No Water From Your Well? Pump, Pressure Tank, Switch or Water Level
Published October 2026. General guidance for homes on private wells around Springfield, Missouri.
When the tap goes dry on a private well, four parts of the system are the usual suspects: the pump down the well, the pressure switch, the pressure tank, and the water level in the well itself. Each fails in its own way, and a few safe checks at the surface narrow it down before a pump ever has to come out.
Start With Safe Checks at the Surface
- Breaker. Find the breaker or fuse for the pump. If it has tripped, reset it once, and if it trips again, leave it off.
- Gauge. Read the pressure gauge near the tank. A reading near zero means the pump is not refilling the system.
- Listen. Open a tap and listen near the tank for the switch clicking and the pump starting.
- Look for leaks. Check for a broken pipe, a wet spot in the yard between the well and the house, or a split fitting.
- Think back. Note any storm, power outage or recent work on the well, since those point to likely causes.
Keep hands off the switch contacts and wiring while the power is on, and keep children and pets away from an open well cap.
Signs the Pressure Switch Is the Problem
The pressure switch tells the pump when to start and stop. If the gauge reads low and the pump never starts, burned or pitted contacts in the switch are a common cause, and so is a clogged tube underneath it that keeps the switch from sensing pressure. We can test the switch in minutes, and replacing it is a surface repair.
Signs the Pressure Tank Is the Problem
A failing tank usually gives warning before the water stops. The pump starts and stops every few seconds, pressure swings at the tap, or water spits from the air valve on top of the tank when the stem is pressed. That rapid cycling wears the switch and the pump, and a burned-out switch from short cycling can be what finally cuts off the water. See pressure tank replacement for how the tank and switch are replaced.
Signs the Pump or Its Wiring Has Failed
If the breaker trips as soon as the pump starts, there may be a short in the wire or the motor. If the pump runs but pressure never builds, the pump end may be worn or a pipe may have separated down the well. On three-wire pumps, a failed part in the control box at the surface can look like a dead pump, so it is checked before anything else. When the pump itself has failed, well pump replacement means pulling the pump, drop pipe and wire from the well.
Signs the Water Level Has Dropped
A well that is running low tends to sputter, spit air and then quit, and water comes back after the well rests for a while. Based on DNR well records through 2016, the median static water level is about 150 feet below ground in Greene County and about 180 feet in Christian County, and the pump has to sit below that line. Some household wells draw from the shallow Springfield Plateau aquifer, which Missouri DNR rates at about 15 to 30 gallons per minute, so a large pump can outdraw a well like that.
| What you notice | Likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| No water, pump silent, gauge near zero | Power, switch or pump | Breaker, then the switch |
| Breaker trips right away | Short in the wire or motor | Leave it off and call |
| Pump runs, no pressure | Worn pump or separated pipe | Gauge with a tap open |
| Pump clicks on and off fast | Waterlogged tank | Air valve on the tank |
| Sputtering, air, then nothing | Low water level | Rest the well, then retest |
After a Power Outage
A submersible pump stops whenever the power does, and the house runs only on what is left in the tank and pipes. When power returns, the pump should restart on its own; if it does not, check the breaker, since a surge or a brownout can trip it. Backup power can run the pump during an outage if an electrician connects it safely.
In a Hard Freeze
Pipes in an unheated well house, a crawl space or a shallow run near the surface can freeze and stop the water even though the pump and well are fine. Keep the well house closed and heated in cold snaps, and never use an open flame to thaw pipes near wiring or the pressure tank.
If the Water Comes Back Cloudy or Sandy
After a pump is pulled and reset, or after a well has been run low, the first water through the taps can be cloudy, rusty or gritty while stirred-up sediment clears. Run an outside faucet until the water runs clear rather than sending that water through a water heater or softener.
If the cloudiness keeps coming back, or the water turns muddy after heavy rain, act on it. In karst ground, muddy water after rain can mean surface water is reaching the well, so a water test and a look at the cap and casing come first. Sand that keeps showing up can also mean the pump is set too close to the bottom of the well, which we check when it is pulled.
Keep a Record for Next Time
Once the water is back, write down what failed, the pump's model and horsepower, how deep it is set, and the tank's size and age. Keep that with the DNR well record if the well was drilled after July 1987. The next time something goes wrong, those details save time on the phone and on site.
When to Call and What to Say
Call or send the form with the address, when the water stopped, what the gauge reads, whether the breaker tripped, and the age of the pump and tank if you know it. We'll call you back to talk through what you are seeing, and we work from the surface down. The emergency well service page covers the same steps in short form.
After the Water Comes Back
Any time a well is opened for repair, it should be disinfected and flushed before you drink from it. Missouri DNR notes that losing streams and sinkholes let surface water reach groundwater fast, so a water test after the repair is a sensible last step.