Home Water SOS

Well pump runs, but no water

You can hear the pump or see the switch closed, yet the taps stay dry and the pressure gauge won't climb. Power is reaching the pump, so the problem is between the pump and the tank.

Updated November 2026

Do this first

  1. Turn the pump off at its breaker. A pump that runs without water overheats and can burn out within minutes.
  2. Don't open the pressure switch cover or the well cap. Both carry 240 volts.
  3. Note what you saw: did the gauge rise a little and fall back, or not move at all? Did the water turn sandy or sputter before it stopped?

The short answer

When a well pump runs but no water reaches the house, the water is either leaking out on the way up or never getting into the pump. The five usual causes are a leaking pitless adapter, a split drop pipe, a stuck check valve, a clogged intake screen, or a water level that has dropped below the pump.

Five places a running well pump can fail to deliver waterCross-section of a drilled well. The pump runs but water is lost or never enters it at five points: the pitless adapter near the top, a split drop pipe, a stuck check valve, a clogged intake screen at the pump, and a water level that has dropped below the pump.normal water levelwater level nowPump runs, gauge stays low12345Pitless adapter sealSplit or loose drop pipeStuck check valveClogged intake screenWater below the pump
Where the water goes missing:
  1. Pitless adapter seal, where the line leaves the well casing
  2. Split or loose drop pipe inside the well
  3. Check valve stuck shut, or stuck open so water drains back
  4. Intake screen clogged with sand or sediment
  5. Water level dropped below the pump

What the gauge tells you

Pressure never moves off zero: the pump isn't lifting water at all. Think low water level, a clogged intake, a check valve stuck shut, or a worn pump.

Pressure climbs a little, then drops when the pump stops: water is getting up but draining back. A split drop pipe, a leaking pitless adapter or a check valve stuck open are the usual suspects.

Water came back sandy or sputtering first: that points to a low water level or a clogged intake, often after a dry spell or heavy use.

What you can safely check

  • A wet or soft patch in the yard between the well and the house can mean a leak in the buried line or at the pitless adapter.
  • Recent weather and use: a long drought, or filling a pool or irrigating for hours, can pull the water level down. Waiting a few hours with the pump off sometimes lets the well recover.
  • Above-ground jet pump? It may have lost its prime. Re-priming is in the pump's manual; if it won't hold prime, there's usually a leak on the suction side.
  • For a submersible pump, the fixes above all mean pulling the pump out of the well. That's a job for a licensed well contractor with a pump hoist.

Pump or plumbing?

A pump that runs but delivers nothing isn't always worn out. A cracked drop pipe or a bad check valve is usually a smaller repair than a new pump. If the pump does need replacing, see well pump replacement cost. If the pump doesn't run at all, start with no water from your well.