Livewell advice

[daddiodave]

I just bought and old boat that has a live well that is not connected to anything. Diagram attached. I just want to be be able to fill it and then drain it.
There are 3 thru hull fittings on the boat. They all have ball levers attached. One of them is being used for a deck wash down but the other two aren't hooked up to anything. Whats the best (easiest) way to fill and drain it.
I was thinking a live well pump from one ball valve to the top fitting of the live well to fill. Not sure on the drain since the other thru hull is below water as well

 

[TyeeMan]

Well, generally speaking, and taking your average fishing boat with a live well for example, you would have a fitting through the transom of the boat where the live well pump would suck water in and send it to a spray head at the top of the live well.

Then you would have a fitting going through the side of the boat above the water line and level with the live well, this would be the live well overflow. On your diagram I would think the fitting on the right side of the live well up towards the top would be the overflow, the difference is that they may have dumped it through the hull. And lastly (like my boat) you would have a drain through the bottom of the live well and through the bottom of the boat.

Looking at your diagram, my guess is that the deck spray down used to be connected to a spray head in the live well. The fitting directly under the live well would be the drain, and the remaining fitting through the hull would be connected to the live well overflow.

Just guessing. . .

 

[sam am I]

If your water line is slightly lower than the bottom of the live well tank....This is how I'm set up

 

[daddiodave]

Well, generally speaking, and taking your average fishing boat with a live well for example, you would have a fitting through the transom of the boat where the live well pump would suck water in and send it to a spray head at the top of the live well.

Then you would have a fitting going through the side of the boat above the water line and level with the live well, this would be the live well overflow. On your diagram I would think the fitting on the right side of the live well up towards the top would be the overflow, the difference is that they may have dumped it through the hull. And lastly (like my boat) you would have a drain through the bottom of the live well and through the bottom of the boat.

Looking at your diagram, my guess is that the deck spray down used to be connected to a spray head in the live well. The fitting directly under the live well would be the drain, and the remaining fitting through the hull would be connected to the live well overflow.

Just guessing. . .

What if I used a live well pump to pull water in from one of the sea cocks and have it spray at the top fitting. Is there anything I can hook up to the bottom port of live well to pull water out the other seacock?

 

[daddiodave]

If your water line is slightly lower than the bottom of the live well tank....This is how I'm set up

I'll have to double check the water line. If the live well is in fact above the water line, then I can use this exact setup you have. I can have the drain connect to the hose from my bilge pump that goes out of the boat above the water line

 

[daddiodave]

As a matter of fact, if the livewell is above the water line, couldnt that bottom port drain be connected to one of the seacocks to drain below the water line?

 

[sam am I]

I'll have to double check the water line. If the live well is in fact above the water line, then I can use this exact setup you have. I can have the drain connect to the hose from my bilge pump that goes out of the boat above the water line

That'll work, yes

 

[TyeeMan]

As a matter of fact, if the livewell is above the water line, couldnt that bottom port drain be connected to one of the seacocks to drain below the water line?

Yep, that's exactly the way both live wells in my boat work. I have no valves on the drains so in order to plug the drain I have what amounts to the same rubber plug used to plug the bilge drain in the back of the boat. They drain straight through the hull, , these drain openings are under water. Live wells are above the water line far enough so there's enough water pressure to drain.

 

[daddiodave]

Yep, that's exactly the way both live wells in my boat work. I have no valves on the drains so in order to plug the drain I have what amounts to the same rubber plug used to plug the bilge drain in the back of the boat. They drain straight through the hull, , these drain openings are under water. Live wells are above the water line far enough so there's enough water pressure to drain.

Thanks. So I guess i will have a live well pump connected to one sea **** to pull water in to the top of the live well and just have a plug for the bottom. When plug is released, water will flow out of the second sea **** below water line. Ill give it a shot. Thanks

 

[dingbat]

Using the bilge as a drain is never a good idea. Worst yet....draining old, possibly nasty live well water into the bilge. Searching for week old squid trapped somewhere in the bilge is an experience you don't want to undertake..lol

On both my bait and fish wells, water is pumped into the tank thru a fitting in the side wall at the bottom of the tank and runs out the overflow at the top. The drain (bilge plug) is plumbed overboard just above the water line.

Not sure about running the drain out the bottom of the hull. I get water in my live well while underway if I don't close the seacock on the intake.

 

[sam am I]

Your fish will die unless you re-circ (limited however, new water changes still required) or always pull in new water, mine continually pulls in new water (timer based tho, saves battery) hence the stand pipe type.

 

[daddiodave]

Im just wondering...I have the washdown pump as I mentioned. Can't I use that as my livewell pump too?

 

[sam am I]

I use one pump for both, yes. BUT, my live well pump was a bit wimpy for wash down so i upgraded it to higher volume and pressure type pump.


I have a "T" valve so I can switch between both. My pump (the new replacement) has a inline pressure switch so when I'm switched over to wash down and using a spring released closing spray handle, the pump auto shuts off with the back pressure...saves battery.

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/gen...e-topics/10677450-washdown-and-livewell-pumps

 

[gm280]

You need both the live well pump AND the drain to be below the water line for best possible setup. Why? Because the live well pump has to have fresh (lake or river) water to spray into the live well to fill it and aerate the water via a timer circuit. That way the fish will stay alive for a long time. And the drain can also be below the water live as well.

You use a "Stand-pipe" in your live well to keep the level set to whatever you want. Then if you remove the stand-pipe, it will drain down to the level of the water you're in at the time. So you use the stand-pipe to allow you to fill the live well higher then the water line.

But even with a stand-pipe, you should also install a higher over-flow drain so if the water level gets too high it will go out the higher mounted drain. If your drain on the live well is higher then the though-transom drain outlet, all is well. Other wise you would never get the live well to drain, even out of the water.

Hope that helps...

 

[dingbat]

Your fish will die unless you re-circ (limited however, new water changes still required) or always pull in new water, mine continually pulls in new water (timer based tho, saves battery) hence the stand pipe type.

Bait well is 80 quart, Fish box is 190 quarts.

Bait in the size and quantities I use will not tolerate a recircualtion system. I'm pumping 800 GPH continuous flow thru 1.5" diameter overflow at the top of each tank.

Scoop type thru hull on bottom of hull combined with tide action gives me flow without the pump running. Only need to run the pump at the dock or while running.

 

[sam am I]

Concurn...........I pull new water (no re-circ), my fish/bait stay very happy. Hull bottom scoop while running in my boat, pushes in new water, I can shut off pump as well.

 

[dingbat]

Concurn...........I pull new water (no re-circ), my fish/bait stay very happy

My fish are never happy...if they're in the box their day isn't going to end well...lol

 

[sam am I]

I don't tell mine..., their happiness is bliss, errrrr, their bliss is happiness.....

 

[poconojoe]

I remember a website that had fittings and various interactive diagrams for live well setups. I can't seem to find it or remember the company name. There were lots of configurations and devices that you could add. Maybe it was Flow-Rite or something like that?

 

[poconojoe]

Yep, Flow-Rite livewell builder...