Well Pump Troubleshooting and DIY Repair

Figure out how to prepare your well yourself

Introduction

If you own a home with a well, you know that trouble can hit at the worst possible fourth dimension, and off-hours repairs can cost a small fortune. The virtually common symptoms of well trouble are no water at all, pulsing water force per unit area and a well pump that runs constantly. If you experience any of these, there'south a good adventure yous can solve the trouble yourself.

Video: Fixing a Dead Well

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Project step-by-step (8)

Stride 1

Be Sure the Power is On

  • Start by checking that the well switch located near your force per unit area tank hasn't been switched off.
  • Then check the well's double-pole circuit breaker to see that it hasn't tripped.
  • If information technology has, reset it.
    • A billow that keeps tripping likely means a problem with the well pump, and you'll need to call a pro for that.

Anatomy of a Well

Step 2

And so Check the Pressure Switch

  • You lot'll observe the pressure switch mounted on a 1/iv-in. tube near the pressure level tank.
    • Information technology's what senses when water pressure level has dropped to the point where the force per unit area tank requires more than h2o. The switch so powers upwardly the well pump.
    • If the switch is bad, it won't start the well pump and y'all won't have water, so testing the switch is your beginning stride.
  • Remove the cover and bang a screwdriver handle sharply against the tube beneath the switch to jar the electric contacts.
  • If you come across a spark and the pump starts, the pressure switch is the problem.

Check the pressure switch

Step 3

If the Switch is Bad, Replace It

  • If you find the pressure switch is bad, exam the force per unit area tank to brand sure it isn't waterlogged (meet Problem: Pulsing Water).
  • To replace the switch, commencement past removing the wires to the old switch and unscrew the switch.
    • Pro tip: Be certain to characterization the wires!
  • Coat the tubing threads with pipe dope or Teflon tape and screw on the new switch so it sits in the same orientation.
  • Then reconnect the wires.
    • A new switch is about $25. If there's notwithstanding no spark, yous'll have to supersede the controller.

Replace the switch

Footstep four

Temporary Quick Fix

If banging on the tube under the force per unit area switch kicked on the well pump, it means the contact surfaces of the electrical contacts are pitted or burned, causing a poor connection. You can temporarily restore the surfaces to keep it going until you can buy a replacement switch.

  • First, turn off the ability and double-check with a voltage tester.
  • Pull the contacts open up and file off the burned and pitted areas using an ordinary boom file or emery board.
  • Replace the pressure switch as soon as possible because this gear up won't last long.

Ostend THE Power IS OFF! Earlier you replace the pressure switch or file the contacts, plough off the power at the main panel and cheque the wires with a non-contact voltage tester.

Temporary fix

Pace 5

Replace the Pump Controller

  • Remove the screw at the bottom of the pump control cover and lift it off the box to disconnect information technology.
  • Accept it to the store and buy an exact replacement.
  • Snap the new cover onto the onetime box (no need to rewire if you lot buy the aforementioned make).
  • So commencement the pump.
    • The pump controller houses a capacitor to help start the pump. Most pump controls are mounted in the house near the pressure tank, just others are mounted inside the well pump itself and the fix requires a pro. If you don't have the box shown below, this fix isn't for you.
      • There'due south no way to test the controller, and then you lot either have to risk bravado $75 by replacing a good ane, or throw in the towel and call a pro. Replacing the pump controller as shown hither is easy, and it's your last, best shot at avoiding a service call. If yous've replaced the pressure level switch and the pump still won't outset, we think it's worth the take a chance to supercede the well pump controller.

Pump controller

Stride 6

Cheque the Pressure Tank'south Air Valve

  • Unscrew the plastic cover from the air valve on the elevation of the tank.
  • Use a small screwdriver to depress the air valve to see if water comes out.
    • When water "pulses" at the spigot, it unremarkably means you take a waterlogged tank. Replacement is your only option. A new tank costs virtually $200 and up.
      • Two methods for diagnosing a bad tank include checking for h2o at the air valve and shaking the tank.

Test the valve

Step 7

Stone the Tank

  • Push confronting the peak of the tank to rock it slightly.
  • If you can't rock it or it feels superlative heavy, it'due south bad.
  • Bleed it and supervene upon it.

Rock the tank

Footstep eight

Hire a Professional person

If your pump runs nonstop, there might not exist a DIY solution. When a well pump turns on, yous'll hear the clicking of the pressure switch opening and closing. If you lot hear frequent clicking when no water is flowing, you have bug outside the business firm and y'all'll demand to hire a pro.

It could be a broken water line from the well to the house — unremarkably you'll have a moisture area between the well head and the business firm — a bad check valve just above the submersible pump at the lesser of the well, a bad connector leaving the well casing or even a broken water line inside the well casing. Each of these problems requires a pro.

Originally Published: Nov 25, 2022