Before you call — a 2-minute check
These take almost no time and sometimes solve the problem before we ever get there:
- Check the breaker panel. A tripped breaker to the pump circuit is the single most common cause of "no water" and costs nothing to rule out.
- Listen at the pressure tank. Total silence usually points to an electrical issue or a dead pump; a pump that's running constantly but delivering no water often means it's lost prime or the well has gone dry.
- Check for frozen pipe runs in winter, particularly anywhere a supply line runs through an unheated crawlspace or an exterior wall.
- Confirm it isn't a utility-side issue if you're on a shared or community well system rather than a fully private one.
Most common causes of a total outage
- Tripped breaker or blown fuse on the pump circuit
- Failed pressure switch — the pump never gets the signal to turn on
- Waterlogged or ruptured pressure tank preventing pressure buildup
- Pump motor failure (burnt windings, seized bearing, lightning strike damage)
- Broken pitless adapter or split drop pipe below ground
- Well drawn down further than the pump can reach — more common during extended dry spells
- Frozen supply line between the well and the house
What to expect from an emergency call
We ask a few diagnostic questions over the phone first so we arrive with the likely parts on hand rather than needing a second trip. On site, we work through electrical checks before pulling anything out of the ground — a large share of "no water" emergencies turn out to be the pressure switch or tank rather than the pump itself, and that's a faster, cheaper fix when it's the actual cause.