Greeting all,
I've been without water for two days now, and need some help.. My wife was doing dishes the other night and the water just stopped.. now, we were away for 4 days camping and upon returning, caught up on laundry 6 loads, and 4 showers.. plus some dishes.. in one day. I'm afraid we may have dried the well out, although this has never happened before. I went to see if the breaker tripped, but it did not. I looked on the gauge and it was showing no psi. I put a pressure gauge on the tank, and that also read zero. So I turned the pump off, because I kind of freaked out thinking the pump would burn out.. I then turned the pump back on just to see, and the pressure went up to only 9 psi and I could hear some water gushing in.. But it stopped after maybe 10 seconds.. I did this a few times with the same result.. The pump is a GOULDS Bruiser 4"105sbo. The motor is a CentriPro model m05422. And the tank is a Well Mate, Pentair water.. I believe 19 Gal.. This whole set up was installed September of 2011.. So it's not too old.. The well is 40 Ft Drilled.. I believe if I do not have water soon my wife will murder me.. Thanks for any help..

I believe if I do not have water soon my wife will murder me.
And probably get away with it as justifiable homicide.


The pump is a GOULDS Bruiser 4"105sbo. The motor is a CentriPro model m05422.

Where did you get that information? It appears from a Google search that Goulds Bruiser is a submersible pump.

The pump may be shot but the fact that you get some pressure is an indicator that it is not.

First things first. Your tank, when empty should have a pressure reading at the valve stem of 2 pounds below the cut on pressure of pump switch. Zero pressure indicates possibly a ruptured bladder. If you know the cut on pressure of the switch, pressurize it any way. You can deal with replacing the tank later.

Remove switch cover, observe whether the points of switch are open or closed. If open, remove wiring and connect incoming and out going wires together. White to white and black to black with wire nuts. Turn breaker on, watch pressure gauge. If pressure begins to rise, turn breaker off and replace pressure switch. If pressure gauge does not begin to rise, turn breakers off. Remove wire nuts, make sure that wires are not touching each other or anything else. Turn breakers on and do a voltage check. You do have a meter don't you? If you don't have voltage at the switch, you have an electrical problem, either at the breakers or the wiring from the breaker to the switch. This is highly unlikely but you have to start some where. Assuming that you have voltage at the switch, turn the breakers off and go to well head.

If switch points are closed, do a voltage check of incoming and outgoing wires. No incoming voltage, check for faulty wiring from panel to switch. If you have incoming voltage and no outgoing voltage, replace switch. If you have both incoming voltage and outgoing voltage, turn off breakers and go to well head.

At the well head and expose the wiring connections there. Assuming good connections, make sure that the bare wires do not touch each other or anything else. Turn breakers back on and do a voltage check there, at the well head.

If you do not have voltage at the well head, you have a defective wiring between the switch and the well head.

Assuming voltage at the well head, you have either a defective wire down the well, a defective pump or a dry well. Any of those things mean pulling the pump.

Unless you have galvanized piping down the well, pulling the pump at 40 feet, shouldn't be a big problem.

Post back with results.

Edit
While at the well head listen for sound of running water, you could have a ruptured well pipe. If so you will hear it. Feel the pipe. If you feel vibration of running water, look for signs of leak in piping between the well and house. Should see signs if pump was running and all the water going in the ground.