No water from your well? Check these 5 things first

Check these in order

1. Is it the whole house?Try a second faucet in another room. If only one faucet or toilet is dry, the problem is that fixture's plumbing, not your well.
2. Is the power on?Your well pump runs on electricity. No power means no water, even if the well is full. If you have a generator, the pump usually needs its own 240-volt circuit to run on it.
3. Check the pump breaker.In your electrical panel, look for a double breaker (two handles joined together) labeled “well” or “pump.” If it's tripped, switch it fully off, then on. Do this once. If it trips again, don't keep resetting it.
4. Read the pressure gauge.It's on the pipe next to your pressure tank, usually in a basement, crawl space, garage, or well house. With water off, a normal reading sits somewhere in the switch range, often between 30 and 60 psi. A reading near 0 with the power on means the pump isn't delivering water.
5. Think about the weather.In a hard freeze, a pipe near the pressure tank or wellhead may have frozen. During a long dry spell, water that comes back after a rest, or that sputters air, can mean the water level in the well is low. Both are worth a call.

Call a certified pump pro if

• The pump breaker trips again after one reset.
• The power is on, the breaker is fine, and the gauge reads near 0.
• You hear the pump running but get little or no water.
• Water comes back sputtering, muddy, or full of air.

In North Carolina, pump repair and replacement must be done by a state-certified well contractor (Level D or higher). A plumbing license on its own isn't enough. How to check a pro's certification.

What to tell the pro when you call

Those five answers help the pro bring the right parts and often save a second trip. After a pump is pulled, ask whether they'll disinfect the well, and ask your county environmental health office about testing your water.