A pump that will not stop is a different fault from a pump that will not start, and in some ways a more urgent one. A pump that will not start costs you water. A pump that will not stop can cost you the pump — and on some systems, a surprising amount of electricity before anyone notices.
First: is it actually running continuously?
Close every tap, make sure nothing is using water — ice maker, irrigation, toilets refilling, a water softener regenerating — and listen at the tank or the well house. The pump should build pressure and stop within a few minutes.
If it stops and then restarts every few seconds or minutes with nothing running, that is a different problem: short cycling or a leak. That is covered in why a well pump keeps turning on and off. This article is about a pump that simply does not stop.
The gauge test
Look at the pressure gauge near the tank while the pump is running.
| Gauge at or above cut-out e.g. 60+ on a 40/60 switch |
The pressure is there. The switch is not responding to it. Stuck contacts or a blocked sensing port. This is a switch fault. |
| Gauge stuck below cut-out climbs, then stalls |
The system cannot reach the shut-off pressure. A leak, a worn pump, a falling water level, or a switch set higher than the pump can deliver. |
| Gauge near zero pump audibly running |
Almost no water is arriving. Broken drop pipe, a well that has drawn down, or a pump that has lost prime. Turn it off now. See pump running but no water. |
A gauge that reads zero all the time may itself be broken. Gauges are cheap and fail often. If the gauge never moves but water arrives at the taps normally, check it against a second gauge before drawing conclusions.
When the switch is the problem
Welded or stuck contacts
Every time the pump starts, a small arc jumps across the switch contacts. Over years — and much faster on a system that has been short cycling — the contacts pit, burn and can eventually fuse closed. The switch then cannot break the circuit, however high the pressure goes.
Do not tap or prise the switch while it is live. Its terminals carry 240 volts. Turn the breaker off first.
A blocked sensing port
The switch reads pressure through a small nipple or tube underneath it. Sediment, iron and scale can block it completely, and the switch then sees no pressure at all. This is especially common on wells that carry sand or iron, and the fix is to clear or replace the fitting along with the switch.
Wrong settings
A switch adjusted to a higher cut-out than the pump can reach will keep the pump running indefinitely. It happens when someone raises the setting to fix low pressure without checking what the pump can actually deliver. Details are in pressure switch symptoms and settings.
When the pressure never gets there
A leak
Somewhere between the pump and the fixtures, water is escaping as fast as the pump can supply it. Look for wet ground over the supply line between the well and the house, a running toilet, a dripping relief valve at the tank, or an outdoor spigot left on.
Underground leaks between well and house are common on older properties and often show as a patch of unusually green grass or a spot that never dries out.
A worn pump
As impellers wear, a pump produces less pressure at the same flow. A pump that once reached 60 psi comfortably may stall at 52 after years of sand. The pressure gauge climbs, slows and stops short.
A falling water level
If the water level in the well drops, the pump has further to lift and less water to work with. It may run continuously and never reach cut-out, especially in late summer or during a drought. After the very dry stretch much of Upstate South Carolina saw through 2025 and 2026, this has been a noticeably more common call.
A failed check valve
A check valve that lets water drain back down the well means the pump keeps refilling a pipe that keeps emptying. More often this produces frequent restarting than continuous running, but on some systems the two look alike.
Why it matters
- Overheating. Submersible motors are cooled by water flowing past them. Running with little or no flow, they overheat.
- Running dry. If the well drops below the intake, the pump runs on air, which damages it quickly.
- Power. A pump that never stops runs for twenty-four hours a day. The bill arrives a month later.
- Burst fittings. If the switch fails closed on a system that can build pressure, pressure keeps rising until the relief valve opens — or something weaker gives first.
That last point is why the relief valve on the tank tee matters. If yours has never been checked, have it looked at.
Where we work
Well pump repair across Upstate South Carolina
| ✓Anderson | ✓Greer |
| ✓Taylors | ✓Mauldin |
| ✓Simpsonville | ✓Fountain Inn |
| ✓Travelers Rest | ✓Easley |
What to remember
| 1 | Read the gauge first. Above cut-out is the switch. Below it is the system. |
| 2 | Near zero means turn it off. A pump moving no water is overheating. |
| 3 | Never touch a live switch. Breaker off before anything else. |
| 4 | Walk the supply line. A wet or unusually green patch often marks the leak. |
| 5 | Do not raise the switch setting to fix it. That hides the problem and keeps the pump running. |
Frequently asked questions
Why won’t my well pump shut off?
Either the system never reaches the pressure switch’s cut-out pressure, because of a leak, a worn pump or a low water level, or it does reach it and the switch fails to respond because its contacts are stuck or its sensing port is blocked. The pressure gauge shows which.
Is it dangerous if my well pump runs continuously?
It can damage the pump. Submersible motors rely on flowing water for cooling, and a pump running with little flow overheats. If the well draws down below the intake, the pump runs dry. Turn it off at the breaker until the cause is found.
How long can a well pump run continuously?
A pump delivering normal flow, such as during irrigation, can run for long periods. A pump running with no taps open and pressure that never builds should not be left running, because it is producing heat without moving water.
Can a bad pressure switch cause the pump to run constantly?
Yes. Contacts that have welded closed, or a blocked sensing port that stops the switch seeing pressure, will keep the pump running regardless of the pressure in the tank.
Could a leak make my pump run all the time?
Yes, if the leak is large enough to use water as fast as the pump supplies it. Check for wet ground along the supply line, running toilets, open spigots and a dripping relief valve.
Why does my pump not shut off during dry weather?
As the water level in the well falls, the pump has to lift water further and may not be able to reach the cut-out pressure. A flow and yield test shows whether the well is keeping up with the pump.
Can I raise the pressure switch setting to fix it?
Not if the pump cannot reach the current setting. Raising it would make the pump run even longer. Settings should match what the pump can deliver.
Pump running and will not stop?
Turn it off, then call us
Tell us what the pressure gauge was reading when you switched it off. That one number tells us whether to bring a switch, look for a leak, or check the well — and we will give you a fixed price in writing before any work starts.
Open 7am–9pm, seven days · No call-out fee with a repair · Fixed price agreed in writing
See our pressure switch and control box repair page. If it has happened outside hours, read what to do before help arrives or go straight to emergency well pump repair.
