Well Pump Handbook
Private Well Pump & Pressure Help for Homeowners
Figure out what's wrong from what you can see and hear, check what's safe to check, understand the options and the cost — and know when it's time to call a licensed well contractor.
Common problems
A typical private well system: pump (1), check valve (2), pitless adapter (3), pressure tank (4), pressure switch and gauge (5), house supply (6) and electrical supply (7).
Diagnostic tools
Each tool shows its method and source. Educational guidance, not an onsite diagnosis.
- Symptom troubleshooterA few questions about the gauge, the switch and the water point you to the likely cause.
- Pressure tank prechargeThe right tank air pressure for your switch or constant-pressure setpoint.
- Pressure tank sizingMinimum tank size from pump flow, run time and switch setting.
- Replacement cost estimatorPublished installed-cost ranges by pump type and the parts replaced with it.
Core guides
How each part of a private well system works — and how it fails.
- Well pumpsSubmersible and jet pumps, the specs that matter, and what shortens their life.
- Pressure tanksThe air cushion, real drawdown by tank size, precharge and failure signs.
- Pressure switches & controlsCut-in, cut-out, control boxes and constant-pressure drives.
- TroubleshootingStart from the symptom: a map of what usually causes what.
Common problems
Each guide separates what you can safely check from work for a licensed pro.
- Pump runs, but no waterGauge near zero while the pump runs — lost prime, broken pipe or a dry well. Cut power first.
- Pump won't turn onFrom the breaker to the switch to the motor, in the right order.
- Short cyclingClicking on and off every few seconds usually means the tank lost its air cushion.
- Pump won't shut offWhat the gauge does while the pump runs tells you which of four causes it is.
- Low water pressureBefore the tank or after it? One gauge reading splits the problem in two.
- Bad pressure tankFive checks — and why "just add air" can be dangerous on an old tank.
Costs & replacement
Dated, sourced national ranges — and how to tell whether you need a new pump at all.
What a replacement costs
- Submersible pump, installed: $1,000–$2,500
- Jet pump, installed: $400–$1,400
- Constant-pressure system: $2,000–$5,000
- Pressure tank, installed: $800–$1,500
HomeGuide national ranges, published July–August 2025.
Estimate replacement costHow we research
We're a publication, not a pump company. Here's what that means for what you read.
Manufacturer manuals first
Numbers that drive a decision — precharge, run times, check valve rules — come from manufacturer documentation and public agencies, cited on the page.
Sources & methodologySafety kept separate
Every guide marks what's safe for a homeowner to observe and what belongs to a licensed well contractor or electrician.
Editorial policyNo fake testing
We don't claim hands-on product tests we haven't done, and we don't publish "best product" lists without evidence.
Review methodology