No Water From Your Well in Palm Bay? Get Help Now

When a home on a private well loses water, it's almost always one of a short list of causes. Some you can check yourself in a few minutes. Others need a contractor with the right meters and equipment.

Safe things to check first

1. Is the power on? Check the breaker for the well pump. If it's tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call. Repeated resets can burn out the motor.
2. Look at the pressure gauge on or near the tank. If it reads zero or very low and the pump isn't running, the pump isn't getting a signal to start or can't start.
3. Listen at the pressure switch. Clicking or buzzing without the pump running can point to a switch or control part. Don't open the switch cover yourself; it carries live voltage.
4. Is the pump running nonstop? If so, turn it off at the breaker to protect it, and check for a burst pipe or a big leak.
5. After a storm or outage, check for surge damage and whether a generator was connected. Lightning is a common cause of sudden pump failure in Central Florida.

Most common causes

• A failed or burnt pressure switch
• A failed capacitor or control box
• A burnt-out pump motor (see submersible pumps)
• Lost prime on a jet pump
• A broken pipe in the well or between the well and the house
• A water level that has dropped, which can happen in a dry spring

After a hurricane or flood

If floodwater covered your well head, assume the water isn't safe to drink until the well has been disinfected and tested. The Florida Department of Health in Brevard County has guidance on well water testing after flooding. Don't run a pump whose electrical parts have been under water until it has been checked.

No water now? Call (321) 220-9883. Tell us your street area, whether the pump is running, and whether the breaker trips.