a leak, a worn pump, a low water level, or switch contacts stuck closed |
| The pump clicks on and off every few seconds | A waterlogged pressure tank. Our well pressure tank guide covers it. |
| Water spits and sputters at the faucet | Air in the line: a low water level, or a leak in the pipe down the well |
| Water, but weak | Low water pressure on a well has the checks. |
When the well itself runs low
Some wells give water slowly. After a long dry spell, or a day of watering the lawn, filling a pool and running laundry, the water level can drop to the pump, and the pump pulls air. Turn the breaker off for a few hours to let the well recover, then turn it back on and go easy on the water. If it keeps happening, the plumber can look at how deep the pump sits and whether it needs protection from running dry.
What we test before we pull anything
A plumbing diagnosis visit is $49, or $250 after hours. The plumber tests the switch, the control box and the pump’s amp draw, and checks the wire, before anyone says the word replace. A failed capacitor or relay in the control box is priced at the visit. Sometimes the answer is to pull the pump and look at it, which runs $1,300 to $2,000: pull, inspect and put it back.
What the fix costs
- Pressure switch: $450 to $609, set to your system’s cut-in and cut-out and run through full cycles before we leave.
- Pressure tank: $2,200 to $2,950. From about $37 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.
- Well pump: $2,781 to $4,000. From about $46 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. That’s a new submersible pump on your existing drop pipe and wire: the old pump pulled, the new one set at the right depth, wired and tested for pressure and amp draw.
- Pull and inspect: $1,300 to $2,000, when the pump comes up, gets looked at, and goes back down.
Every well price we charge is on our well pump price page, and the well pump estimator gives you a range from a few questions. Well work is part of the plumbing work we do across Northern Virginia: our well pump page has the rest.
After the pump comes out
Anything that opens the well can let bacteria in. Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends shock chlorinating the well after a repair, then testing the water again before you count on it. Ask the plumber about it when the pump goes back in.
Book it
A plumbing diagnosis visit is $49, or $250 after hours, and you get the price of the fix before we start. Call (703) 997-9757, day or night, or book online with the problem already filled in. Every current deal is on our offers page. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
Why is my well pump running but no water is coming out?
The pump runs but the water isn’t reaching the house: the water level in the well fell under the pump, a pipe down the well cracked or came apart, or the pump is worn out. Turn it off at the breaker so it doesn’t run dry, and call a plumber.
Why does my well pump keep running?
The pressure never reaches the switch’s cut-out number, so the switch never turns it off: a leak, a worn pump, a low water level, or switch contacts stuck closed. Watch the gauge. If it stalls short of cut-out, the pump or the well can’t keep up.
What should I check first when my well pump stops working?
The breaker first, then the gauge by the pressure tank. If the breaker trips again right after a reset, leave it off. If the gauge reads zero and the pump is silent, it’s the switch, the control box or the pump, and a plumber can test each one.
Can lightning or a power outage damage a well pump?
Yes. A surge can take out the pressure switch, the control box or the pump motor. If the water doesn’t come back with the power, check the breaker and call. A plumber can test the pump’s amp draw and the wire before anything gets pulled.
How much does it cost to replace a well pump?
Our plumbers replace well pumps for $2,781 to $4,000. From about $46 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit. Pulling the pump to inspect it and put it back runs $1,300 to $2,000, and a new pressure switch runs $450 to $609.
