Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

[MassillonBuckeye]

That white PVC is connected to a pump which I assumed was the Fill? Is this supposed to be sticking out like this?? The black fitting above the white is the overflow believe. Here is a shot of the plumbing on the back of the livewell.

and the inside.

The previous owner wasn't much help as they used their own bait tanks and plugged this one up when fishing. Right now the only control I have is a switch wired to pump which is connected to the white PVC fitting below the water line.

There is also a timer, which isn't connected to anything that I can tell, on the side of the console. Theres a potentiometer and a switch which is just to the right of the picture. Looks very similar to the livewell timer found here on iboats. Anyone have any advice for this system?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

From what you have said I would say your are correct a pump to a tank with a over flow is most are made, and the times may of been used on the OP other tank or it may of went bad and was taken out of the circuit. But yes you have the right idea.

 

[MassillonBuckeye]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

Why is that fitting sticking so far out? I'm gonna hook up some water to some stuff and see what happens... LOL

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

Hard to guess why someone else does things different. Main thing is to get it working for you. Can you wire pretty good ? Do you have a meter to check volts ?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

The one fitting sticking out it is hard to tell what it is for it could of been a drain for the tank or some thing left over from a old aeritor system with out pictures of it from the inside of the tank its a guess a this point.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

That is a built in tank for serious keeping of baitfish. The baffle is great. Are there any other holes to the tank ? the barbed fitting on the outside of the stern is for keeping water fresh while on a trailer . modified cut off garden hose connection for use at camps / motels. Where is the air bubbler pump & connection ? a cap over the outside white fitting woud allow that tiny black vertical hose to be a bubbler or a circulating pump.

Lots of photos of any holes inside & outside the tank are needed. If the tank runs across the back of the boat ? The boat is a commerical bait catching boat.

 

[MassillonBuckeye]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

well the lower right is the intake pump. The pump surges a little when on, but does pump into tank through the pvc angled tube in livewell. The overflow is the black thru-hull located just above the intake. Is this ok? Below the waterline I presume. Its 3/4" and has the wire mesh cover inside livewell. The drain, which is the small hole in the corner of the livewell, plumbed into the bilge. Just about in the middle of the bilge, that tube ends. Water was trickling out into the bilge after running the pump connected to a hose for a few minutes. I had accumulated maybe 1.5" of water in the livewell before I shut it off.

So I'm missing a shutoff or a pump back up to the livewell? There is a smallish hole next to the the drain tube where it comes through the rear casting deck indicating that there may have been another similar sized tube coming through there. But there are no additional holes in the livewell. You definitely can't run the thing draining into the bilge without a shutoff valve. I'm still not sure about the wiring from those controls up front either.. To take that inlet pump off, I just undo that through-hull fitting by unscrewing the nut? And the whole thing pops out?

The livewell is sitting lengthwise and serves as captains chair base. It open up both ways as the chair half flips up as well:

where drain ends. Upper left where the pump tube comes through. :

Back side of livewell:
top of tube bent out

drain to middle of bilge:

overflow(hose disconnected) and fresh water pickup:

Hole next to drain tube:

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

I am confused by the tiny baffeled compartment ? Take some bait out of the larger area with a dip net, & put them into the small area for hand grabbing ?
Make VERY sure you have sanded off EVERY JAGGED edge on the edge of each hole !!! Both sides. The fish can easily go shocky if constantly being cut.
Put a piece of Styrofoam into the top surface of the bigger tank to stop sloshing & spilling out of water & bait in bouncy water. Seaweed in there & the smaller space, calms the fish.

A bait tank only nees 2 holes in it. You have both already. ...PERMANANTLY seal all the others. Especially that clear plastic tubing one with NO CLAMP on it.

The DP DT CENTER OFF switch allows you to drain the tank in bad weather. In rough weather.
Put the DP DT switch to EMPTY tank first. Let it empty the tank pretty much.
Then close the top ball valve.
When the pump is dry. Close the lower ball valve.
This double ball valve lets you replace the pump while the boat is in the water. Or to repair piping.

CAUTION !!!!! Putting seaweed or styrofoam into the tank....WILL WILL....clog the pump SOLID eventually. SOOOO
You need a DOUBLE SCREEN on the end of the pipe on the floor. I use 2 layers of screens on tanks. Inner one is Aluminum or Stainless Steel screen sized mesh. Outer is 3/16" or 1/4" same stuff ( from www.mcmaster.com )
I use a plastic TyRap on the inner screen. The outer can also be TyRapped on the pipe.

You can clear MOST seaweed off the screens by running the pump in the FILL direction if it cloggs up during EMPTYING the tank. I always pick out most of the seaweed first & then hold the hand dip net over the pipe end during draining.

It has been years since I used the tanks. Lures are faster at catching fish. Now I just use a white 5 gallon pail with seaweed & a lid when I have non- fishing people with me.

Rich

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

If you can not find screening let me know I can help you select some from www.mcmaster.com They have NO MINIMUM charge amount . Credit card with NORMAL 2 day service. Not extra.

Rich

 

[MassillonBuckeye]

No the baffle section is where you can keep your bait separate from big fish. The thing has a carpeted hinged top so I'm not sure sloshing water is an issue either. Do I need another pump? Right now the only pump there pumps water Into the tank. The only drain trickles into the bilge. I'll put a valve on that. That clear plastic tube is the only thing that's going to drain the tank..

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

If you bring the 2 motor wires up to that DP DT CENTER OFF switch, you can fill or drain the tank floating or on the trailer.

Those 2 Ball Valves are handy to stop any draining when the boat is out of the water. We use them when moving from 1 place to another.

The seaweed calms down the big fish & crayfish also.

I am not in favor of dumping slime & fish scales in to the boat . That will clog a bilge bump & possible burn it out with no warning to you. It can smell pretty good during a rainy spell.

 

[MassillonBuckeye]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

If you bring the 2 motor wires up to that DP DT CENTER OFF switch, you can fill or drain the tank floating or on the trailer.

Those 2 Ball Valves are handy to stop any draining when the boat is out of the water. We use them when moving from 1 place to another.

The seaweed calms down the big fish & crayfish also.

I am not in favor of dumping slime & fish scales in to the boat . That will clog a bilge bump & possible burn it out with no warning to you. It can smell pretty good during a rainy spell.

I'm with you on emptying into the bilge but it can also be a fail-safe of sorts if something were to go down the drain. You could at least try to retrive from bilge. And if the water is always circulating, or at least staying somewhat fresh, the water should't be too bad. My other thought was to put a T in where the overflow goes through the hull. And plumb the drain into that. I'm planning on plugging the livewell drain from the inside so I can forgo the ballvalve on the line itself.

How does wiring to that DP/DT Center OFF switch change the way it fills and drains? I though that just made the pump run momentarily instead of "always on". Which is what it's wired to now. Just a standard toggle switch.

 

[MassillonBuckeye]

Re: Is this right? (a couple Livewell questions)

If you can not find screening let me know I can help you select some from www.mcmaster.com They have NO MINIMUM charge amount . Credit card with NORMAL 2 day service. Not extra.

Rich

This website is amazing. Should have its own sticky haha.

Also, the only time I should ever have to pump fishwater from the bilge is if I unplug the drain while on the water. If I keep it plugged, I can just let it run out the bilge drain when I pull it out of the water. Or should I just plumb that into the overflow drain that's right there? Hmmm. I wonder why they did it this way? How else could I drain the livewell when on the water?
Other than into the bilge then out?