Quick answer: check whether the rest of the house has power, look for a tripped breaker for the well pump and reset it once, and read the pressure gauge near your tank. If the breaker trips again, if you hear nothing at all, or if the pressure gauge reads zero with power on, the next step is a well contractor. Do not open the pressure switch or touch wiring.
Stop first if any of these apply. Standing water around the wellhead, pump house, or electrical panel. A burning smell, smoke, or sparks. A flooded well after a storm. In those cases, leave the power off and keep away from electrical equipment. Call 911 for fire or injury. After flooding, do not turn power back on to the pump until floodwater has receded, as the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services advises.
Safe checks, in order
1. Is it only your house?
Check whether the lights and appliances work. If the whole street is out, you have a power outage and the pump cannot run. Wait for power to return, then see whether water follows. If your neighbors have power and water and you do not, the problem is local to your house or your well.
2. Look at the breaker panel
Find the breaker labeled for the well, pump, or water. A tripped breaker sits in a middle position or looks different from the others. Switch it fully off and then back on, once. If the pump starts and the breaker holds, mention the trip to your contractor anyway, because breakers trip for a reason. If it trips again, stop. Repeated resetting can damage a motor or wiring.
3. Read the pressure gauge
Most systems have a small pressure gauge on or near the pressure tank or switch. With the pump idle and water not running, a healthy system holds pressure. A reading of zero with power on points to a pump, switch, or supply problem. A reading that drops quickly as you run water and does not recover means the pump is not refilling the tank.
4. Listen
- Silence at the tank and wellhead: the pump may not be getting power, or the switch may have failed.
- Humming or buzzing without water: a stuck motor or failed capacitor are common causes.
- Clicking on and off: the pressure tank may have lost its air charge.
- Running but nothing arrives: a worn pump, a broken drop pipe, a stuck check valve, or a well that is pumped dry.
5. Look for leaks
A major leak can drain the system faster than the pump fills it. Check the crawlspace or basement and the path of the buried line. Soggy ground, hissing, or a toilet that will not stop running are clues.
6. Think about freezing
In a hard freeze, exposed pipes and uninsulated well houses can freeze. Check exposed pipe near the tank and wellhead, and never use open flames to thaw pipes.
What you should not do
- Do not remove the pressure switch cover or touch the wires inside. Line voltage is present.
- Do not bypass or jump anything to make the pump run.
- Do not remove the well cap or pour bleach into the well unless a certified contractor tells you how, or you are following the state's published steps for disinfecting a flooded well.
- Do not keep running a pump that hums and will not start. It can burn out the motor.
What the result usually means
| What you found | Likely meaning | Published range |
|---|---|---|
| Breaker trips again | Failed motor, bad wire, or water in the control box | $200 to $500 for a control box, more for a motor |
| Power on, no sound, gauge at zero | Pressure switch or a dead pump | $120 to $200 for a switch; $1,500 to $3,500 for a pump |
| Hum with no start | Start capacitor or seized motor | $100 to $175 for a capacitor |
| Clicking, bouncing gauge | Pressure tank air charge failed | $300 to $800 for a tank |
| Sputtering air, then nothing | Water level dropped, or the well is running dry | Depends on the well |
If the well was flooded
Hurricane Helene put thousands of private wells in Western North Carolina under water or at risk. After a flood, the state's guidance is to assess the well for damage, disinfect it, and test it before anyone drinks the water. Water that may be contaminated should not be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing food, making ice, or preparing baby formula. Boil water for at least one minute, use bottled water, or use a source you know is safe until a test clears the well. Your county health department can supply testing kits. See the pages for Buncombe County, Henderson County, and Madison County.
What to tell the contractor
These details save time on the phone and may avoid a second trip:
- When the water stopped and what you were doing at the time.
- Whether other power in the house works, and whether a breaker tripped.
- What the pressure gauge reads and whether you hear the pump.
- Whether the well was flooded, or there was recent lightning or a power surge.
Cost and timing
Emergency calls cost more. A published North Carolina cost guide says emergency diagnostic visits commonly start at $150 to $300, and after-hours labor can run one and a half to two times the standard rate. If the problem can safely wait until a weekday you may save money, but do not wait on a flooded well or a pump that is tripping breakers. The cost guide has more.
Next steps
A small failed part is covered under well pump repair, a dead pump under well pump replacement, and clicking with bouncing pressure under pressure tank replacement. When you are ready, use the form below.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my well suddenly stop giving water?
The usual causes are a tripped breaker or power loss, a failed pressure switch or capacitor, a burned out pump motor, a broken pipe or leak, or in some wells a water level that has dropped below the pump. A contractor needs to test the system to tell them apart.
Is it safe to reset the breaker for my well pump?
Resetting a tripped breaker once is generally fine if the area around the panel and wellhead is dry. If it trips again, leave it off and call a contractor. Never reset a breaker when there is standing water near electrical equipment.
Can I drink my well water after the power comes back or after a flood?
After a flood, no. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says a flooded or damaged private well must be inspected, disinfected, and tested before the water is used, and recommends bottled water, treated water, or water boiled for at least one minute until test results are clear.
How much does an emergency well call cost?
A published North Carolina cost guide says emergency diagnostic visits commonly start at $150 to $300, with after-hours and weekend labor at about one and a half to two times normal rates. Another published guide cites 25 to 50 percent more on labor for weekends. Ask for the diagnostic fee before the contractor drives out.
Can I fix a pressure switch myself?
We recommend against it. The switch carries line voltage, and a wrong diagnosis can damage the pump. A pressure switch repair has a published cost of about $120 to $200, so the safer path is to have a certified contractor do it.