Well pump repair around Springfield

Not every dead well needs a new pump. A good pump tech tests the electrical side from the surface before pulling anything out of the hole, because a pull on a deep well is the expensive part of the job.

Parts that fail most often

Pressure switch

The switch near the tank turns the pump on at the low setting and off at the high setting (commonly 30/50 or 40/60 psi). Contacts burn and pit over time, and hard water clogs the little tube it sits on. Symptoms: no water with power to the switch, chattering, or pressure that won't stop climbing.

Control box (3-wire pumps)

Many deep-well pumps use a control box in the well house or basement with a start capacitor and relay. A failed capacitor can make a perfectly good pump hum without starting. Lightning damage often shows up here first.

Check valves

Check valves hold the water column in the pipe when the pump shuts off. When one leaks, pressure bleeds down overnight and the pump short-cycles. On a deep well there are usually several check valves in the drop pipe.

Wiring and splices

The splice that joins the pump wire to the drop cable sits underwater for years. A failed splice or a nicked wire can trip breakers or kill the pump. A tech tests this with a megohmmeter from the surface.

The pump or motor itself

If the electrical tests point down the hole, the pump has to come up. See pump replacement.

What to tell the tech when you call

• When it stopped, and whether there was a storm or power outage first.
• What the pressure gauge reads (if your tank has one).
• Whether the breaker is tripped or keeps tripping.
• How deep the well is and how old the pump is, if you know. The well log may be on file with Missouri DNR.