When there is no water at the cottage, three checks will usually narrow down the cause: the pump breaker, the pressure gauge next to the pressure tank, and whether any pipe has frozen. These are also the first three things we look at when Wilfrid David is called to a well in Chénéville or elsewhere in La Petite-Nation. Here is how to check each one safely and what the results mean.
Check the power to the pump
The first step is to make sure the pump is getting power. When a cottage is closed for the winter, several breakers are often switched off, and the pump breaker may still be off when you return. Go to the electrical panel and find the breaker for the pump.
If it has tripped, you can reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off. A breaker that keeps tripping points to a fault in the pump, the supply cable or the control. Forcing power through will not solve the problem and can permanently damage the motor.
The pressure switch, the small grey box mounted on the pipe near the tank, has live terminals inside. Do not remove its cover while the power is on, and do not tap it to try to get the pump started. This is a common habit, and it carries a real risk of electric shock.
Read the pressure gauge
The dial next to the pressure tank tells you a great deal. Most household systems are set so the pump starts at around 30 or 40 psi and stops at around 50 or 60 psi (30/50 or 40/60 settings, as shown in tank manufacturers' guides). Here is how to read it:
- The gauge reads zero and the pump does not start. If you have confirmed the power, the cause lies in the pressure switch, the control or the pump itself. This calls for a professional diagnosis.
- The gauge reads zero and the pump is running. This is often a jet pump located inside the cottage or in the crawlspace. It may have lost its prime, or there may be no water left to draw. Switch it off at the breaker: a pump that runs dry damages itself.
- The needle rises and falls every few seconds. This is a different and fairly common issue, which we explain in our article on a pump that keeps cycling.
- The gauge shows pressure, but no water reaches the tap. The blockage is past the tank: often ice, sometimes a clogged filter or a valve that was closed in the fall.
Look for a frozen pipe
In a cottage left closed through a cold winter, the line entering through the crawlspace can freeze, as can the section of pipe between the pump and the tank if it runs through an unheated area. When only one tap is dry while the others run, the cause is almost always a frozen pipe in the wall or under the floor on that side.
To thaw a line without creating a fire hazard, see our article on thawing frozen pipes. The key rule: no open flame. If the frozen section is the buried line between the well and the building, a hair dryer will not be enough, and thawing should be left to a professional.
Check whether the well is running low
At the end of a dry summer, or when water use rises sharply (several loads of laundry, watering the garden, a full house of guests), a shallow or low-yield well can empty faster than it refills. A major submersible motor manufacturer's installation manual states it plainly: the pump can exceed the capacity of the well.
The typical sign is water that comes back on its own after a few hours of rest, then runs out again as soon as use picks up. If this is the case, switch off the pump, let the well recover, reduce your water use and contact us so we can assess what can be adjusted. Do not lower the pump deeper into the well yourself, as it could end up in the sand at the bottom.
Have the water tested when needed
When water returns after a repair on the well or after a flood, have it tested before drinking it. The Government of Québec recommends testing water from a private well for bacteria at least twice a year. With a private well, water quality is the owner's responsibility.
When to call a professional
Contact us if the breaker trips again, if the gauge stays at zero even though the pump has power, if the pump runs without delivering water, or if a buried line has frozen. You can reach our team at 819-428-3161. Our store at 77 rue Principale in Chénéville keeps plumbing parts in stock if you need a fitting or a replacement part. Evenings and weekends, emergencies are handled on call. For more information, see our wells and pumps page.
Filed under Wells and pumps
