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Well Water Pump Diagnostic FAQs
Problems with the well pump
- POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about diagnosing problems with the well water pressure tank or water storage tank that show up as pump operating problems
Well water pump diagnostic FAQs:
this article provides answers to frequently-asked questions about how to diagnose problems with the water pump bring well water to a building or boosting water pressure at a building.
If the well pump runs too often, is noisy, seems weak, runs intermittently with no apparent reason, or is otherwise misbehaving, these questions will help sort out what's wrong.
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Problems with well pumps
Questions & answers about well pumps that run too often (short cycling), well pumps that won't stop running, noisy well pump, well pumps won't start.
Recent questions & answers about well pump diagnosis and repair, originally posted at the end of this article or at other water pump diagnostic articles such as WATER PUMP REPAIR GUIDE - home.
You'll like the diagnostic and repair help given there.
On 2021-02-28 - by (mod) -
@Adam M,
See the diagnostics at WATER PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING
https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pump_Runs_On.php
and don’t hesitate to ask for more help if needed
On 2021-02-28 by Adam M
Can not get my pressure to build up for the pump to kick off.
On 2020-10-03 by (mod) - well pump shuts off if water is run too fast
Gary
Like the city of Poughkeepsie desk sargent told our tenant Anna Bananna when she called to tell the cops that they should call Metro North to tell the train engineers that they shouldn't be allowed to sound the train's horn because the noise bothered her at night .... "Well that's one I've never heard before".
Thanks for an interesting question.
I can but speculate that your pressure control switch isn't responding to pressure drop properly - that can in turn be caused by silt or debris clogging the switch's pressure sensor inlet port. Try replacing the pressure control switch and let me know if that takes care of the trouble.
The other direction of diagnosis is a well with very limited water reserve (static head) and a terrible in-flow rate; when you run the water fast you exceed the well's capacity to deliver water AND a pump protection switch is shutting off the pump until the well water volume recovers.
On 2020-10-02 by Gary Johnson - My shallow well pump cycles on and off just fine as long as the drawdown is not to great.
I've got a puzzler for the troubleshooters here.
My shallow well pump cycles on and off just fine as long as the drawdown is not to great.
If I open the spigot beyond say 2/3 of wide open, pressure drops to 0, then after about a minute or so, it cuts on and pumps up to cut off.
On 2020-09-29 by No More Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
It is a fine balance, for sure. But it did keep us in water for a couple of days and nights, while hand-digging the hole, which was very helpful!
On 2020-09-28 - by (mod) -
That's a really helpful tip that I'd not considered; usually I want to turn everything off rather than burn up a pump or get sprayed while digging. Your case shows where it was useful.
On 2020-09-28 by No More Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
Yes, and the telltale sign at the well was a hissing sound when the pump was on and when it was first turned off. However, we didn't see any water spraying into the well because the leak was on the outside of the well. When we dug closer to it, the ground started to get wet and muddy.
One handy tip from the plumber was to keep the pump going as long as possible while in the middle of the digging process (we dug by hand) by leaving the water in a faucet dribbling.
That kept the pump and the pipe from losing their prime. However, you wouldn't want to continue that very long because it makes the pump work harder by coming on more often. And once the leak was exposed to air, the pump had to be turned off until the adapter got changed.
On 2020-09-27 - by (mod) -
That's great news, Stuck; good going!
Other readers will benefit from noting that you found this well leak at the Pitless Adapter.
On 2020-09-27 by No More Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
@Anonymous,
Well, we finally did it! Which is dug a hole to uncover the pitless adapter, and sure enough, that's where the leak was. Now it's fixed, as the plumber changed the adapter, and we are back to normal.
Thank you all for your input! It certainly was a leaky fitting. We did get the pump and the pressure tank changed at first, to follow the plumber's advice and have him work with us. But the real problem was at the pitless adapter at the well.
On 2020-09-18 by Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
@Anonymous,
Yes, that has been suspected. We may try dig to the pitless adapter and see what we can see.
On 2020-09-18 by Anonymous
It sounds as if you have a leaky fitting above the water level - such as in the well piping between well and house or even right at the pitless adapter
On 2020-09-18 by Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
@Anonymous,
Yes, that has been suspected. We may try dig to the pitless adapter and see what we can see.
On 2020-09-18 by (mod) - stuck without water in Maine, find the air leak
It sounds as if you have a leaky fitting above the water level
On 2020-09-18 by Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
Have done many times. It's at about 14 feet below the top of the well. The pit adapter is at about 4 ft, deep so the lift should be only about 10 ft. The pipe in the
well is about 22 ft long, so about 12 feet of it should be covered with water.
The horizontal distance for the pipe from the well to the pump in the house is about 50 ft. Could a check valve in the pipe just before the pump cause any trouble?
Could they get stuck somehow?
On 2020-09-18- by (mod) -
You need to check the water level in your well
On 2020-09-18 by Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
Yes, the well piping in the well has is all new and the connections in the building should be all right.
It sucks air every time you turn the pump on.
The pressure gauge jumps up and down. If you wait a few hours, a little water might arrive also, but otherwise it's mostly air. And it is the one line type. 1/2 HP. What happens with the suction if it can't lift? Does it somehow suck air instead? Or is it just a vacuum at that point?
Just trying to figure out if it's an inadequate pump or an air leak somewhere. Because those two scenarios would be treated quite differently.
On 2020-09-17 - by (mod) -
One wouldn't dig up the yard before checking the well piping in the well and in the building.
I'm confused and may have misled you; a snifter valve that injects air into a well piping system is not used on a jet pump system.
If your jet pump is 1-line type then it can't lift more than about 27 ft.
On 2020-09-17 by Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
Yes, we figured that replacing the pump with the same kind would not solve our problem. We dread the idea of having to dig our yard up, though, to look for the leak.
We have listened at the well for any hissing sounds from the pitless adapter, but don't seem to hear any. Also wondering if submersible pump would solve our problem. Maybe a jet pump just cannot pick up water from this depth..
On 2020-09-17 - by (mod) -
Some plumbers; some well drilling companies - have well inspection cameras.
Telling you to replace the pump and tank is a shotgun approach that is throwing your money at the problem and in fact may not be addressing the actual problem that could be as simple as a loose or worn fitting or part.
On 2020-09-16 by Anonymous
Thank you for your response. Who would have a well camera to inspect the well? We have not been able to get anyone to come over to actually inspect the
well thoroughly. The suggestions have been basically to get a new pump and a pressure tank. But we know there is air in the lines and the incoming pipe from
the well is not holding its prime.
On 2020-09-16 - by (mod) -
Stuck
That does sound as if the level of water in the well is dropping; A shallow well pump can't lift more than about 27 ft.
I would inspect the well, ideally using a well camera, to see what's going on: water level dropped, casing damage, etc. before buying a submersible pump or installing a 2 line jet pump
On 2020-09-16 by Stuck Without Well Water in Maine
We have a 120' deep drilled well that came equipped with one of those shallow well pumps when we bought the house 17 years ago. The water table is very high here usually and that system has served us well all these years. This summer, however, we experienced a short period of air in the pipes, some dirty water, and then no water. We replaced the pump with the same kind.
But we still do not get water normally. Some mornings there might come enough to flush the toilets, other mornings nothing - nada. We have been told to either get a submersible pump or that there might be a leak in the pipe leading from the pump to the well since there is air in the pipes. The well pipe has also been changed, with a new foot valve.
The water level is at 14 ft below the top of the well (about 13 ft below the ground) and the well pipe is about 22 ft long, starting at 4 ft underground. It has been an usually dry summer here, and all of Maine is in drought.
On 2020-08-08 by vid poskus
older tank -no water runs in to tank
On 2020-07-29 by Donnie b
Why does my friends will Run dry I will give you a for instance they were filling the pool up with water was only on halfway and then it just stops the well runs dry until you give it a couple hours and then it’ll work again
On 2020-07-20 - by (mod) -
Deb
I apologize for the delayed response, covid-19 has us overloaded.
If you use the on Page search box to search for the phrase
Water pump runs for no reason
You will find our articles on intermittent water pump cycling where we list the diagnostic steps to find the cause. Usually it's a running toilet or a leak in water piping, or a bad foot valve
On 2020-07-18 by Deb
Pump comes on 4 or more times at night when no one is calling for water
On 2020-05-01 - by (mod) -
Nancy
Let's start with the diagnostics and remedies at
WATER HAMMER NOISE DIAGNOSE & CURE https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Hammer_Noise.php
On 2020-05-01 by Nancy
Our well pump in the basement recently started to make a lour jolt noise when it stops. It's a large older unit from 1984. No other issues. Why would it start making that noise?
On 2020-01-11 - by (mod) -
Ruthann
Let's step through the diagnostics starting at WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Pressure_Table.php
as that'll be more complete than an off-the-cuff reply here.
Let me know what happens.
On 2020-01-11 by Ruthann rea
Pump is primed and running but no water is going to house?
On 2015-08-27 by Bernie
Question. Have a water pump when it reaches 55 lbs pressure instead of shutting off the contact points keep chattering and won't shut off. Brand new pressure switch. Any suggestions?
On 2015-08-19 by Angela
We have a well that we only use for watering outdoors. We did not use it over the winter and we started using it in the spring it had rust in it. We used the proper chemicals to clean the rust out. Now the water will run for three minutes and then shut off for three minutes continuously. How do I get the pump to stay on? The well is only used for outdoor watering.
On 2015-08-15 - by (mod) -
Check for low voltage, low well flow ir recovery rate, piping leaks, bad impeller
On 2015-08-14 by Greyson
I have a irrigation pump that was pumping 60lbs of pressure yesterday and quit this morning and now that I have got it started again and going steady it only puts out 25lbs of pressure. I have tried everything I know and can't figure it out and I don't have time to rebuild it
On 2015-08-05 by Anonymous
Pls help.. I have a problem with my water pump.. It makes normal sound but amount of water flowing stays the same..That is, it does not put pressure on it. What can I do..?
On 2015-08-02 by Scott
I recently hooked a pump to a shallow well 1 1/4 a was able to draw a small amount of water the well pipe was cold but when I open the outlet valve it just trickles, could it be because I don't have a check valve one tank?
On 2015-07-11 by Anonymous
After priming and when you turn the tap after awhile it loose its pressure.
On 2015-06-25 by Matthew
We have a 21ft, 2" irrigation well, I just replaced the pumps this season. For weeks it's been primed irrigating the lawn at around 40psi, at 6gallons a minute.
Yesterday wake up to hear the pump running, no irrigation is on for this time, go out and notice there is no pressure and I unplug the pump, reprime, pressure and volume back to normal.
This morning, again here pump running and no irrigation on. Go out, the pressure gauge reads 40 psi, pump is hot to the touch and brass check valve. Open up a hose and hot water comes out and eventually drops prime and no more water.
How could I have pressure, yet the pumps continues to run? Could I have a faulty check valve loosing prime overnight? Best course of action? Thanks in advance.
On 2015-06-05 by Anonymous
Will turning off breaker to well get the water to stop coming to house?I'm an idiot an cut main with hacksaw an need to make water stop now
On 2015-08-27 by Bernie
Question. Have a water pump when it reaches 55 lbs pressure instead of shutting off the contact points keep chattering and won't shut off. Brand new pressure switch. Any suggestions?
On 2015-08-19 by Angela
We have a well that we only use for watering outdoors. We did not use it over the winter and we started using it in the spring it had rust in it. We used the proper chemicals to clean the rust out. Now the water will run for three minutes and then shut off for three minutes continuously. How do I get the pump to stay on? The well is only used for outdoor watering.
On 2015-08-15 - by (mod) -
Check for low voltage, low well flow ir recovery rate, piping leaks, bad impeller
On 2015-08-14 by Greyson
I have a irrigation pump that was pumping 60lbs of pressure yesterday and quit this morning and now that I have got it started again and going steady it only puts out 25lbs of pressure. I have tried everything I know and can't figure it out and I don't have time to rebuild it
On 2015-08-05 by Anonymous
Pls help.. I have a problem with my water pump.. It makes normal sound but amount of water flowing stays the same..That is, it does not put pressure on it. What can I do..?
On 2015-08-02 by Scott
I recently hooked a pump to a shallow well 1 1/4 a was able to draw a small amount of water the well pipe was cold but when I open the outlet valve it just trickles, could it be because I don't have a check valve one tank?
On 2015-07-11 by Anonymous
After priming and when you turn the tap after awhile it loose its pressure.
On 2015-06-25 by Matthew
We have a 21ft, 2" irrigation well, I just replaced the pumps this season. For weeks it's been primed irrigating the lawn at around 40psi, at 6gallons a minute.
Yesterday wake up to hear the pump running, no irrigation is on for this time, go out and notice there is no pressure and I unplug the pump, reprime, pressure and volume back to normal.
This morning, again here pump running and no irrigation on. Go out, the pressure gauge reads 40 psi, pump is hot to the touch and brass check valve. Open up a hose and hot water comes out and eventually drops prime and no more water.
How could I have pressure, yet the pumps continues to run? Could I have a faulty check valve loosing prime overnight? Best course of action? Thanks in advance.
On 2015-06-05 by Anonymous
Will turning off breaker to well get the water to stop coming to house?I'm an idiot an cut main with hacksaw an need to make water stop now
Question: issues with my well water
(Aug 9, 2014) Danny Robertson said:
Hello. I am having some issues with my well water. The well has been there since 1973 when my wife’s parents bought the property and built their house. T
hey have never had water problems with the well other than a pump dying or a stuck toilet running them out of water.
I know that it is about 28 feet. I have a deep well submersible pump. I don't know for sure what the brand or specs are for the pump itself. We have been experiencing low water pressure or running out of water. I just replaced my pressure tank and pressure switch this past Wednesday.
My wife's parents live behind us so I counted the number of fixtures that we have and that they have including outside faucets. We each had 13 for a total of 26 fixtures.
I bought an 86 gallon pressure tank from Menard's and I also bought another Square D 30/50 pressure switch to replace the same model that was already installed. The water supply pipe coming into my house is 3/4 inch. I reduced the pressure tank from its 1 1/4 inch outlet down to 1 inch for the T connections.
I increased the size from 3/4 inch at the valve of the incoming pipe to 1 inch to go to the T and then reduced from 1 inch back to 3/4 inch to my house supply. I have a water softener and a whole house water filter installed.
The water was fine once I got the new pressure tank and pressure switch installed and all of the pipe connections completed.
There is a valve next to the pump that we can turn the water off to my in-laws house. Our well serviceman put it in late this spring / early this summer so we could troubleshoot water problems by turning the water off to my in-laws house. That valve was off because my in-laws were on vacation.
My wife showered Thursday morning and so did I with no problems. She told me that her parents were back home and asked me to turn their water back on. I did and my father-in-law called me a little later and said that they did not have any water and asked me if I had put a check valve in.
I said yes I did and it dawned on me before he told me that we can’t have the check valve there because it will not allow the lines to be pressurized before the check valve.
Last night I removed the check valve and checked their water and it was fine. My son was taking a shower last night and banged on the wall to ask me to fix the water because it had just shut off. I turned the pump off and saw that the pressure gauge was at 0 psi. I called the in-laws and asked if they were using water.
They had started a load of laundry and then turned it off because of low or no water. My wife went downstairs and turned the pump back on and the water came back up a little bit – enough for my son to quickly finish his shower. I turned the in-laws water off at the valve by the pump for the night.
This morning my wife showered with no problems and then I showered. I had good water pressure for most of my shower and then I heard like air bubbles in the line, the water pressure lessened, and then no water what so ever. Very frustrating!
I can rule out the pressure tank and pressure switch since they are new. I figure that it is either a leaking pipe in the ground, a pump that is bad or going bad, or our well is running out of water. I think that if the well was running out of water I wouldn’t just all of a sudden run out of water in the shower.
The water pressure would just diminish to a trickle instead of stopping suddenly. I also think that if there was a leaking pipe there would be a spot of ground that was saturated. My power supply is two 15 amp screw in fuses with a lever to turn the electricity on and off.
There is also a metal box on the exterior wall that has the electrical wires going from it to the pump and from it to the pressure switch. I don’t know what this box is for. Can someone tell me?
Does anybody have any suggestions on how to troubleshoot this?
Thank you so much for any suggestions and your time.
Reply:
Danny I am a bit overwhelmed by the message length and lost my way through it.
But if the bottom line question is what's that second box, your pump may be a submersible unit - in the well. Higher horsepower submersibles are often operated by a separate heavy duty relay that is itself switched by the pump pressure control switch.
In the ARTICLE INDEX
click on
WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH
Question: well pump wiring confusion
(Aug 10, 2014) dana said:
I'm getting 120 power on both wires to the well and from the house, I then went out and bought a well pump figuring that was the problem and it still does not work. What may the problem be?
Reply:
If there is proper electrical voltage and a pump doesn't run when temporarily wired directly I suspect either a damaged pump or mis-wiring. If the pump is not wired directly but is being controlled through the pressure switch then the switch may not be turning on the pump.
Question: ran the well dry, now no water, what's wrong? new well runs out of water
(Aug 12, 2014) Barbara said:
I pumped my well dry by leaving a faucet on. I have primed it, turned the breaker back on and nothing happens? Any suggestions?
(Aug 14, 2014) Anonymous said:
We'll is new insuffient water flow. Only pumps between ten and fifteen min. Then water stops
(Aug 17, 2014) Patricia said:
We ve just drilled for a new well and got water at 140 feet. We have been running the pump for 1 hr each day for the past
2 days to get clear water. This morning nothing happened when water was switched on. What could the problem be?
Reply:
I suspect that either your pump was damaged by running dry or a safety switch in the system requires manual re-set.
Anon:
A "new" water well that runs out of water is marginal - has an inadequate flow rate. Ask your well driller for a consult about increasing well yield, drilling further, installing storage tanks or further diagnosis.
in ARTICLE INDEX see WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
Particia, look for
- Debris-clogged pump or controls
- Drop in the water table
- Exhausted the well flow rate
- A leak in well piping between well and house
Start by making sure the pump actually runs. Then check for debris or damaged pump impeller.
Question: well is running out of water
(Aug 12, 2014) Jeb Bassett said:
Our well seems to be running out of water. Sonar said the water was 186 ft down. We ran the hose, and it stopped shortly at 201 ft which is where I was told the pump was. So, in 15 feet, we ran out, and it recovered at less than 1GPM.
Now the interesting part. The well cap says the hole is 300 ft deep.
That means the pump is sitting 100 feet above the bottom. The speculation is that the contractor was cutting costs when he put is so high up.
Regardless, my question is, if I lowered the pump another 95 feet, will I get a higher recovery rate because I now have 95 feet more surface area in the well column for the water to wick into or have I just increased my reservoir, with no effect on the recovery rate? Personally, I thought if I create more of a void in the well, more water will have a chance to enter and fill it.
Reply:
Lowering the pump down into the aquifer can indeed give more water volume (95 ft. x about 1.5 gallons per foot) but if the well flow rate is poor or nil that's a band-aid repair since as you suggest that doesn't impact the recovery rate.
You might want to review our articles about increasing well yield
Reader follow-up:
(Aug 13, 2014) Jeb Bassett said:
Thanks ... . If I understand you right, the water that is available below the pump or in the adjoining rock fissures will not cause my well column to fill up above its current level. Is that because the water only will not rise above the water table? Is the water table defined as the first level in a well where water begins to wick into the drilled hole?
Reply:
Jeb,
you need to measure the actual bore depth, and it'd be smart to ask the contractor why the well is 100 feet up from the well bottom - if that's the case.
Question: water tank not leaking but we have no water
(Aug 12, 2014) Anonymous said:
Tank will hold air but not pull water from below
Reply:
The problem will thus more likely be in the well, pump, or piping. Start by determining if the pump is running at all.
Question: well water suddently got muddy and we lost water pressure
(Aug 18, 2014) dave said:
All of a sudden our well water became muddy for house water and irrigation. Plus, water pressure in kitchen became low at the same time.
Reply:
Dave
Could be the well water level and flow rate have dropped - irrigation will surely stress a marginal flow rate well.
Could also be a leak or hole in the well casing
Or a leak in the well piping anywhere between house and bottom of the well
Or nearby drilling or blasting may have affected your aquifer and the rock fissures around your well
Question: pump not working after lightning strike
9/3/14 Anonymous said:
pressure switch is in gauged but pump dose not run. when i take a screw driver and pry it apart the light in the well house goes off, the as i release or let the points come back together the light comes back on. we had a lightening strike last night and i am sure that has something to do with the action. I wonder if it got the pump motor?
Reply:
You want an electrician to check the wiring and pump motor - some of that can be done without pulling the pump. Meanwhile leave the system off.
Question: pump starts and stops at random times
9/6/14 Anonymous said:
My water stops in shower at sink or hose at random times and starts back after a min or 2. This has been going on for more then a year. The water may stop 2 times a day or twice a week just random
Reply:
Please see the diagnosis procedure at WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING
Question: intermittent water pressure
(Jan 28, 2013) K said:
We have a 3/4 h.p. pump and pressure tank system that pumps water from our water storage tank into the house. Recently, when we turn on a faucet, the water will stop flowing for about a minute and then start flowing again. I looked at the manual and there are 10 different things that could be wrong. There are no leaks, and the wiring hasn't been touched. Any advice would be appreciated.
Reply:
I'd go through the ten checkpoints in the manual.
Check for a debris-clogged pressure switch.
See WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING
Question: pump switch not responding properly to change in water pressure
9/7/14 Mick said:
I've just relocated our household water pump (Davey XJ50). It is drawing water and delivering to the house and pressure is rising to about 35psi before cutting off, (normal, i believe). The pressure then drops back down to about 15psi without any taps on and the pump kicks in again at that point
. It rises back up to 35, cuts off and drops to 15psi. I thought it might be air in the system, so i've turned on all taps until they ran smoothly, (no spurting), but issue continued. This cycle continues so pump is nearly running continuously. I have turned it off to diagnose. Any ideas?
Reply:
Mick, look for a bad foot valve or a leak between pump and well pipe end.
Question: the home inspector burned up our well pump motor
9/9/2014 Patti Haines said:
We recently had our well inspected as part of a house sale. The company, which we were reluctant to used, ran the well at 15 gallons per minute in an attempt to run it dry. We objected saying, first of all, we're in a drought, and secondly, the well is used only for outside irrigation of our garden. They continued and, you guessed it, the pump burned up. Is this a normal way to check a well?
Reply:
Well geez. What idiots. I figure if a pump was left running dry whoever did that owes you for a new well pump.
It is reasonable for a home inspector to operate equipment, including a well pump, and even reasonable to "waste" a significant volume of water in the course of determining whether or not the septic system is working. And in some cases one might run a pump and measure water volume to determine the true well flow rate though that's not usually something done by a home inspector as such as test, properly executed would run for 24 hours.
In my OPINION the inspector ought to have paid attention and if water flow stopped, s/he ought to have promptly shut off the pump. If that was done then that test would not cause a ruined well pump.
Keep in mind that as your well ran out of water, it's quite possible, even likely depending on how much water was run before it ran out (you should give me that data), that the pump has run dry previously - as is common on a well with a poor flow rate. If no pump protection switch or tailpiece in the well was installed, the equipment was not protected from damage. In that circumstance, a pump might have been nearly ruined to start with and one more aggressive test could have pushed it over the edge, disclosing an existing problem.
In sum, a lot depends on exactly what the inspector did. I would agree that if someone left a pump running dry for more than a minute or so there is good risk that it would be damaged.
Question: home inspector tried to run the well dry - what's the proper well test procedure?
(Sept 8, 2014) Patti Haines said:
We recently had our well inspected as part of a house sale. The company, which we were reluctant to used, ran the well at 15 gallons per minute in an attempt to run it dry. We objected saying, first of all, we're in a drought, and secondly, the well is used only for outside irrigation of our garden. They continued and, you guessed it, the pump burned up. Is this a normal way to check a well?
Reply:
Well geez. What idiots. I figure if a pump was left running dry whoever did that owes you for a new well pump.
It is reasonable for a home inspector to operate equipment, including a well pump, and even reasonable to "waste" a significant volume of water in the course of determining whether or not the septic system is working.
And in some cases one might run a pump and measure water volume to determine the true well flow rate though that's not usually something done by a home inspector as such as test, properly executed would run for 24 hours.
In my OPINION the inspector ought to have paid attention and if water flow stopped, s/he ought to have promptly shut off the pump. If that was done then that test would not cause a ruined well pump.
Keep in mind that as your well ran out of water, it's quite possible, even likely depending on how much water was run before it ran out (you should give me that data), that the pump has run dry previously - as is common on a well with a poor flow rate. If no pump protection switch or tailpiece in the well was installed, the equipment was not protected from damage. In that circumstance, a pump might have been nearly ruined to start with and one more aggressive test could have pushed it over the edge, disclosing an existing problem.
In sum, a lot depends on exactly what the inspector did. I would agree that if someone left a pump running dry for more than a minute or so there is good risk that it would be damaged.
Question: Jacuzzi 7JH pump leaks
(Sept 11, 2014) George said:
My water pump itself is leaking. It is a Jacuzzi 7JH model. I cannot really see where the leak is coming from. Any help will be truly appreciated.
Reply:
George
Since to repair a leaky pump most likely it'll need to be removed anyway, I'd pull the pump.
But first see if you can work with a good light and mirror to look around - since spotting the actual water exit point might save you some time.
Turn off power so you don't get shocked. Don't work alone.
Now, if you couldn't see a darn thing, pull the pump and then, presuming it's been leaking for a time, most likely a careful visual inspection will show mineral deposits or stains where the leak was occurring.
Question:
(Sept 14, 2014) janet c said:
new parts, new pipe line,new toilet thingy, tore aprt storage tank,..the bottom fixture still is leaking,right side....janetcobb51@yahoo.com help?
(Sept 15, 2014) Anonymous said:
wires possible crossed. Not getting full currency to pump
(Sept 18, 2014) Malou said:
Water pump won't start. We seldom use it like once a month. We have it repaired. According to them it dried up. They filled something with water and it's again working. Can you tell me which part of the well pump system did they fill with water? Thanks.
(Sept 23, 2014) joe said:
my well pump stops runing. still has power according to electrician. switch put in on position and still not runing.
Reply:
Malou
At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article you want to read the article titled
WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE
Joe
Provided that the pump and controls do have electrical power, and the pump won't turn on, I'd look at the diagnostic suggestions starting at
inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Pump_Control_Repair.php
Question: liquid in the switch box
(Sept 26, 2014) Bob Babinski said:
My relay switch box is full of a strange liquid. Dangerous?
Reply:
Bob I don't know what control you are describing.
Watch out: for electrocution hazards if electrical components are wet or in water
Question:
(Oct 4, 2014) Chuck said:
2" well - about 168' - worked well - plenty of water for 23 years - up to May of this year. The well now comes on with great pressure but quickly drops from 50 to 30 and then gradual decline to about 5. When turned off about 3 minutes back up to pressure. We've been told there appears nothing wrong with the pump or bladder.
When cleaned with a wire - ran fairly well till put on the higher sprinklers - now back to the above on the lesser sprinklers. Well is in a location - which is somewhat difficult to get to - due to fruit trees, etc. We've had plenty of rain so we've not used the pump very much since early May - problem started about a month ago when we turned it on to let it run for a bit.
(Oct 4, 2014) Gary said:
Bladder type pressure tank gains pressure to about 70 lbs within a few days of adjusting it to 2 lbs below cut in = 38lbs using a 40 - 60 switch - why does it gain and need readjusting ? the pressure in the home is then constantly going up and down during use
Reply:
Gary
Look for a water leak *into* the boiler system, such as from a leaky tankless coil or a bad water feed valve.
Question:
(Oct 15, 2014) Bonobos Marcos said:
I was having issues with low pressure on all of my water devices. After much struggling and attempting to do it myself I learned that for these big jobs on the home I needed to hire a professional. One thing I recommend when looking for a company is to check all their online reviews and make sure they are insured for the job they are performing.
(Oct 22, 2014) Ron said:
I have a 30 foot shallow well with a 3/4 hp jet pump.It is about 2years old.Recently the water coming out of the faucets looks aerated , lots of tiny bubbles.The pump still holds prime.There must be a air leak.
(Oct 31, 2014) Marilynn said:
we have a shallow pump that was running fine. replaced the pump and holding tank. now, when we run water into the house, the water will run for a couple minutes, slowly loses pressure and then we lose water. sometimes if we keep turning the water on and off, eventually it will continue to run. but then after not using the water, the same problem above happens again
Reply:
Marilynn
Is it possible that the new pump operates at a faster rate and is exhausting the water in the well?
Question: pressure falls then stops
(Nov 27, 2014) Shawn said:
my water pressure decreases then water flow stops completely, my well is 260 feel deep and we have had plenty of rain. I have a whole house water filter and treatment system, I turned the water off at the filter and replaced the filter when I turned the water back on the filter housing did not fill. left for about an hour and half came back had water.
I know it is some where is the area from the pump to the water filter housing which would include the pressure tank. I hope it is not my well. the pump is about 20 years old. any ideas
Reply:
Shawn this sounds as if the pressure switch is not coming on when it should. When the pressure is quite low or stopped, try rapping on the switch - if it turns on the pump you may then need the switch replaced.
Question:
(Nov 28, 2014) Anonymous said:
yesterday, i forget to switch off the motor pump which pumps water to 2nd floor tank was filled with little water, the motor pump was for 30 min running without water. Now when the tank is filled with water it is not pumping the water upward why ? can you solve the problem
Reply:
Anon if the water pump ran dry for 30 minutes the impeller assembly may have been damaged.
That scenario may also hae temporarily exhausted water in the well.
Question: sudden loss of water pressure: how to fix it
(Dec 17, 2014) Tim Wright said:
I had good water pressure and all of sudden. I had very little pressure
The pump is in about 80 feet of water.But the pump is about 20 years old too
Reply:
Anon
At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article you will find help at either of these two diagnostic articles
NO WATER PRESSURE
NO WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSTIC FAQs
Question: well piping freezes from cold air at vent
(Dec 30, 2014) L. Dodge said:
My well is 300 feet deep. Pump is at 280 feet. The well breathes as the barometer changes. When the weather gets down about zero cold air is pulled in to the well casing causing the line and pressure switch to freeze. How can I repair this problem without using a lightbulb to thaw it in the well casing?
Reply:
L.D.
Normally the well water supply piping is protected from freezing by locating it sufficiently deep that it is below the frost line. I would start not by assuming that the problem is cold air entering the well vent but rather an exposure of well piping to freezing conditions by inadequate depth.
(Dec 30, 2014) L Dodge said:
The well casing is 2 feet above the ground. the hose and switch are 8 feet down in the casing suspended by the control switch wire. It should not be freezing, but it does. What do you think?
(Dec 30, 2014) (mod) said:
I agree that if 8 feet is well below the frost line in your area the piping should not be freezing. (IMO It's a bit odd putting the pressure switch in the well though we've come across it before. )
Is it possible that the pump is short cycling, drawing freezing air frequently into the well casing?
Question: water pressure goes away for an hour or so when we do laundry
(Dec 30, 2014) heidi said:
we bought this house last December. we didn't know of any well problems but once we moved in if we do more then 3 loads of wash or run the dish washer we do not have any water coming out of our faucets?
So not sure where to start to fix the problem. and don't want to get hit with a huge bill to fix it. if you have any suggestions I am willing to try anything at this point. for a year we have been just dealing with it but its getting old!! it also takes hour or 2 before we get water back
Reply:
(Dec 31, 2014) (mod) said:
Heidi At the ARTICLE INDEX at the end of this article see the suggestions at WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSUPIS & REPAIR.
Most likely your well is running out of water.
See
Question: trouble setting the cut out and cut in nuts on the pump control
8 Jan 2015 Jeff said:
My pressure tank brand is unknown. No label etc. It does have a sticker that says it was pre-charged to 28 PSI so I assume it is intended to be used with a 30-50 psi pressure switch. The pressure switch is a D-Square Pumptrol 9013 FSG 9 SER B that based on the label on the inside of the cover was factory set at 40-60.
I have no idea what sort of pump is in the well. The system was installed by the builder 16+ years ago. No manuals or docs were provided so I cannot be certain that everything was left at factory defaults.
Recently I have noticed that the pump seemed to be cycling more frequently, around 1 a minute during showers. I have spent a few hours looking into this and learning about pressure tanks and switches. I tried adjusting the pressure switch based on some information I found on this site and others.
While doing this I discovered that no mater how I adjust the switch I cannot get the pressure to "remain" at anything more than 44 psi. What I am seeing is:
1. I turn on a faucet.
2. When the pressure reaches 30 psi (after I made adjustments) pump cuts in as expected.
3. The pressure increases to approx. 45 (as per the pressure gauge) then the needle quickly shots up to around 60-70
4. The switch shuts off.
5. Pressure fairly quickly (within a few seconds) drops down to 44 psi
6. At 44 psi it slows dramatically then continues to decrease at a normal (depending on how many faucets I have open etc) rate until it once again gets down to 30 and the cycle repeats.
No mater how much I adjust the cut-off and cut-in this pattern of spiking up when the pressure hits 44psi then settling back down to 44 and behaving normally. I can adjust the settings so that it short cycles every second or so and I can lower the cut-in to very low levels but no matter what I do it always settles back down to 44 psi one the pump cuts out.
It almost seems like there is a blow off valve or something like this that quickly purges air when it gets above 44 psi. There are no leaks that I can find.
Reply:
Curious, Jeff. I agree.
Try first making an independent pressure measurement by adding a pressure gauge on the system - see
for some easy methods.
Question: cistern / pressure booster pump short cycling
3 July 2015 Ron said:
Have a home that has a cistern which fills up via small amount of pressure from city. We have a pump that draws from the cistern for all household needs.
We find that every time we flush the pump gets activated. We have low flow toilets that consume about a 1.5 gallons per flush. We only notice pump running mostly after flushes.
Is the pressure tank too small. Tank looks to about 4 gallons. Can a bigger tank be used? Thank you in advance for any info. Here is a picture link [noted & copied for discussion]
Reply:
Ron please see WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING DIAGNOSIS TABLE
that should be what you need. Keep me posted.
Your question and the photo you suggested will also appear for discussion
at WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING FAQs where you will find additional details.
Question: pump won't stop
(Jan 10, 2015) Julie said:
Well water pump won't cut off
Reply:
Julie to diagnose and fix the pump-runs-on problem, under the WATER PUMP REPAIR GUIDE links In the ARTICLE INDEX found among the Continue Reading links at the end of this article , see the article titled
WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING
Question: pump runs but no pressure
(Jan 10, 2015) Anonymous said:
pump runs but no pressure no water
Reply:
Anon
You want to review the pump-won't-stop- diagnosis at
inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pump_Runs_On.htm
Question: pump system went haywire
bryanflake said:
I am a home repair rookie and need all the help I can get. My pump system went haywire and then stopped altogether. I am hoping to find someone who knows a thing or two about pump systems.
This situation is so bad for me that I don't really understand what is wrong.
Reply:
Bryan
Give your plumbing company a call and ask for a technician or plumber who has experience with private pump and well systems.
To be familiar with common reasons why a water pump won't run,
see DIAGNOSTIC TABLE for WATER PUMPS
Question: how do I find the well?
(Apr 13, 2015) carlos trujillo said:
Can someone can tell me how i can find the well ,i did buy this house in 2005 never ask to the previus owner , and i hava no idea how to find the well pump ..thank you
Reply:
Carlos,
See
For advice on how to find the well
Question: we have water pressure but the pressure tank doesn't fill up
(Apr 24, 2015) Anonymous said:
Well tank does not fill with water. Can get water out of spigot and pressure on tank gauge reads 60 psi
Reply:
See WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR where the diagnostic routines include discussion of a water tank internal bladder that has collapsed and stuck to itself, preventing water from entering the tank. Other clogs at the tank entry can also cause that problem.
Question: difficulty priming the well pump used for irrigation
(Apr 25, 2015) Mike said:
Have a well that is 100 ft. deep. I use it for outside watering. Tried priming with city water and nothing. Took off the pressure gauge by pump and funneled 10 pitchers of water down and only heard gurgeling. Put pressure gauge back on and nothing. What needs to be looked at?
Reply:
If you are trying to prime a 2-line jet pump at which there is no check valve right at the pump, and if in the well at the bottom of well piping the foot valve has failed, you may find priming the pump is impossible - pouring water into the piping and pump just sends that water down into the well. Ask your well service company for help: I suspect you'll find a failed foot valve or a leak in well piping.
Question: recurrent basement flooding from broken water pump
(Apr 30, 2015) Anonymous said:
My water pump at home keeps leaking and flooding my basement. What do I do?
Reply:
Anon it sounds as if you need a more experienced plumber to properly diagnose the causes of leaks at the well pump and thus basement floods. I can't guess from your question alone where the problem may lie, for example at bad piping connections or in the pump assembly itself. You need to first see where the leaks are occurring.
Question: water pressure has recently become so high that we are getting leaks.
(May 2, 2015) Anonymous said:
Have lived in house over twenty years always had OK pressure, but recently or pressure is so strong it is breaking some of our older piping. Is something wrong with pump or well don't hear it running or pressure tank
Reply:
Anon
Watch out: I agree that some diagnosis is needed: urgently. If the system is pumping to abnormally high water pressure that is an unsafe condition: a burst pipe or water tank could injure a bystander. It sounds as if the pump pressure controls switch is not working properly.
The pressure control switch pressure sensing port or mounting tube may be debris clogged or the switch pressure sensor could be broken - in that case the damaged parts or the entire switch simply need replacement.
Question: why does my lake water pump no longer deliver water?
(May 13, 2015) Brenda said:
What would be the problem when the pump is not pulling water from the lake and there isn't any pressure?
Reply: reasons for pump having trouble r
Electrical power to the pump is off
Failed pump motor
failed pump control
pump disconnected
pump intake screen clogged
piping leaky or disconnected enroute
See WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE for a complete catalog of possible explanations
Question: water pressure is slow to build and sometimes drops to zero
(May 18, 2015) Ivan Cloutier said:
We had a broken pipe.It's now repaired but seems the pressure is slow building up & sometimes drops
to zero.
Then I start it up again & then we get sand in the lines.I have to flush all the lines.
Any Idea what it could be
Reply:
If you are using a water pump and well system I'd be looking for a problem with the pump or pump controls or well piping. But from your brief description I suspect a leak in well piping.
At the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this article you 'll find a complete index to diagnostic articles for weak or lost water pressure.
Reader Comments
(June 11, 2015)
Correy Smith said:
The last home where my family and I were living in had a well pump that was placed there even before we moved in. It was an old pump that seemed to be working fine during the first six months and from there there were problems with it.
Some of the problems were pressure switch issue as well as leaks that needed a well pump repair. What impressed me the most was when the repair guy came was how he used several tools and solutions to fix the that switch and leak.
FAQs about a Water Pump That Won't Stop Running
See WATER PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING FAQs or see the home page for this topic: WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING
Water Pump Will Not Start
See WATER PUMP WON'T START FAQs
Pump Cannot Reach Cut-out Pressure - weak well pump, leaks, low voltage & other causes
For a well pump that cannot reach the cut-off pressure most likely it just keeps running.
See WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING - things that make the pump keep running without ever reaching the CUT-OUT pressure.
Also see WATER PUMP WON'T STOP RUNNING FAQs
Water Pump Noise FAQs
See WATER PUMP NOISE FAQs - also see WATER PUMP PRESSURE SWITCH NOISES
Water Pump Short Cycling FAQs
See WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING FAQs
Pump Protection Devices Make Sure water pump shuts off
See WATER PUMP PROTECTION SWITCH and also see WELL PIPING TAIL PIECE
...
Continue reading at WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE for table listing causes & cures for well pump or water pressure problems, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.
Or see WELL PUMP DIAGNOSTIC FAQs-2 - more recent questions and answers about troubleshooting and fixing well water pumps
Or see these
Recommended Articles
- PUMP PRIME, REPEATED LOSS of if you can't keep the pump primed
- WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - home
- MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS - If your water supply is from a city or municipal water system
- WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE - succinct guide to pump & well problem causes & cures
- WATER PRESSURE TABLE 1: PUMP WON'T RUN, WON'T STOP, or CYCLES
- WATER PRESSURE TABLE 2: PUMP RUNS, WEAK or NO WATER PRESSURE
- WATER PRESSURE TABLE 3: PUMP RUNS, NO WATER or INSUFFICIENT WATER
- WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES - home
- WATER PUMP REPAIR GUIDE - home
...
Suggested citation for this web page
WATER PUMP DIAGNOSTIC FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
Or see this
INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER SUPPLY, PUMPS TANKS WELLS
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Citations & References
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