Troubleshooting Common Signs of Pump or Well Issues

Your well and pump system play a crucial role in delivering clean, reliable water to your home or property. When issues arise, identifying the problem early can save time, money, and prevent further damage. Below, we’ll explore common signs of pump or well issues, what they might indicate, and how to address them.

1. No Water Pressure

Symptoms: Turning on the tap results in no water at all.

Potential Causes:

Power supply issues including a tripped breaker, failed electrical connections or failed electrical wire in system.

A failed capacitor in control box.

A failed pump motor.

A significant drop in the water table, causing low level cut out of pump.

Clogged or damaged piping.

What to Do:

Check your power supply and circuit breaker, if tripped reset and if trips again contact Essential Water Works.

Check for low level cut out pressure switch and prime system by holding silver arm up to manually close the contacts on the pressure switch.

Turn power off to system and remove control box lid, inspect capacitor for leaks or bulged indicator disk. Replace with new control box if capacitor is suspected to have failed.

Inspect for visible leaks or damaged piping.

Contact Essential Water Works to evaluate the pump and well if the problem is not resolved by the above.

2. Rapid Pressure Fluctuations

Symptoms: Water pressure spikes and drops rapidly.

Potential Causes:

Failed or water logged pressure tank

Air in the system.

A malfunctioning pressure switch.

What to Do:

Inspect the pressure tank for leaks or waterlogging. turn the pump off and bleed off all pressure from the system. Check pressure tank precharge pressure with a tire gauge on the schrader valve on the top of the pressure tank.

Have the pressure switch and piping checked by Essential Water Works.

3. Low Water Pressure

Symptoms: Water flow is weaker than usual.

Potential Causes:

Sediment buildup in pipes, filters, or screens.

A leaking pipe or fitting.

A worn pump struggling to maintain pressure.

A drop in well water levels.

What to Do:

Clean or replace filters.

Schedule a pump inspection from Essential Water Works.

4. Reduced Well Yield

Symptoms: Running out of water mid-shower or experiencing extremely low pressure when using multiple taps.

Potential Causes:

Diminished well recharge rates.

Sediment clogging fractures or the well screen.

A pump that is undersized or aging.

What to Do:

Conduct a yield test to measure the well’s performance.

Consider well cleaning, rehabilitation, or upgrading your pump system.

5. Sediment in the Water

Symptoms: Sand, silt, or other particles appear in your water supply.

Potential Causes:

A damaged or degraded well screen.

Erosion around the pump intake.

High sediment levels in the aquifer.

What to Do:

Inspect the well casing and screen.

Raise the pump intake to avoid sediment-heavy zones.

Install a sediment filter.

Schedule Essential Water Works to inspect and perform rehabilitation of the well.

6. Changes in Water Quality

Symptoms: Unpleasant odors (like rotten eggs), discoloration, or strange tastes.

Potential Causes:

Bacterial contamination.

Mineral buildup (e.g., iron or sulfur).

Surface water infiltration.

What to Do:

Test the water for contaminants and minerals.

Shock chlorinate the well, if needed.

Install water treatment systems, such as a softener or iron filter.

Schedule Essential Water Works to inspect and perform rehabilitation of the well.

7. Pump Running Continuously

Symptoms: The pump doesn’t shut off, or you notice a sudden spike in power usage.

Potential Causes:

A leak in the system causing pressure loss.

A malfunctioning pressure switch.

A worn pump struggling to meet demand.

What to Do:

Inspect for leaks in the system.

Test the pressure switch and adjust if necessary.

Schedule Essential Water Works to diagnose and repair the issue.

When to Call a Professional

While some minor issues can be resolved with basic troubleshooting, more complex problems require professional expertise. At Essential Water Works, we specialize in diagnosing and resolving well and pump issues efficiently. From advanced diagnostics, such as camera surveys, to comprehensive repairs and system upgrades, we’re here to ensure your water system operates reliably.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above and are unable to resolve them on your own, don’t wait for the problem to worsen. Contact us today to schedule an evaluation and get your system back on track.t us know about the property—if there's a family of six living on it. If there's a one-acre organic garden or four acres of lawn or six horses. Or a business. This information helps us determine what you need from your well.

We research, collecting offset information (aka information about neighbouring wells) and estimate what your well depth and pump rate will likely be.

We meet you on site and determine the best possible well location (given the setback requirements) and review the cost estimate and drilling agreement.

Once well construction begins, we bring in the required equipment and drill anywhere from 1 to 4 days. (Drill time is dependent on the well's depth and the geological formations we encounter.)

After we complete the drilling, we develop it, which means we clean it up, remove any fine grain particles or sediment, and clear the well openings to the formation. While doing this, we’re also able to provide the estimated well yield (ie. tell you how much water your well produces). This part of the process can take several hours.

Next: we bring your well to life with a pumping system.