No water from your well? Safe checks before you call

Losing water is stressful, especially in winter. Here’s what you can safely check yourself, what each sign usually points to, and when to hand it to a licensed pro.

1. Check the breaker

   Find the breaker labeled “well” or “pump” (usually a double-pole 240V breaker). If it’s tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, there’s likely an electrical fault in the pump, wire or control box. Stop there.

2. Did the power just go out?

   After an outage or a lightning storm, pumps, control boxes and pressure switches can fail. If you’re on a generator, make sure it can handle the pump’s starting surge. A pump draws several times its running current for a moment each time it starts (The Well Guide).

3. Read the pressure gauge

   It’s on or near the pressure tank.

   • Reads 0 and you hear no pump: likely a pump, pressure switch, control box or wiring problem.
   • Pressure rises and drops fast, with the pump clicking on and off: likely a waterlogged pressure tank or a switch problem (pressure tanks →).
   • Pump runs constantly but there’s no water: possibly a low water level in the well, a broken drop pipe, or a worn pump.

4. Winter freeze?

   Exposed pipes, or a pressure-switch line in a cold spot, can freeze. Never use an open flame to thaw anything.

5. Dry spell?

   During droughts, some wells, especially shallow dug wells, can run short. NHDES notes that symptoms can also come from the casing, valves, water lines, pumps or tanks, and recommends working with a licensed pump installer or well driller to find the cause (NHDES).

What not to do

Don’t open the well cap, try to pull the pump, or work on 240V controls. Deep pumps are heavy, and a pump dropped down a well can turn a repair into a much bigger job.

When to call

Call a licensed pro any time the breaker trips again, the pump runs with no water, or your water is gone for more than a short outage. Jot down when it started and what you noticed. NHDES says those notes help the contractor (NHDES).