Live Well Issue

[larry1949]

Live well stops filling when running main engine at other than very low speed. Any ideas? 1998 Glastron Fish & Ski.Volvo Penta 5.0

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Live Well Issue

It's not good to run your livewell while the boat is underway, you don't have that much water on your transom because of the forward thrust of the boat and you stand a good chance of burning up your pump. If you'll get someone else to operate the boat at speed and look over the transom, you'll see what I mean. Turn the livewell off or put it on recirculate while underway, then turn it back on when you reach your destination.

 

[Evinbuck]

Re: Live Well Issue

jigngrub is correct. Your livewell pump can't compete with the water rush going the opposite direction while under way even at slow speeds. I have shut off valves on my livewells to keep the water inside until I stop again to turn on the pump to begin recirculating.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Live Well Issue

Something ain't right here. Most livewells use what we call a "high-speed" or "scoop" strainer for a pickup. While on plane, the livewell will fill WITH THE PUMP OFF!!

Sure the foot on the intake isn't mounted backwards, with the slots facing aft?

 

[Frozen]

Re: Live Well Issue

Something ain't right here. Most livewells use what we call a "high-speed" or "scoop" strainer for a pickup. While on plane, the livewell will fill WITH THE PUMP OFF!!

Sure the foot on the intake isn't mounted backwards, with the slots facing aft?

I would think most smaller boats would NOT have a hi-speed pickup for the live well. The only boats I see them on are offshore CC's cause they can run for a couple hours to get to a fishing spot. I would think his fish and ski does not have a hi-speed pick up. It sounds like it's mounted on the lower transom.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Live Well Issue

I would think most smaller boats would NOT have a hi-speed pickup for the live well. The only boats I see them on are offshore CC's cause they can run for a couple hours to get to a fishing spot. I would think his fish and ski does not have a hi-speed pick up. It sounds like it's mounted on the lower transom.

Scoop strainers are standard on everyboat I've ever run. No need to run pumps underway. No prime issues. All around better system.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Live Well Issue

guys. there is nothiing universal on boats. Jigngrub is wrong, except for boats where the intake is on the transom. Seabob is right if you have a bottom fill. I have one of each.
No one can answer unless he knows what the OP has (or knows his boat).

 

[timfives]

Re: Live Well Issue

lary1949,

How about a couple of pics of your setup. Did your setup ever fill while underway? or is this a new problem? I know my custom setup won't fill underway but that is by design.

Thanks
Tim

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Live Well Issue

There are reasons to have a livewell running while underway. Ever run 15 miles offshore with live bait in the well? I have more times than I can remember and the livewell worked each time.

If you have a scoop or clamshell fitting, it may be facing aft instead of fore. The well shouldn't fill while the pump is off because the pump not running will (normally) not let more than a trickle of water thru. Depending on the location of your live well pick up tube, you may simply getting air under the hull and this is not allowing water to come in thru the strainer/thru-hull. And because of the venturi effect of water running under the hull, it may be countering the effect of the pump trying to pull water up, as the water running past is pulling it back out.

If you want to have the well running while under way, use a fore facing clamshell or extended grate fitting.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Live Well Issue

guys. there is nothiing universal on boats. Jigngrub is wrong, except for boats where the intake is on the transom. Seabob is right if you have a bottom fill. I have one of each.
No one can answer unless he knows what the OP has (or knows his boat).

I am not wrong for my setup, nor the OP's if he has the same setup.

Here is a pic of my livewell pickup.

Through the transom without a scoop and a strainer only.

If the Op has the same setup he will have problems trying to fill the livewell at speed while underway.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Live Well Issue

Damn, you bass fishermen need to get some serious livewell plumbing! Here's a typical "scoop strainer" pickup on boats down here in FL, this one on a Pursuit 26, feeds a Rule 1600GPH single port pump (the mushroom next to it is for the washdown pump)...

...and here are 2 REALLY high-speed pickups, transom mounted as this is on a Talon F-20, and the boat's bottom needs to be kept "clean". They feed dual 1100GPH Bait Sentrys, the starboard one also feeds the washdown from the lower port...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Live Well Issue

Damn, you bass fishermen need to get some serious livewell plumbing!

What can I say, it's factory installed equipment and pretty typical for freshwater.


... btw, how well does that Power Pole work in 50 FOW?

 

[seabob4]

Re: Live Well Issue

What can I say, it's factory installed equipment and pretty typical for freshwater.


... btw, how well does that Power Pole work in 50 FOW?

It doesn't, but then here in Tampa Bay, we don't have to worry about 50' until were 50 miles offshore...

 

[larry1949]

Re: Live Well Issue

THANKS to everyone for taking the time to respond. My pick up tube is thru the transom with no strainer, extends maybe two inches straight from the hull and is very near the prop. I do not have a recirculation pump separate from the livewell pump itself. Wonder if I put an elbow on the pick up tube and extended it toward toward the edge of the boat ?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Live Well Issue

Wonder if I put an elbow on the pick up tube and extended it toward toward the edge of the boat ?

You could do that and I'm pretty sure it would help.

Like the transom mount in this diagram.

http://www.shurflo.com/files/Educat...-611-G_800 Livewell Piranha 357-113-00 10.pdf

Be sure to put the 1/8" bevel on the bottom of the elbow.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Live Well Issue

Scoops would likely be a problem for bass boats since they tend to run in everything from lilly pads to wild rice.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Live Well Issue

Scoops would likely be a problem for bass boats since they tend to run in everything from lilly pads to wild rice.

Our grass flats can present the same problems, yet we install scoops...

 

[j_martin]

Re: Live Well Issue

Larry,
Your setup is pretty normal. Most have a valve on them before the pump that has maybe 3 positions. The valve has inlet from the live well drain and the transom pickup.

1. is a flapper over the inlet. The pump will suck water in when off plane, and recirculate it when on plane. The pump is usually on a cycle timer that runs it maybe 30 seconds every 3 minutes. That will work all the time if the surface water is reasonably cool.

2. Wide open. That lets all the water run out on plane, or a few inches run in when off plane. It's used to drain the live well.

3. Totally blocked off. This position is used to recirculate the water in the live well without adding new surface water. You can throw a little ice in the live well and keep bass alive when the surface water would cook them.

Perhaps your problem is inoperative valving or maybe not knowing how to work the valves. They are somewhat troublesome if they get trash in them. The cartridge type pumps make it much easier to clean them out without taking your boat apart.

And yes, bass boats often run in water too thick to pump.