Hundreds of homes and properties on the rural edges of Fort Collins — out toward Laporte, Bellvue, and the foothills along County Road 38E — depend on private well systems for their water supply. When a well pump fails, there's no waiting for city water to come back on; you need a plumber who knows submersible pumps, pressure tanks, and Larimer County well systems. Star Plumbing Co. LLC diagnoses and repairs well pump problems fast, with the written estimates and licensed work you deserve.
A complete loss of water is the most obvious sign of pump failure. It could be the pump motor, the drop pipe, the electrical connection, or a tripped breaker — but don't assume it's simple until it's been properly diagnosed.
If your faucets sputter and spit air, the pump may be drawing from a dropping water table, the foot valve may be failing, or the pump is starting to lose prime. Left unaddressed, this can burn out the motor.
A pump that clicks on and off every few seconds — rather than running for a normal cycle — usually means the pressure tank bladder has failed or the tank is waterlogged. This condition rapidly wears out the pump motor.
Gradual pressure loss over months can signal a worn pump impeller, a partially blocked foot valve, or a pressure tank losing its pre-charge. Sudden pressure drops often point to an electrical problem or a pipe break in the well casing.
Brown, rusty, or gritty water after years of clear supply often means the pump screen has corroded or the well casing has developed a breach allowing sediment intrusion. In the Fort Collins foothills, high iron content can also indicate changing aquifer conditions.
A struggling well pump that runs continuously or short-cycles draws significantly more electricity. If your utility bill has climbed without a corresponding increase in water use, the pump system may be working harder than it should.
We pull submersible pumps from depths up to 400 feet, inspect the pump, motor, and drop pipe, and install a correctly sized replacement for your well's depth and yield. We spec pumps built for the mineral-heavy water common in Larimer County wells.
Schedule ServiceA failed bladder tank lets the pump short-cycle itself to death. We replace waterlogged or failed tanks with correctly pre-charged units sized to your household demand, stopping the short-cycling and extending pump life.
Schedule ServiceBefore pulling a pump, we run a full electrical diagnostic — checking voltage, amperage draw, and capacitor readings — to confirm whether the pump motor has failed or if the problem lies in the wiring, control box, or pressure switch.
Schedule ServiceNot every no-water call requires a pump pull. Faulty pressure switches, failed capacitors, and corroded control box wiring are common and far less expensive to fix. We check these components first to save you from unnecessary pump replacement.
Schedule ServiceThe drop pipe connecting your pump to the surface can crack from freeze events or corrosion. We inspect and replace drop pipe sections and pitless adapters — the fitting where the water line exits the well casing — as part of comprehensive pump service.
Schedule ServiceThe Fort Collins area sits at the meeting point of the Front Range foothills and the high plains, and the geology of that transition shapes how local wells are constructed and how they perform. Properties in the foothills west of town — areas like Bellvue and the upper Poudre Canyon corridor — typically access deep bedrock aquifers, with wells drilled 200 to 400 feet into granite and sandstone formations. These deeper wells tend to produce cleaner water but require pumps built for high lift and rated for the mineral content that comes with that geology.
Rural properties north of Fort Collins, in the agricultural flatlands toward Wellington and Timnath, more commonly access shallower alluvial aquifers fed by Poudre River basin recharge. These wells are typically 50 to 150 feet deep, but the water quality can be more variable — higher in nitrates from agricultural runoff and higher in iron and manganese from the alluvial sediment. Pump materials and foot valve specifications matter more than many homeowners realize in these environments. Larimer County maintains construction logs for permitted wells, and we reference those records when sizing replacement pumps and diagnosing system behavior.
One factor that surprises homeowners moving to well-water properties from city water is that well pump problems often develop slowly, not all at once. Gradual pressure loss over six months is easy to dismiss as normal variation — until the day the pump stops completely. We recommend a well system inspection every 3–5 years to catch deteriorating pump performance, waterlogged pressure tanks, and control box issues before they become emergencies. If you're buying a property with a well, a pre-purchase inspection is money very well spent.
Call (970) 672-3282 and describe what you're experiencing — no water, sputtering, low pressure, or short-cycling. We'll ask about your well's known depth, age of the pump if known, and whether you've checked your breaker panel.
We start at the control box and pressure switch — measuring voltage, amperage, and capacitor health. Many well problems are electrical in nature and can be resolved without pulling the pump, saving you significant cost.
Whether the fix is a pressure switch replacement or a full pump pull and replacement, you get a written estimate with costs clearly laid out. We explain what we found and what we recommend — no pressure to approve anything on the spot.
If a pump pull is needed, we use proper lifting equipment to safely retrieve the submersible pump and drop pipe, assess the condition of all components, and install a correctly sized replacement system.
After repair, we test system pressure, recovery rate, and flow to confirm everything is performing correctly. You receive documentation of work completed — essential for real estate transactions and Larimer County records.
Most submersible pumps last 10–15 years under normal conditions. In the Fort Collins area, mineral-rich water can shorten that lifespan by accelerating corrosion on pump impellers and motor windings. Pumps that short-cycle due to a failed pressure tank often fail well before 10 years. Regular inspection and prompt pressure tank replacement when needed are the best ways to get full pump life.
If the pump has completely stopped, there's typically no water flow until the repair is complete. We try to schedule well pump repairs as early in the day as possible so you're without water for the shortest time. For larger households, we can discuss temporary options if the repair will extend over multiple days, though most pump replacements are completed in a single visit.
We can facilitate water quality testing through certified Larimer County labs as part of a well service call. This is particularly important after a pump replacement or if you've had any change in water color, taste, or odor. Larimer County also has specific testing requirements for wells used in real estate transactions.
Condensation on a pressure tank can indicate a waterlogged tank — one where the air bladder has failed and the tank is mostly water rather than the correct air-to-water ratio. A waterlogged tank causes the pump to short-cycle, which dramatically increases pump wear. It's worth having us check the pre-charge pressure and bladder integrity before the pump is damaged.
Don't let a well pump failure leave your household without water. Star Plumbing Co. LLC serves rural Fort Collins and Larimer County with the experience to get your system back up fast.
419 N Meldrum St,
Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States