If you are reading this, you have probably already experienced that unsettling feeling when you open a faucet and nothing comes out—not a drop! Or maybe your plumbing started gurgling and spitting out some brownish gunk. Either way, having no running water is a serious problem, as we rely on water in everything we do from washing hands to cooking, flushing the toilet and hydrating our bodies. If you are out of water in Carroll County, Maryland, don’t panic! Follow these steps to troubleshoot the problem and determine who you need to contact for help.
Check if the Problem is Local
First of all, check if your entire house is out of water or just one fixture. If it’s just your kitchen sink, check underneath if the water shut-off valve is open. It’s possible that someone was doing plumbing repairs or messing with the knobs and forgot to turn the water back on. There should also be a shut-off valve for your entire home located somewhere outside next to the house. Check it as well and make sure it’s open.
If the cold water is on but there is no hot water, it’s likely an issue with your water heater. This is something a plumber can help you resolve if you can’t find any obvious reasons why it malfunctioned.
If you live in a city like Manchester, Westminster or Hampstead, your house is likely connected to a municipal water supply. Ask your neighbors if they are also out of water. The chances are good there are problems somewhere along the water supply line. Most cities and towns use a number of wells and springs to provide you with tap water. Call your town’s utilities department to report a problem.
Check for Frozen Pipes
Considering the sub-zero temperatures we are experiencing in Carroll County this winter, frozen pipes are a real concern. It may be tempting to turn your overworked furnace down a few degrees to save some money—or maybe shut it off completely when you are not home. This is when pipes tend to freeze. Check the pipes in your basement as well as those under the kitchen sink. If they look like they are covered in frost, that’s a good sign they are frozen. The solution is to thaw the pipes with any sort of heating appliance you got. Just make sure never to use open flame on pipes. To prevent this in the future, leave your faucets on a slow drip when the temperatures are expected to drop.
Check if There is Power
By now, you should have determined that all the valves are open and nothing is preventing the water from reaching your faucet. If that’s the case, then there is likely an issue with your Carroll County water well or well pump. Well pumps need electricity to operate, so first of all make sure that there is power to the pump.
If the power is out in the entire house, your well pump won’t work unless you have a backup generator. If there is no power outage, check the circuit breaker that your pump is tied to as it could be tripped. If you don’t know which breaker controls the well pump, try flipping the ones that appear tripped. In older homes with funky wiring a well pump could be tied with your living room or kitchen. Did you turn off power intentionally because you were renovating? That could be the reason why your well pump is not working.
Call Your Carroll County Well Pump Service Expert
There could be a number of things wrong with your well pump or well tank. If you don’t know what you are looking for or where to start, call your Carroll County well pump service expert right away. At R & G Water Systems we have a 24-hour support line for such calls, which allows us to prioritize them accordingly and provide a quick response. Sometimes the repair is as simple as cleaning a clogged pipe, but in other cases it might be necessary to replace disintegrated parts. Either way, we can assist you promptly and effectively—just give us a call or contact us online.