Every faucet dry at once almost always means something stopped the pump or cut the water off between the well and the house. A single dry faucet is a plumbing problem inside the house, not a well problem. Before you call, a few checks are safe for anyone. Some things should be left to the pro.
Safe checks (no tools, no opening boxes)
OWRB's owner guide lists the common reasons a house has no water at any tap (OWRB):
- Power. Is the rest of the house on? Look at the breaker panel for a tripped double-pole breaker marked well or pump. Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off.
- Valves. Has anyone closed a shut-off near the pressure tank or at the well house, maybe after a plumbing job?
- Filters and treatment. A clogged sediment cartridge or a softener stuck mid-cycle can choke flow to almost nothing. Most softeners and filters have a bypass valve.
- Freezing. After a hard freeze, exposed pipe at the well house or tank can ice up.
Then look at the pressure gauge by the tank. Reading near zero with power on means the pump is not delivering. Reading normal with no water at the taps points to a blockage or valve inside the house.
What not to do
- Don't open the pressure switch cover or the control box. Both carry line voltage. OWRB's guide warns owners against mechanical or electrical testing that belongs to a licensed professional.
- Don't keep resetting a breaker that trips. Each restart into a fault stresses the motor.
- Don't tap on the pressure switch with the cover off to make it kick on. If that works, the contacts are failing and should be replaced.
- Don't pour water down the well to prime a submersible pump. Submersibles sit underwater and don't need priming. Anything poured in is a contamination risk.
Dry taps or a pump that won't quit? One call gets you to a licensed pump installer near you. (405) 536-9841
What the installer will look at
| Finding | Common cause |
|---|---|
| Power at the switch, contacts closed, pump not running | Control box failure (three-wire pumps), broken wire or splice, or a failed motor |
| Pump running, little or no pressure | Broken drop pipe or coupling, hole in the line, or water level drawn down to the intake |
| Pump starts, then stops a few seconds later | Dry-run protection tripping, or a waterlogged pressure tank |
| Everything electrical tests good, water level low | Well yield dropping. Mineral scale or iron bacteria slime can choke a screen (OWRB lists both as causes of lost well capacity) |
When the well itself is the problem
A pump in good shape can still come up empty if the well can't supply it. Iron bacteria, mineral buildup and fine sediment can plug a screen and gravel pack over time. OWRB notes that rehabilitation by a licensed contractor can restore some of the lost capacity (OWRB). If not, the options are resetting the pump deeper, cleaning the well, or drilling a new one.
When you call, have these handy: your town, whether any water at all is coming out, what the gauge reads, and whether the breaker tripped. That helps the installer bring the right parts on the first trip. See well pump repair for the less urgent symptoms.
FAQ
My breaker tripped and the well stopped. Is it the pump?
Not always. A failing capacitor, a bad splice or a short in the well wire can also trip a breaker. Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and have an installer test the circuit.
Should I boil water after the well is fixed?
Oklahoma's rules require disinfection after pump or well work. OWRB recommends testing for bacteria after repairs. Until a test comes back clean, many households use bottled water for drinking.
Can a well run dry in a drought?
A well whose water level falls near the pump intake can stop delivering. An installer can measure the water level to tell a dry well from a dead pump.