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A Well Pump That Will Not Shut Off

The pump runs and runs because pressure never reaches the point that stops it. Three things cause that, and they are easy to separate.

The short of it

A pump running continuously means the system never reaches its cut-out pressure. Three things cause that: a leak losing water as fast as it is pumped, a worn pump that can no longer build pressure, or a well that cannot keep up with the draw.

PumpDepth is a referral service, not a contractor. We connect homeowners with independent contractors. Contractors are required to hold whatever credential their state or municipality demands. Every state page sets out who licenses plumbers there and where to check, so you can confirm before work begins. We carry out no work, we sell no equipment, we do not set prices, and we never charge homeowners anything — the contractors in our network pay us when we route them a call.

Something is leaking

If water is leaving the system as fast as the pump delivers it, pressure never climbs to cut-out. A running toilet is the classic culprit and can run unnoticed for weeks. So can a leaking foot valve or a split in the line between the well and the house, which leaks into the ground and shows nothing at all.

Shut off the valve where the line enters the house. If the pump then stops, the leak is inside; if it keeps running, it is outside or in the well.

The pump is worn

A pump losing efficiency can still move water but can no longer reach the pressure that stops it. That produces continuous running with weak flow, which distinguishes it from a leak — a leak usually leaves flow normal until pressure collapses.

The well cannot keep up

If the pump is drawing more than the well yields, the water level falls to the intake and the pump runs against nothing. That is a well problem rather than an equipment problem, and running the pump dry is what destroys it.

Penn State Extension treats a fall of 25% or more in yield as the point at which rehabilitation is in order rather than replacement.

Source: Penn State Extension, Water Well Maintenance and Rehabilitation.

Why not to wait

All three causes end with the pump running continuously, and a pump running dry or running against a leak is a pump being destroyed. This is the well fault worth acting on without delay.

On a well, nobody else is going to notice it failing.If the pressure has gone or the pump is cycling, that is worth a call today rather than next week. We route to contractors who work on wells specifically and cover your area, matched on the ZIP code you give, and you are never charged. Nor does it have to be the well; any plumbing work is routed the same way.

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