Dry well means two things. To a builder it is a gravel-filled pit that lets rainwater soak into the ground. To a well owner it means the worst kind of no water: the well itself has run low. This article is about the second one.
Water Well Repair Near Me is an independent referral service, not a well contractor, driller or pump installer. When you send the form, your request goes to this site’s operator, who passes it to an independent local well pro who can contact you and prepare a quote for the work.
If you meant the drainage kind
EPA’s advice to well owners includes never disposing of wastes, harsh chemicals, solvents, petroleum products or pesticides in a dry well or a septic system. A drainage dry well near a water well is a place to be careful about.
A dry well or a failed pump?
Both leave you with no water, and both are found the same way: by testing from the top down. The difference is that a failed pump is an equipment problem, while a dry well means the water the pump draws on is not there in the amount the house needs.
| Signs that point to the well running low | Signs that point to the equipment |
|---|---|
| Taps sputter and spit air | The breaker trips when the pump starts |
| Water comes back after a rest, then fades with use | The pump hums but never delivers |
| Muddy or sandy water appears with low flow | The pressure switch clicks but nothing starts |
| The trouble came on during a long dry spell, or as neighbors’ wells had trouble | The trouble came on suddenly after a storm or power cut |
Neither column proves anything on its own. Note what you see and when, and the pro can test for the cause. The well pump not working guide lists safe checks you can make first.
What not to do
- Do not keep running the pump with no water reaching the tank: turn it off at the breaker and wait for the pro
- Do not pour water down the well to prime it
- Do not open the well cap or try to lower the pump yourself
- Do not drink water that has turned muddy or cloudy until it has been tested
What a well pro checks
The pro starts by ruling out the equipment: power, the pressure switch, the pressure tank and the pump. Then they look at the well itself, which may include checking where the water stands compared with where the pump is set. The well pump repair page covers that top-down order.
It helps the pro if you can say when the trouble started, whether it comes and goes with how much water the house is using, and whether the weather has been dry. Any records from when the well was drilled, such as its depth and where the pump was set, are worth finding before the visit. If there are none, the pro can measure what they need.
Why it matters which one it is
A new pump in a well that has run low may bring the same trouble back, and a new well is a far bigger job than a pump repair. Finding out which problem you have before spending money is the point of testing from the top down. If the equipment is sound and the well cannot keep up, the options below come into play.
Taps sputtering or dry? Say what the well is doing and give your ZIP code.
Options when the well is low
What makes sense depends on the well and the reason it is low. Options a pro may discuss include:
- Using less water at once, so the well can keep up
- Setting the pump lower in the well, if there is room below it
- Adding storage, so the well can refill a tank between heavy uses
- Having the well deepened, or a new well drilled
The last option is a different trade. EPA advises hiring a certified well driller for any new well construction or modification of a well, and drilling is licensed in many states; Texas, for example, requires a license to drill a water well. The article on well drilling versus well repair explains the difference.
Test the water when it comes back
A well that has run low may bring up sediment, and any work on the pump or the well is one of the times EPA says to test right away: test immediately if you replace or repair any part of the well system, or if conditions near the well have changed significantly. See well water testing.
Send what the well is doing and your ZIP code. An independent local well pro can contact you.
What is your well doing?