Why Your Well Pump Keeps Running: Causes, Checks, Costs & When to Call a Pro

Quick diagnosis: what the gauge tells you

Stand where you can see the pressure gauge on the tank tee, make sure nobody is using water, and watch for two or three minutes while the pump runs.

How it should work (and why "keeps running" is different from "short cycling")

Water travels a fixed path. When you know where each part sits, the gauge reading starts to make sense.

1. 1WellWater stands at the static level; it drops while the pump runs.
2. 2PumpSubmersible pumps sit below the water; jet pumps sit above ground and pull water up.
3. 3Check valveHolds the column of water in the pipe when the pump stops.
4. 4Pressure tankStores water under an air cushion between cut-in and cut-out.
5. 5Pressure switchStarts the pump at cut-in (e.g., 30 psi) and stops it at cut-out (e.g., 50 psi).
6. 6HouseFilters, softeners and fixtures. Anything open here draws water from the tank.

In a healthy system the pump fills the tank from cut-in to cut-out, the switch opens, and the pump rests until you use enough water to bring pressure back down. Franklin Electric, which makes most U.S. submersible well motors, says a motor should run at least one minute per start to shed the heat of starting.^[1] So a pump that runs for a minute or two and then stops is normal.

Two different complaints get mixed up online:

• Keeps running — the pump starts and doesn't stop for many minutes, or never. That's this guide.
• Short cycling — the pump stops and starts every few seconds. That points to the pressure tank or a leaking check valve, not to the causes below. See well pump short cycling.

A waterlogged pressure tank is often blamed for a pump that "runs constantly." Franklin's own troubleshooting table lists a waterlogged tank under motor starts too often, not under motor runs continuously.^[1] If your pump clicks on and off rapidly, start with the pressure tank checks instead.

The house-valve test: split the system in half

This one check tells you whether the problem is on the house side or the well side of the tank. It only involves closing a valve and reading a gauge.

Decision tree

Follow the steps in order. Each answer sends you to the next check or to the cause that fits.

1. Is anyone using water — irrigation, laundry, a hose, a softener or filter regenerating, a stock tank filling?

   • Yes Wait until the use stops. If the pump then reaches cut-out and shuts off, it was working normally.
   • No Go to step 2.

2. While the pump runs, is the gauge climbing past your cut-out setting?

   • Yes Cut power at the breaker. Pressure switch problem.
   • No Go to step 3.

3. Is the gauge near zero or barely moving?

   • Yes Check that valves between the well and tank are open. If they are, cut power. Water isn't reaching the tank. Also read pump runs but no water.
   • No Go to step 4.

4. Do the house-valve test. Does the pump reach cut-out and stop with the house valve closed?

   • Yes Water is leaving through the house.
   • No Go to step 5.

5. Was the pressure switch recently adjusted or replaced, or did someone raise the pressure?

   • Yes The cut-out may now be above what your pump can produce. See cause 2.
   • No The pump, well or buried line is the likely source. See cause 2 and call a well contractor.

The causes, one by one

Franklin Electric's system troubleshooting table lists these possibilities for a motor that runs continuously: pressure switch, low water level in the well, a leak in the system, a worn pump, a loose coupling or broken motor shaft, a blocked pump screen, a check valve stuck closed, and (on three-wire pumps) a control box malfunction.^[1] We've grouped them by what you can observe.

1. Water use or a leak on the house side

Symptoms

Pump runs long, gauge sits around the middle of your range or sags slowly; pump may stop at night and run during the day.

What sets it apart

The pump reaches cut-out and stops as soon as you close the house-side valve.

Safe checks

Listen for toilets refilling (a worn flapper can run for hours). Check hose bibs, frost-free spigots and irrigation zones. Look at softener and filter control heads — a unit stuck in backwash can send water to the drain continuously. Look for wet spots in the basement, crawl space and yard.

Don't

Don't assume the pump is bad because it's running a lot. A leak that runs for days costs electricity, but the pump itself may be fine.

Likely fix

Fixture repair or a plumber to find a hidden leak. No well work needed.

2. The pump can't reach cut-out pressure

Symptoms

Gauge climbs, then stalls a few psi short of cut-out, and the pump keeps running. Pressure at the faucets may feel weaker than it used to.

What sets it apart

The house-valve test does not stop the pump, yet the gauge isn't near zero either.

Possible reasons

• Worn pump. Impellers wear, especially with sand. Franklin notes a worn pump looks like a drop-pipe leak or low water level, and that a pump which shuts off after the switch setting is lowered may have worn parts.^[1]
• Water level falling in the well. In dry spells or low-yield wells the water drops toward the pump while it runs, so output falls. Franklin's advice for this case is to shut the pump off and let the well recover, then have the static and pumping levels measured.^[1]
• Cut-out set higher than the pump can produce. Common after someone switched from 30/50 to 40/60. Pentair says the cut-out should always be at least 5 psi below the pump's dead-head (maximum) pressure.^[2]
• A leak before the tank — a hole in the drop pipe inside the well or a leak in the buried line. Part of the flow never reaches the house.

Safe checks

Ask whether anyone changed the switch. Note the highest pressure the gauge reaches and how long it takes. Walk the buried line route between the well and house for soggy ground, a sinkhole or an unusually green strip.

Don't

Don't raise the switch setting to "give the pump more time." Don't keep resetting and restarting a pump that can't reach cut-out.

Likely fix

A well contractor measures water level and pump output. Outcomes range from lowering the switch setting, to repairing the drop pipe, to replacing the pump.

3. Water isn't reaching the tank

Symptoms

Pump runs (you may hear it or see the switch closed), gauge stays near zero, little or no water at faucets.

What sets it apart

No pressure at all while the pump runs.

Possible reasons

Broken or separated drop pipe, a loose coupling or broken motor shaft, a blocked pump intake screen, a check valve stuck closed, or water drawn down below the pump intake.^[1] On jet pumps, lost prime is the most common cause.^[3]

Safe checks

Confirm any valves between the wellhead and the tank are open. Then turn the breaker off.

Don't

Don't let a submersible run with no delivery — it overheats. Don't open the well cap or pull wiring; the cap often has live conductors below it.

Likely fix

The pump has to be pulled and inspected. Full walk-through in well pump runs but no water.

4. The pressure switch won't open

Symptoms

Gauge passes the cut-out setting and keeps rising. The relief valve on the tank tee may drip or spray.

What sets it apart

Plenty of pressure, but the pump doesn't stop.

Possible reasons

Welded or stuck contacts, a switch set wrong, or a clogged sensing nipple so the switch doesn't "see" the tank pressure. Franklin lists welded contacts and switch adjustment under a continuously running motor.^[1]

Safe checks

Cut power at the breaker and write down the highest reading you saw. That's all.

Don't

Don't tap the switch with a screwdriver or pry the contacts while the cover is off and power is on. Don't cap or plug a relief valve that's discharging — it's protecting the tank, which Amtrol rates for a maximum working pressure and requires a relief valve to protect.^[4]

Likely fix

Replace the switch and the ¼-inch nipple or sensing tube it sits on. See pressure switch troubleshooting.

5. Demand is higher than the system can supply

Symptoms

The pump runs the whole time a large load is on — lawn irrigation, a pool fill, several showers — and pressure drifts down, then recovers when the load stops.

What sets it apart

It happens only during heavy use and the pump shuts off normally afterward.

Safe checks

Turn off irrigation or the big load and confirm the pump reaches cut-out.

Don't

Don't install a bigger pump without knowing the well's yield. A pump that outruns the well draws the water level down and can run dry.

Likely fix

Water scheduling, a storage tank for irrigation, or a yield test before any pump upsizing.

What repairs typically cost

Prices below are published national ranges, not quotes. Your price depends on well depth, access, whether the pump has to be pulled, and local labor rates.

Before you agree to a new pump, ask the contractor what they measured: water level, pump output, amperage, and whether the drop pipe was inspected. Our well pump replacement cost guide has a line-item checklist for comparing quotes.

When to call a professional

• The gauge goes past cut-out and the pump doesn't stop.
• The gauge stays near zero while the pump runs.
• The house-valve test points to the well side.
• The breaker trips, or you smell burning insulation.
• Water turns cloudy or sandy — a sign the pump or well may be pulling sediment.

If your symptom doesn't match this page, start from the well pump troubleshooting guide. Look for a licensed well contractor or pump installer; many states license them separately from plumbers. Tell them what the gauge did and the results of the house-valve test — it can save diagnostic time.