Florida Well Pump Won't Turn On: Diagnostic Checklist

If your Florida well pump won't turn on, the failure is almost always in one of five places: the breaker or wiring at the panel, the pressure switch on the tank tee, the run capacitor or control box for a 2-wire or 3-wire submersible, the pump itself, or a tripped low-pressure cutoff. Work the checklist top down. Cycle the breaker once, inspect the pressure switch contacts, then test for voltage at the switch and at the well head. If you have 240 volts at the well head and the pump still does not run, the pump or wire is the failure point and the well needs to be pulled.

Losing water with no warning is one of the most common emergency calls we get across Marion, Alachua, Citrus, Lake, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, and Polk counties. The good news is that most "pump won't turn on" calls are not actually pump failures. They are pressure-switch failures, tripped breakers from a thunderstorm, or a stuck low-pressure cutoff lever. This guide walks the same checklist our licensed crew runs on every no-start call, so you can knock out the easy fixes yourself and know when to stop and bring in help.

Quality Filters And Pumps has serviced wells across Central Florida for 15+ years. Chase Norris holds FL Water Well Contractor License #7494. The procedure below is the same diagnostic sequence we use on residential 4-inch submersibles and shallow jet pumps in the Floridan and surficial aquifers.

Recommended Method: Symptom to First Check

Use this as your decision tree. The rest of the article walks each check in order. Do steps 1 through 4 yourself with a multimeter. Steps 5 and 6 are pump-side work that usually needs a licensed contractor with pulling equipment.

Step 1: Check the Breaker, Disconnect, and Pressure Switch Power

Start at the panel. A 240-volt submersible runs on a double-pole breaker, usually 20 or 30 amp. A 115-volt jet pump runs on a single-pole 15 or 20 amp breaker. Look for a tripped breaker first. If the breaker is mid-position, push it fully to OFF, then back to ON. Listen for the pump to start drawing water.

If the breaker holds, look for a separate disconnect box at the well head or pressure tank. Older Florida installs often have an exterior disconnect within sight of the well. Make sure the lever is in the ON position and the box itself is dry. Lightning damage and rodent nests both show up here regularly.

Now follow the wire from the disconnect to the pressure switch. The switch sits on a 1/4-inch tee at the pressure tank. Pop the gray cover off (power off first, please). Look for burned, pitted, or welded contacts. A pressure switch with carbon scoring and a chemical smell is the failure point. Switches are inexpensive and replaceable in under an hour, but the wiring side of the diagnosis comes first. With the cover off and power on, use a multimeter to confirm 240 volts (or 115 for jet pumps) across the line-side terminals. No voltage at the line side means the problem is upstream at the breaker, disconnect, or wiring.

One special case: if the pressure switch has a small lever on the side labeled "low pressure cutoff," and that lever is down, the switch has tripped on a loss-of-prime safety. Hold the lever up while the pump runs, watch tank pressure, and release once the gauge reads above 30 psi. If the lever drops again immediately, you have a downstream leak or a pump that cannot build pressure. Go to Step 5.

Step 2: Test Voltage at the Load Side and at the Well Head

With the pressure switch contacts confirmed closed (or held closed with the lever), test voltage at the load-side terminals of the switch. You should read the same 240 volts you measured at the line side. If you read 240 on the line and zero on the load, the switch itself is failed. Replace it. A new Square D Pumptrol or Furnas switch runs around the same diameter and pressure setting as the old one. Match the cut-in and cut-out, typically 30/50 or 40/60 psi.

If you have voltage at the load side and the pump still does not start, the next test is at the well head. Open the conduit junction box or pull the cover off the pitless adapter cap. Find the three or four pump leads (typically black, red or yellow, green ground, plus sometimes a fourth control wire). Power on, multimeter across the two hot leads: you should see 240 volts. If you do, electrical power has reached the well head and the failure is on the pump side. Skip to Step 5.

If voltage drops between the switch and the well head, you have a wire fault between those two points. Common culprits in Central Florida: rodent damage to the conduit, lightning-blown wire splices in the pitless box, or corrosion at the well-head terminal block from years of humidity exposure. Re-terminate, replace damaged sections, and re-test.

Step 3: 3-Wire Submersible Control Box and Capacitor

If your submersible is a 3-wire model, there is a control box mounted near the pressure tank or in the equipment shed. This box contains the start capacitor, run capacitor, and start relay that get the motor spinning. A failed control box is one of the most common "pump won't start" causes on 3-wire systems, and the diagnosis is fast.

Power down at the breaker. Open the control box and look for a swollen, leaking, or burned start capacitor. A bulging top or visible electrolyte means the cap is dead. Replace with a matched microfarad and voltage rating. Most 1/2 HP to 1.5 HP Franklin Electric and Goulds boxes use a 130 to 175 microfarad start cap and a smaller run cap.

Check the start relay too. The points should be clean and the coil should not be discolored. A burned relay coil indicates that the motor tried to start, drew locked-rotor current, and the relay took the hit. Replace the box assembly if multiple internal components are damaged. The control box is matched to motor horsepower, so order by HP rating, not by manufacturer alone.

2-wire submersibles have no external control box. The start components are built into the motor itself. If the 2-wire pump hums but does not start, the failure is internal and the well needs to be pulled.

Step 4: Jet Pump Capacitor and Pressure Switch Reset

Shallow well and convertible jet pumps live above ground at the pressure tank. Diagnosis is faster because everything is reachable. Power off. Pull the cover plate on the rear or top of the motor housing to expose the run capacitor. Look for the same bulging or burned signs you'd look for in a 3-wire control box. Test or replace as needed.

Jet pumps also lose prime more easily than submersibles. If the pump runs but cannot pull water, the suction line above the foot valve may have lost prime, or the foot valve at the well casing has failed. Prime the pump through the priming port (top of pump housing), seal the cap, and try again. If prime holds for less than 30 seconds, the foot valve or the suction line has a leak. That is below-grade work for an installer.

One Florida-specific note: jet pumps in unconditioned pump houses see big temperature swings. The mechanical seal between motor and pump can fail from thermal cycling, leading to a slow leak that looks like lost prime. If the pump body is wet around the seal, schedule a rebuild or replacement.

Step 5: Pump-Side Resistance and Insulation Tests

You've confirmed 240 volts at the well head, you've confirmed the pressure switch is closed, and the pump still won't start. Now we test the pump itself with the well still in the ground.

Power off at the breaker and verify with the meter. Disconnect the pump leads at the well-head junction. With a multimeter set to ohms (resistance), test lead-to-lead and lead-to-ground for each combination. Healthy 1/2 HP to 1.5 HP submersible motors read roughly 3 to 12 ohms across the windings, depending on size, and infinite resistance from any lead to ground. The exact value should match the manufacturer's spec sheet for your motor.

Two failure patterns we see in Central Florida:

• Open winding. Infinite resistance between two leads that should show 3 to 12 ohms. The motor winding is broken. The pump will not run and needs to be pulled.
• Ground fault. Any reading below 500,000 ohms (0.5 megohms) from a lead to ground indicates winding insulation breakdown. The motor will fault the breaker and may have already done so. The pump needs to come out.

If both tests pass and the motor still does not start when power is restored, the failure could be a mechanical seizure (sand-locked impeller, bearing failure) or a downhole wire splice that opened. Both require a pump pull to diagnose.

Step 6: Tank, Check Valve, and Air-Lock Checks

Sometimes the pump runs fine but the system behaves like the pump won't turn on. The faucet is dry, the gauge reads zero, and there's no obvious noise. Two scenarios live here.

The first is a waterlogged or burst pressure tank. A tank with a failed bladder fills with water, loses its air cushion, and short-cycles or stops the pump altogether. Tap the tank from top to bottom. If the upper half sounds the same as the lower half (both full of water), the bladder is gone. With power off and a hose bib drained, check the air valve on top of the tank with a tire gauge. The pre-charge should be 2 psi below the cut-in pressure (typically 28 psi for a 30/50 switch, 38 psi for a 40/60 switch). A reading of zero confirms a failed bladder. Replace the tank.

The second is an air-locked pump or a stuck check valve. The check valve at the well head (or built into the pump) keeps water in the drop pipe between cycles. If the check valve sticks closed, the pump may run but cannot push water past it. If it sticks open, water drains back into the well between cycles and the pump cannot build pressure on restart. A stuck check valve usually requires a pull.

While you're at the tank, check the gauge itself. Old pressure gauges in salt-air Florida environments fail closed at zero and make every diagnosis confusing. A $15 replacement gauge confirms whether you actually have pressure or not. See our pressure tank sizing guide for tank replacement options.

Call a Professional If

Stop and call a licensed well contractor if any of the following are true. These are not DIY scenarios.

• You measured 240 volts at the well head and the pump still does not run.
• Resistance tests show an open winding or a ground fault to any pump lead.
• The breaker trips immediately every time you reset it. Repeated resets damage the motor.
• You smell burned plastic or see scorching at the panel, disconnect, pressure switch, or control box.
• The well casing is over 200 feet deep. Pulling a deep Floridan well needs a hoist and a crew.
• The well was hit by lightning. Surge damage often takes out the motor, control box, switch, and pitless splice together.
• You have a 2-wire submersible that hums but won't start. Internal start components are the failure point.
• You're seeing sand or air in the discharge along with the no-start symptoms. The pump may have dropped or the screen may have failed. See our sand and sediment guide for related diagnostics.

Across Florida, well work is regulated under FAC Chapter 62-532, and the Water Well Contractor License covers everyone working below the wellhead casing. Pulling, splicing, and re-setting a submersible without a license can void manufacturer warranty and create permitting issues if the well is later inspected. Bringing in a licensed contractor is faster, cheaper in the long run, and keeps the warranty intact.

If you're trying to decide between fixing the existing pump and replacing the whole system, our repair vs replace guide walks through the decision points. For lightning-related failures specifically, see our lightning damage guide. And if your pump cycles on but never shuts off, that's a different problem covered in our short-cycle troubleshooting article.

Same-Day Diagnostic Visits Across Central Florida

If you've worked through the checklist and the pump still won't start, or if any step takes you out of DIY territory, call (352) 268-9048 or request a service visit. Our crew handles diagnostic calls same-day across Central Florida, including Ocala, Gainesville, Leesburg, Orlando, and 18 other cities. Chase Norris (FL Water Well Contractor License #7494) leads every diagnosis with a written report. Financing available through our financing partners for full system replacements. Background on the team is on the about page.