I'm not sure if I like this live well set up?

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acolic

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I'm not sure if I like this live well set up.

As you can see from the photo water comes in to the bottom ( I'm working on connecting it to a spray bar) and fills up the live well to a max height at which point the water will start flowing out through a 2 inch hose fitting that connects to a through hull fitting.

Except the through hull fitting is under the waterline.

When I got this boat there wasn't a drain but as you can see from the picture I installed a drain plug.

I'm not sure if I should be worried about having the live well drain through a through hole fitting that is under the waterline.

Any concerns or advice?

Appreciate the help.

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'm confused, there was no drain to begin with? So the original design had no way to empty the livewell after a day of fishing?

On my livewell (which is now disabled as they are no longer legal to use in my state), the drain has an open end tube with a screen on the end that goes up about 14" or so (to set the water line/fill level) and when you wanted to empty it, just pull the tube. The drain goes to the below water line through hull fitting. I'm pretty sure the fill line/spray bar was plumbed to the same 2" drain line.
 
That big fitting on the side is the drain? How do you drain the bottom 5 inches of water? Is the fitting on the bottom that is plugged also a drain?
If the top of your livewell is above the waterline and the inside the livewell drain fitting is above the waterline, you should be ok.

JFYI, plumbing on a boat, such as livewell drains, hoses, pumps, etc. are the #1 cause for sinking a boat.

Tim
 
My livewell has a spot for the water to come in through a spray bar at the top. The drain tube is at the very bottom of the livewell and drains out through the hull well below the water line. I have a tube that I slide over the drain that I can control the livewell depth with when using. If I take that tube off while in the water the livewell will fill up to the outside waterline. When filling the livewell with my water level control tube in there the water will fill up to the top of the tube but anything above the tube goes out through the tube, yes it will drain out still if the drain is below the waterline. I can leave my livewell pump on and excess water will just drain out, not sink the boat. Here's some pictures, I would be happy to answer any questions you have.
 

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My other boat I have plumbed like this...... drain tube and fill level control tube is fixed. I pull the plug at the bottom to drain.
 

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Bowlershop said:
As long as the top of your livewell is above the water line,,,, your drain through the hull can be below the waterline.


This is correct; and is how many higher end "bass boats" are set up, of course many have pumps and valves to pump the water OUT as well as in and recirculate. Way too much stuff for my pea brain to have to mess with while I'm trying to fish, but I don't do it professionally either.
 
I'm spending a lot of time on a livewell I will probably never use. Let's say for example I decided to pull out the livewell pump out of the back of the boat would I just plug the hole somehow? And what about the through hole fitting at the side of the hull is there a way to cleanly plug it? If I get rid of the livewell I can use it to store my tackle?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I know next to nothing about live wells, or baitwells, either. I haven't fished with bait in 20 years or more. I haven't fished in tournaments except for this last year or so, and that is a casual neighborhood tournament on tiny, no wake, lakes.

I JUST bought a (new to me) boat that has a Livewell plumbed in. I haven't even had it in the water, other than a trial run with the former owner.

I've already learned a lot on this thread. What a great site!

thanks, guys. richg99
 
acolic said:
I'm spending a lot of time on a livewell I will probably never use. Let's say for example I decided to pull out the livewell pump out of the back of the boat would I just plug the hole somehow? And what about the through hole fitting at the side of the hull is there a way to cleanly plug it? If I get rid of the livewell I can use it to store my tackle?

I removed my livewell for the rebuild that I'm finishing up. For the overflow (above waterline) drain, I took a rubber stopper (for science lab use, you can find them in the "hard to find" hardware drawers at fleet farm/home depot/menards, etc) and drilled a hole in the center enough for me to force a bolt through. With fender washers at each end and a nylon nut I put it in a through hull that had a flapper valve. Tightened the bolt, forcing the rubber to expand and plug the through hull. That way, any water getting past the flapper valve isn't going anywhere but back out.

For my intake/drain holes below the waterline, I just forced a smaller rubber plug into each and then made a "U" shape of tubing clamped to each through hull. If the rubber plugs ever did leak, it wouldn't be going anywhere. I was initially going to use some garboard drains to plug them, but the flange required for bolting/screwing/riveting the drain to the hull would have extended below the hull, whereas the standard through hull had a smaller flange that did not.
 

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