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From the Field
Your well pump runs on electricity. When the power fails, the water does too. Here is what to do before, during and after an outage.
Short answer: A well pump needs power. Without it, nothing refills your pressure tank, and the water runs out after a short reserve.
A house on a well does not get water from a city main. It gets it from an electric pump, usually down in the well, and that pump needs power to push water up and into your pressure tank. When the lights go out, the pump stops. Nothing refills the tank.
The pressure tank holds a small reserve of water under pressure. That is why the faucet may still run for a bit after the power drops, and then fade to a trickle. Every flush, shower and dishwasher cycle uses up what is left. In North Georgia, where ice, wind and fallen trees knock out power on the ridges and in the hollows, that can happen at the worst time.
The best fix for a well outage costs almost nothing: fill containers before the weather hits. When ice or a big storm is forecast, fill clean jugs or food-safe containers, and fill the bathtub if you want water for flushing. Label which is for drinking and which is for flushing.
If you own a cabin or a second home, think about the other direction too. A burst pipe after the power comes back can do more damage than the outage. Know where your main shut-off is, as described in how to shut off your water main, and read how to winterize your pipes before the first hard freeze.
Power is back but the water is not?
Text Ryan what the pump is doing. He is a licensed Master Plumber and answers his own phone, day or night.
Yes, a generator can run a well pump, and CDC guidance for private wells says to consider one. The catch is size and wiring. CDC says a professional, such as a licensed well contractor, an electrician or the power company, should work out the right generator size so the pumping system is not damaged. Pumps pull extra power for a moment when they start, so a generator that is too small can fail to start the pump or cause trouble for it.
Three things to settle before you buy a generator:
If you have a constant pressure pump with an electronic controller, check with the maker before you rely on a generator. See constant pressure well pumps for how those differ.
Give the system a few minutes. When the pump restarts and refills the tank, air that got into the lines can make faucets sputter. Open one cold tap and let it run until the water flows smoothly, then the rest.
A power surge when the lights return can also hurt a pump or its controls. Electronic pump controllers often list surge and undervoltage protection as features, which tells you how common the problem is.
Then watch for these signs that something did not come back right:
Also, CDC's guidance for wells after a wildfire says that if a home lost power, you should find out whether the well lost pressure, even if the power is back on, and not drink the water until it has been tested if it did. That advice was written for fires, but the same caution makes sense after a flood, when floodwater has been near the wellhead. For test steps, read how to test well water in Georgia.
Ryan Chastain is a licensed Master Plumber in Ellijay. He installs well pumps and well pressure tanks, and he answers his own phone day and night, so he is a call or text away when the water will not come back after an outage. A tank that holds air properly is part of how a well rides through a short outage, and a failing tank or pump shows up fast when the power cycles.
He gives a free estimate, so you know the price before any work starts. Text is best: he works in the mountains where cell service drops, and a text reaches him when a call may not.
Yes. CDC guidance for private wells says to consider a generator, and says a professional should size it so the pumping system is not damaged. A licensed electrician should do the wiring, and the generator must stay outdoors.
Only as long as the reserve in your pressure tank lasts, which is not long. Every flush, shower or load of laundry uses it up. Save it for drinking and cooking.
No. A generator hookup is electrician work. Ryan does plumbing, including well pumps, well pressure tanks and propane or natural gas lines.
Air can get into the lines while the pump is off. Run one cold tap until the flow is smooth. If it keeps sputtering or the pump keeps cycling, call or text Ryan.
Not for the outage alone. After flooding near the wellhead, or if the water looks, smells or tastes different, test it. See our guide to testing well water in Georgia.
Call or text Ryan. Free estimate, and you know the price before any work starts.