Live well concerns! Please advise!

[1stLowe16BCP]

So that is a quick and bad drawing of my live well. Will that work? will it fill to the water line level? Will it empty thru the over flow? i plan on having a 12v aerator running when fish are in there plug the intake when i dont want to fill them? it seems that i would never want the over flow plugged?? its one pipe coming up thru the bottom, w a lower armthat im saying is the inlet and thenthe pipe continues up to near the top of the live well and is also open which i call the over flow. Do i have this correct? do i need a pump for these? or just aeration?

 

[MrGiggles]

It'll only ever fill to the water level on the outside of the boat, so unless that livewell is mounted in the floor of a very deep Deep V, you're going to need a pump to get it up to the proper level.

 

[wmk0002]

It will only fill to the outside waterline.

What kind of aerator do you have or plan to use? They make the ones for use on coolers where the pump can be lifted out and set in the water to help fill it. Once filled, you put the pump back in the livewell to recirculate. I personally have one although I've only used it a few times. Works well and the only real issue with it is you have to deal with the extra power cord required to get the pump into the water outside the boat.

 

[1stLowe16BCP]

i was planning on using a two tubed 12v aerator. And hoping that the wells would fill and hold enough water. Not sure where the water line will be. This boat is a winter project, I haven't had it in the water yet. the live wells are part of the bench seat of a side console jon boat conversion.
A 1980 16ft Lowe, Bass Catcher Pro.. First boat, its been great working on it, hammering out the last of it...i think...

 

[MN Fisher]

Those livewells are well above the waterline.

You'll need a pump to fill it, and some kind of valve to keep the water in once it's filled.

I'll draw up the plan I have for the livewell in the Alumacraft and post it in the next couple days...right now it's all in my head.

 

[MN Fisher]

I'll draw up the plan I have for the livewell in the Alumacraft and post it in the next couple days...right now it's all in my head.

Slapped this together in Autosketch this morning.



With the valve closed and the boat in the water, turn the pump on and it fills the tank through the floor drain. End of the day, pump is left off, valve is opened and the tank drains by gravity back through the hull fitting. Everything is connected via 3/4" reinforced vinyl tubing.

 

[wmk0002]

I'll draw up the plan I have for the livewell in the Alumacraft and post it in the next couple days...right now it's all in my head.

Slapped this together in Autosketch this morning.

Livewell Plumbing.JPG

With the valve closed and the boat in the water, turn the pump on and it fills the tank through the floor drain. End of the day, pump is left off, valve is opened and the tank drains by gravity back through the hull fitting. Everything is connected via 3/4" reinforced vinyl tubing.

Flowrite has a kit you can buy that performs the same way. Some of those Tiny Boat Nation guys have videos of them on youtube. Nice to only have to put one holes in the transom that both pumps in and drains vs two separate ones.

 

[MN Fisher]

Flowrite has a kit you can buy that performs the same way. Some of those Tiny Boat Nation guys have videos of them on youtube. Nice to only have to put one holes in the transom that both pumps in and drains vs two separate ones.

I know - I kind of based my 'slap together' system off their kit

Difference...I'm on a limited budget and their full kit is $300+
I put together all the parts for this for under $100 - and it's mainly TH Marine parts as well.

 

[wmk0002]

Flowrite has a kit you can buy that performs the same way. Some of those Tiny Boat Nation guys have videos of them on youtube. Nice to only have to put one holes in the transom that both pumps in and drains vs two separate ones.

I know - I kind of based my 'slap together' system off their kit

Difference...I'm on a limited budget and their full kit is $300+
I put together all the parts for this for under $100 - and it's mainly TH Marine parts as well.

Wasn't aware it was that much. I never paid much attention to the price since I wasn't planning on using it myself. What parts did you get from THMarine to do it? I love their products but I hate navigating their website for some reason.

 

[MN Fisher]

Wasn't aware it was that much. I never paid much attention to the price since I wasn't planning on using it myself. What parts did you get from THMarine to do it? I love their products but I hate navigating their website for some reason.

Drain for the tank - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/all-purpose-drains-hatch-drains - ADP-290F-DP
Strainer for over the drain - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/aerator-filter
Aerator head - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/aerator-spray-head-wash-down-combo-fittings
Aerator screen for the recirc pump intake - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/aerator-screen-strainer-stainless-mesh
2 each THM 800gph pumps from Amazon - https://thmarinesupplies.com/products/800-gph-thru-hull-livewell-pump
THM through-hull fitting from Amazon - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/thru-hull-strainer-mount

Non THM parts

Y' fittings from Amazon
FIP ends Ball valve - local hardware store
MIP to Barb connecters - local hardware store
GHT to Barb (for the intake on the fill pump) - just a standard garden hose 'repair' kit...GHT female will fit and seal to the male NPS tube on the pump - local hardware store
Reinforced vinyl tubing - local hardware store

 

[wmk0002]

Wasn't aware it was that much. I never paid much attention to the price since I wasn't planning on using it myself. What parts did you get from THMarine to do it? I love their products but I hate navigating their website for some reason.

Drain for the tank - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/all-purpose-drains-hatch-drains - ADP-290F-DP
Strainer for over the drain - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/aerator-filter
Aerator head - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/aerator-spray-head-wash-down-combo-fittings
Aerator screen for the recirc pump intake - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/aerator-screen-strainer-stainless-mesh
2 each THM 800gph pumps from Amazon - https://thmarinesupplies.com/products/800-gph-thru-hull-livewell-pump
THM through-hull fitting from Amazon - https://thmarinesupplies.com/collections/plumbing-drain/products/thru-hull-strainer-mount

Non THM parts

Y' fittings from Amazon
FIP ends Ball valve - local hardware store
MIP to Barb connecters - local hardware store
GHT to Barb (for the intake on the fill pump) - just a standard garden hose 'repair' kit...GHT female will fit and seal to the male NPS tube on the pump - local hardware store
Reinforced vinyl tubing - local hardware store

Nice...you da man! Appreciate you putting that list together.

 

[1stLowe16BCP]

I struck gold with you guys on this forum!! so in the spirit of help ill explain more of my situation! 1980 bass catcher pro it has 2 livewells each have a bottom of the hull opening.. both look like the image i posted. there is also a fitting near th e level of the overflow, that opening runs to a pump. Both taqnks have the same fitting they each have a water lone that runs to the pump. the pump has 2 (out?) fittings. i havent had it in water to try. the thru hull fitting is snapped off and blocked off the pump is unsecrured still has the 2 tubes running to the live wells i assumed that the wells would fill if the bottom plug was open the pump would suck from one well and feed to the other there by drawing in water from one bottom drain and letting water overflow from the other well that it pumped into. BUT if the wells dont fill natrualy to that level with the bottom drain opened then this will not work ill make an image and post it

 

[MrGiggles]

My Tracker is set up the same but it only has one livewell. The drain pipe has a Tee in it, but the lower port is plugged, so it's basically just a standpipe. I'm not sure why it even has a tee.

With the standpipe removed it will get maybe 2 inches of water flowing in and out. The pump fills it the rest of the way.