Why you can have no water after a power outage
When the power comes back, you expect the well to come back too. Usually it does. But sometimes the lights are on and the faucets give you nothing. No water after a power outage is a call we get often, and the cause is often simple.
A few things can be going on: a tripped breaker, a generator that is not feeding the well circuit, or a pressure switch with a low-pressure cutoff that dropped out and is waiting to be reset. Now and then, a surge when power returns can damage a pump or its controls.
Start with the breaker
Go to your electrical panel and find the well pump breaker. It is often a double breaker labeled well or pump. Outages and surges can trip it. If it looks tripped or sits in the middle, push it firmly to OFF and then back to ON.
If it trips again right away, leave it OFF. A breaker that keeps tripping is telling you something is wrong with the pump, the wiring or the controls. Do not keep resetting it. Read why a well pump keeps tripping the breaker and give us a call.
Running on a generator?
If you ran a generator during the outage, check that the well circuit was actually on it. Some transfer switches and generator panels only cover certain circuits, and the well gets left off. A well pump also needs a big surge of power to start, so a small generator may not start it even when the circuit is connected.
Once utility power is back, make sure your transfer switch or interlock is set back to utility power, and that the well breaker is ON in the main panel.
The low-pressure cutoff switch
Some pressure switches have a low-pressure cutoff. You can spot one by a small lever sticking out on the outside of the switch. It is a safety feature: if pressure falls too low, the switch shuts the pump off to protect it from running dry.
Here is the catch. During an outage, pressure in your system can drop while the pump cannot run. When power returns, the switch can stay dropped out, and it will not restart the pump on its own until it is reset. So the house has power, the breaker is fine, and there is still no water.
Please be careful here. The lever is on the outside, but the switch has live electrical contacts inside. Never open the pressure switch cover or touch anything inside it. And a cutoff that trips can also be a sign of a real problem, like a leak or a tired pump, so it is worth having it looked at.
The safest move is to call our emergency line at 703-776-0996. We can often tell over the phone whether it sounds like the cutoff switch or something bigger.
When it is more than a reset
- The breaker trips again as soon as you turn it on.
- You hear the pump running but get no water.
- The pressure gauge sits at zero and never climbs.
- You smell burning or see scorch marks near the switch or panel.
- The water comes back cloudy, or sputters and spits air.
Any of those points to something like a damaged pump, wiring or control. Turn the well breaker OFF and call. If you smell burning, keep it off.
What to expect when you call
No-water calls take priority with us. Our emergency no-water service runs 24/7, and most calls start with a free diagnosis. If the pump needs replacing, see well pump repair and replacement. If you notice wet ground by the well once water is back, read water pooling near your well. For non-urgent questions, call 703-791-3981.