Key points
- Private wells use a pressure tank to store water and keep pressure steady.
- Tanks corrode, lose their air charge, or freeze in unheated spaces.
- A rupture can release water fast and the pump may keep refilling it.
- Know where the pump breaker is, not just the water shut-off.
Warning signs
- Pump turning on and off rapidly (short cycling)
- Rust or water at the tank base or fittings
- Pressure swinging up and down at faucets
- Tank or pump house without heat in winter
If it leaks or bursts
- Turn off power to the well pump at the breaker so it stops refilling.
- Close the valve after the tank if you can reach it safely.
- Call a well or pump company for the tank and us for the water.
See winter pipe protection and vacant homes and cabins. Vault documents the damage, records daily moisture readings, scopes in Xactimate, and bills State Farm, USAA, Allstate, Farmers, and Bear River Mutual directly.
Real example: Mapleton case study: private well pressure tank rupture.
Well tank burst?
Call (385) 250-2825 — answered live 24/7 by the Vault crew.