When Something Is Wrong Now
If the pump is running and no water is coming out, switch it off at the breaker. A pump running dry has nothing cooling or lubricating it and can destroy itself in minutes. That is the one genuinely urgent action on this page.
What should I check first if I have no water?
The breaker for the well pump — it is the most common cause and free to rule out. Look for a double-pole breaker labelled WELL or PUMP, and also for a separate switch or fused disconnect near the pressure tank, which older systems frequently have. Then read the pressure gauge and note the number. The troubleshooter walks the whole sequence.
My breaker keeps tripping. Can I keep resetting it?
No. A breaker that trips immediately on reset is doing its job — something downstream is drawing a fault. Repeatedly re-energising a faulted circuit is how an electrical problem becomes a fire, and it will not fix anything. Leave it off and call.
How fast can you get to a no-water call?
We prioritise them. Tell us it is a no-water situation and tell us what you have already checked — it genuinely speeds things up at both ends, and occasionally it means we can tell you over the phone that you do not need us.
Is there anything I can do while I wait?
Fill containers from any water left in the pressure tank before it goes. A bucket poured into the bowl will flush a toilet. Note when it last worked normally and anything that changed — a power cut, a storm, a dry spell, a houseful of guests. And note the pressure gauge reading.
Cost Questions
How much does a new well cost?
Drilling runs roughly $30–$70 per foot, and a typical Lakes Region well is 200–500 feet. The NH average for a new drilled well is around $14,400; a complete system with pump, tank and connection generally lands between $3,000 and $15,000 depending on scope. Use the estimator, and see the cost and depth reference for detail.
Why won't you give me a fixed price?
Because nobody knows how deep the well needs to be until it is drilled. Water in granite moves through fractures, and a well produces what the fractures it intersects will give it. A tidy fixed number is either padded heavily to cover the worst case — you paying for our risk — or the setup for a difficult conversation at 400 feet. A per-foot rate plus an honest range plus an agreed plan for overrun is what a real quote looks like.
What does a pump replacement cost?
A submersible is commonly $700–$1,600 installed, more for deep settings or difficult access. But check the cheaper possibilities first: a pressure switch is $150–$400 and a pressure tank $400–$1,200, and a meaningful share of “my pump failed” calls turn out to be one of those.
Is hydrofracking worth the money?
On a marginal bedrock well, frequently yes — roughly $2,000–$4,500 against the cost of drilling again. It opens fractures that already exist rather than creating water, so it is not guaranteed, and we will tell you honestly when a well looks like a poor candidate. Compare it against a storage system, which does not depend on geology cooperating.
Drilling & Yield
How deep will my well be?
Commonly 200–500 feet here, deeper on hill ground in Sanbornton, Bristol and Tuftonboro than in valley ground around Tilton or along the Pemigewasset. But depth and yield are different questions — a well that hits a good fracture at 240 feet can out-produce a neighbour's at 420.
How long does a well last?
The well itself — the hole in the rock — can last indefinitely. It is the components that have finite lives: a submersible pump 15–25 years, a pressure tank 10–15, a pressure switch 8–15. When people say their well failed, they usually mean a component did.
Can I drill a well myself?
No. New Hampshire requires water well contractors to be licensed, well construction is regulated, and completion reports are filed with the state. Beyond the legal position, putting several hundred feet of hole into granite is not homeowner work in any practical sense.
Do I need a permit?
The state regulates well construction and licensing, and completion reports are filed. Local requirements vary by town, and setbacks from septic systems and property lines apply. We handle the state-side process; check with your town office as well, because requirements genuinely differ between towns here.
My well ran dry. Is it finished?
Usually not. Confirm first that it is yield rather than a pump failure — if water returns after the system rests for several hours, it is yield. Then there are three real options: storage, hydrofracking or deepening. See well ran dry. What it does not need is a bigger pump, which empties the well faster.
Keeping It Working
Why does my pump turn on and off rapidly?
Short-cycling, almost always a pressure tank that has lost its air charge. Every draw of water starts the pump for a couple of seconds, and motors wear out from starting rather than running. It is the most common avoidable cause of premature pump failure in this region, and the tank costs a fraction of the pump it is destroying. Do not defer it.
Should I replace my pump before it fails?
On a rural property, past about twenty years, there is a real argument for it. A pump replaced on a Tuesday in September is a scheduled job; the same pump on a Sunday in January is an emergency with a household that has no water meanwhile. The further out you live, the stronger that argument gets.
What should I test my water for?
Bacteria and nitrate annually; a fuller panel including arsenic, radon and uranium every few years or whenever something changes. Those three occur naturally in NH granite and none of them affects taste, smell or appearance — which is precisely why testing exists. See the testing resources.
My water is fine. Do I still need to test?
Yes, and this is the most important answer on the page. “Fine” means it looks and tastes right, which tells you nothing at all about arsenic, radon or uranium. A well that has served a family happily for thirty years is not evidence about any of the three.
Is there an old well on my property I should worry about?
Possibly, on an older house. Many properties that once had a dug well later had a drilled well put in, and the old one was simply abandoned. An unsealed abandoned well is a direct contamination route into the aquifer and the liability transfers with the property. Worth identifying and dealing with properly.