Ocala Well WaterMarion County, FL
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What is the water doing?

No water, or pressure keeps droppingStart the five checks Pump won't stop, or clicks on and offUsually the pressure tank Water smells, stains or tastes wrongSulfur, iron or hardness Is my water safe to drink?The two tests that answer it

Well trouble?
Start here.

Find the likely cause in five minutes, and what to ask before you pay anyone.

Free and independent. We don't do the work, take calls, or collect your details.

A woman filling a glass with water from her kitchen faucet

No water? Check these five things first

They cost nothing and take a few minutes. Work down the list in order: it runs cheapest to dearest, and the pump comes last.

  • Is it the whole house?

    Open a kitchen tap, a bathroom tap and an outside spigot. If only one is dry, the well is fine and the problem is that fixture. A clogged whole-house filter can also starve the house while the well works perfectly.

  • The breaker

    Find the double-width breaker marked "well" or "pump" and reset it once: fully off, then on.

    If it trips again, stop resetting it. It is protecting a fault. Leave it off and call a licensed well contractor.

  • The pressure switch lever

    The small gray box on the pipe by your tank. If the gauge reads near zero, many switches have a short lever on the side that restarts the pump. Do not open the cover: there is live 240-volt wiring inside.

  • The pressure tank

    Knock on it from top to bottom. A healthy tank sounds hollow near the top. A solid thud all the way up means it is waterlogged, and that is what makes a pump click on and off.

  • The control box

    Some pumps have a small gray or green box on the wall. A humming pump, or a box that smells burnt, points here. That is a contractor repair, but far cheaper than a pump.

The five checks, step by step
A gloved hand testing wiring inside an open electrical panel with a meter probe

Not an emergency?

The three other reasons Marion County well owners end up here.

Water being poured into a clear drinking glass Testing Is your well water safe to drink? Florida does not test private wells for you. Which two tests answer the question, what they cost, and where a Marion County sample goes. Orange and brown iron staining running down a bath towards the drain Water problems Rotten egg smell, orange stains or scale Sulfur, iron and hardness are three problems with three fixes, and one softener does not treat all three. A person working through figures on a calculator at a desk Costs What a new pump costs where you live The published Florida ranges, what each line of the invoice is for, and why your well's depth moves the number most.

Before you hire anyone

Calling a well contractor? Check three things first.

  1. 1The license. Every Florida water well contractor is licensed. Ask for the number and look it up at the state's contractor verification clearinghouse.
  2. 2The diagnosis before the price. A pressure switch reading, the tank's air charge and the cable readings, before anybody quotes a new pump. The six questions to ask.
  3. 3The permit, if a rig is coming. A new well needs one before drilling starts, and it is the contractor's job to have it. Who issues it.

Public offices, free to call

Florida Department of Health in Marion CountyWell permits, well records, and which water district your parcel is in352-622-7744
Marion County Building SafetyPlumbing permits in unincorporated Marion County352-438-2400

Ocala Well Water is an independent guide. It takes no calls, collects no details, and no company pays to be mentioned. How this site works.