# Installing a live well pump (basspirator)



## cybereyes (Apr 5, 2009)

So how does this thing work exactly? From what I can tell from the instructions I have to drill a hole through the transom where I mount the pump and then run tubing all the way to the front of the boat where my live well is. Geez. Anyway, how does the water get out? Does it just start flowing in once the boat is in the water or does the pump have to bring it in, otherwise serving as a block to the water? What if the pump goes out, will water come in then? Why can't I just mount it toward the bottom of the boat on the side near where my live well is located so that I don't have to use so much tubing?


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## Hanr3 (Apr 5, 2009)

cybereyes said:


> So how does this thing work exactly?


The pump pumps lake water into your livewell. There is an electric motor with a small impeller on th end. The impeller sits inside a cavity. When the motor is on, it pumps water, when stopped it acts like a plug. If you submerged teh pump to several atmospheric pressures than the water pressure would exceed the resistance of the motor and water would flow throught he pump. 





cybereyes said:


> Anyway, how does the water get out?


You have to install a drain hose, and an overflow hose. The drain hose can be the same diameter as the livewell pump hose, provided you have an overflow hose. The overflow hose should be 1 1/8"-1 1/4" internal diameter. Your overflow can be drained out the side of the boat above the water line. If you put it below the water line your hose will fill to water level. 

You can run one drain hose that servew both purposes, drians the livewell at the end of the day, and is tied into the overflow vent. 



cybereyes said:


> Why can't I just mount it toward the bottom of the boat on the side near where my live well is located so that I don't have to use so much tubing?



You could, however when the boat is under way the water will be forced into the livewell and you can't control how much water gets in, until you stop the boat. 

There are kits for numberous ways to install a livewell. Everything from one pump with a hose attached. Drop the pump into the lake and put the hose into the livewell. Turn the pump off when full. To empty reverse the process. Put the pump in the livewell and the hose over the side of the boat, turn the pump on until the livewell is empty. The only rpoblem with this system is all the slim from the fish could plug up your pump. 

There is a website that shows you how it all works, however I dont have it handy at the momoent. Maybe someone else can post the link up?


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## cybereyes (Apr 5, 2009)

Hmm will this is very helpful, thanks a lot. I wasn't aware that it needed an overflow or a drain hose. I wonder if this kit comes with those hoses etc. Does the same pump pump out the water through the drain/overflow, or do I need another pump? Do I have to drill another hole into the livewell for this drain? Im reading what instructions came with the basspirator and it does talk about an overflow, but I'm not sure if it came with it or not, and it doesn't mention if I have to drill a seperate hole in the livewell for the drain hose. As I'm typing this it sounds like I would need three holes actually, one for the drain which would be at the bottom of the livewell, and one for the over flow which would be at the top of the live well. Am I thinking about that right?


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## cybereyes (Apr 6, 2009)

So this is what I think I am going to do. I'm going to cut three holes into the livewell. One near the top for the pump which is going to go to the back of the boat at the transom, the other near the top on the other side which is going to be an overflow and will lead to the side of the boat above the water line, the third will be toward the bottom and will lead back to the transom as well with a plug in it to remove when I pull the boat out of the water. How does this sound?


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## Macgyver (Apr 6, 2009)

sounds perfect to me . I have an overflow system with my livewell I built . I don't have a drain though, I use a pump to pump it out and it serves as a recirc pump also .


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 6, 2009)

If the bottom of your tank winds up above water level, you can use it for your overflow and your drain. I'm not sure what all plumbing came with your unit but the factory livewell in my boat is plumbed up that way. There is a hole in the center of the bottom that is plumbed to a hole in the side of the boat, above the water line. There is a pvc stand pipe that screws into that hole that serves as the overflow. Unscrew the pipe when you are finished fishing and all of the water drains out whether the boat is on the trailer or sitting in the water.


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## cybereyes (Apr 7, 2009)

Hmm, I think I like the idea of the pump to pump it out. That way maybe I could use the same line as my overflow and it would just spit all the water out the hole in the side. I will toss that idea around.


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## Hanr3 (Apr 8, 2009)

Question for you. When do you plan on emptying the livewell? While your still on the water, or after you have trailered the boat and emptied the fish? If you wait until your on the trialer a simple drain hose is all you need. Pull the plug and let it drain. IF you use a pump to drain it while on the trialer you have to turn the pump off when empty, with a drain hose you can leave it unplugged all the way home.


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## cybereyes (Apr 8, 2009)

A plug would probably be the cheapest route since I don't plan on emptying it until I'm out of the water, but I also bought this switch panel a while back that I'm going to put into the deck somewhere, and it has a bilge pump switch on it which I didn't have. Well now I do lol. It was only like 20 bucks anyway.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 8, 2009)

Standpipe......

One overflow/drain.


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## cybereyes (Apr 13, 2009)

So it looks like my overflow hose will be going to a hole thats a little higher than the livewell is, because I was afraid that where I was going to put it would be too close to the water line. Is this going to cause a flow problem? It will also be T'ed into a tube that runs from the bottom of the livewell which is connected to my bilge pump. Will this cause it to run back onto itself. I don't know anymore, this stupid livewell has me perplexed. I really don't want to run a hose all the way back to the back of the boat again for a drain etc, it is going to be hard enough running the first hose for the aerator pump, plus I was afraid that water would come in that way too even with a stand up tube.


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## redbug (Apr 13, 2009)

your overflow need to be below the exit point of the live well if it is above the topp it will not drain..


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 13, 2009)

I have attempted to illustrate the overflow/standpipe setup. The filler pipe fills the l/w until the water gets high enough to spill into the top of your overflow tube. Your filler pipe inlet needs to be above the top of your overflow pipe. The water runs out the bottom of the l/w and through the side of your boat. The water level inside the l/w will drain down to whatever the lake level is if you remove the overflow pipe. The hole through the side of my boat is exactly level with the water line, so the entire l/w will drain if I pull the tube.


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## ilinimud (Apr 13, 2009)

Im not trying to steal this thread or anything, but i am looking to do this set up in my livewell since i have the threaded hole in the bottom.

My question is does there have to be a tube coming out of the bottom of the threaded hole, or can that hole be used as the drain. It is in the bottom of my boat, i was wanting to screw a pipe into it, and pump water into it up to the level of the pipe, then let it drain out the pipe and out of the boat through the hole in the bottom. Will that work?


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 13, 2009)

It should be fine but your drain hole needs to be sized so that it will gravity drain at the same rate that the pump is filling the livewell. Mine has a sort of regulator cap that screws into the pipe where the water enters to cut the flow down and aerate the water.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

I understand how the stand up pipe works, but I don't think the way your pic is illustrated, that it would work for me. First off I don't know for sure where the water line will be since I have never had THIS boat in the water before, and I have added a lot of weight to it. Secondly, I know for sure that the bottom of my livewell will be below the water line, meaning if I take a tube staight out from that, there will be a hole in the boat for overflow that will be below the water line. The only other way I could think to do it would make the hose go up hill, which isn't an issue when I'm draining because I have it all connected to a bilge pump. I have tried to illustrate my concerns below. 











The first picture is how I think it would work if I took the hose straight out from the overflow. If its below the water line, then I assume I will have an issue. 

The second picture is the only way I know to fix it, which would mean any overflow would have to be forced up hill a bit. The draining again wouldn't be a problem because of the pump. What should I do? Or what are my other options?


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

Even if the hole for your overflow is beneath the waterline, the water will only rise up in the overflow tube to the level of the lake.

Even if you have the tube removed, it will only fill your livewell to the level of the lake.

In other words, it won't sink your boat.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

Unless the level of the lake is above the top of the livewell? For all I know it is. Even if it isn't, how is water suppose to "overflow" if the overflow hole is below the water line? It does help to know that the overflow can be below the water line. I wasn't aware of that. 

This gives you an idea of how my livewell sets.It is basically at the same level as the 2nd bench seat that is built into the boat. The livewell was placed directly in front of the bench seat, and the cooler was placed behind it.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

I can't see hosted images at work so I will have to reply in regards to your pictures later tonight.

If your overflow is below the waterline, your livewell will drain down to the waterline.. making an overflow unnecessary.

If your lake level is higher than your livewell.. then you have problems. If that is the case, you are going to have problems regardless. You will sink your boat simply from hooking up the fill pump.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

I guess that just shows how much I know. I would have thought that the livewell would fill up until I turned off the pump which is pumping water in, or the water level rose to the overflow point and flowed out the boat again. I was under the impression that the pump bringing the water in would restrict the flow of water when it was not on. Meaning the entire livewell could be below the water level and I could pump in 1 gallon of water and quit if I chose to do so. I guess I don't , or didn't understand that the livewell had to be above the water level, and I didn't take that into consideration when I started modding this boat. The livewell itself is sitting on a floor I made, which brings its height up to the level of the bench seat. I won't really know though until I get it in the water about where the water level will rise to. I don't like what your saying though. considering what If I fish all the time and then one day load an extra person on board and there goes the boat. Or something as simple as catching a big catfish and there goes the boat.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

If the top of the livewell is level with the top of the seat, you probably will not have any problems. I highly doubt that your seats will be below water level. If they are, you are going to have zero freeboard and the smallest wave may likely swamp your boat.

Bilge pumps do not have a check valve built into them. That is why the discharge hose from the bilge is always above the water line. If the highest point of your livewell is below the waterline, water is just going to gravity fill and try to seek it's own level. Your livewell would overflow and your boat would fill up.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

Hmm, well I'm not sure how to handle this. I may have to just put the damn boat in the water to ease my fears. When I first started this thread/project though. Others informed me that my aerator pump would act as a plug when not turned on, and water would only flow when power was applied to it. Hopefully the water level is not up as high as I suspect it will be and I will have nothing to worry about. Although I would always be nervous of that hole in the side that was connected to nothing that would stop water. Then you have to consider once the livewell gets full of water, and the 150 quart cooler has stuff in it, and there is two to four people in the boat, it all could change.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

Your aerator/fill pump itself will not act as a plug. The plumbing acts as a sort of trap since the discharge winds up above the waterline.

If that line ever comes off or ruptures below the waterline, you get a boat full of water.

Any in the pump or inline check valve to prevent that from happening would have to be in the direction of flow for when you actually want to use the pump. You would never get any water out of the discharge.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

I guess the only way for me to feel comfortable is to just raise the live well up the the top edge of the boat. Otherwise everytime I put an extra can of beer in the cooler I will be scared of sinking the boat. I really wish I had known before that the whole system was based upon the level of the water in relation to the top of the livewell, that way I would not have placed it where it is now. Its way too much work to move it entirely now. My only option is to try and raise the livewell by bracing it under the lip. I cant really raise the entire deck because its cut to fit the decking around my cooler exactly. I also have guages and a switch mounted into the wall that seperates the livewell and the front decking. What a pain in the ass this is turning out to be.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

Personally, I would put the boat in the water and see where I was at before I went about moving anything.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

I was considering that, but its getting down to where this is the last thing I have to do aside from bracing underneath the edges of the livewell deck and cooler deck. Once that is done moving stuff around is pretty much not happening. So I hate to drive all the way to the lake to check out the water level, especially since I already have my aerator pump mounted into the transom which could potentially sink my boat. Not only that but even if I place it in the water and the water level is fine, that doesn't mean it will be fine once I add my weight, my GF's weight, the weight of the water in the livewell, the weight of the ice, food, drinks etc in the cooler. I pretty much know the water level won't get to the top edge of the boat. If I can manage to raise the livewell that would ease my thoughts of ever having to worry about If I may be about to sink.


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## Macgyver (Apr 14, 2009)

Personally I think your over analyzing this . looking at your pics, If you come out of the cooler about 3" from the top run it straight out the side of the boat just under the top of the seats will do just fine as far as height for an overflow. your fill pump will be routed in a manner that the spraybar will be near the top this configuration will not let your boat sink . the height of your cooler is fine where it is at . any higher like your thinking will add weight above the center line and change the boats stablity.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

Macgyver said:


> Personally I think your over analyzing this . looking at your pics, If you come out of the cooler about 3" from the top run it straight out the side of the boat just under the top of the seats will do just fine as far as height for an overflow. your fill pump will be routed in a manner that the spraybar will be near the top this configuration will not let your boat sink . the height of your cooler is fine where it is at . any higher like your thinking will add weight above the center line and change the boats stablity.



You would be right except for the fact that my cooler is well, a cooler . My livewell is the silver box in front of the cooler which is level with the deck that I built.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

Now that I have seen your pictures, are you planning on running 2 pumps? That is the only way that what you have drawn will work and be able to drain your water.

The only way that you are going to be able to figure this out is to put your boat in the water. Take a plug that you can plug your inlet pump with.

If your boat sits low enough in the water for the livewell lid to be below the waterline.... I would be removing some weight asap.


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

I'm running one aerator pump to pump the water in, and one bilge to pump it out. I really don't know how else to run it. If It won't work the way I have it drawn, aside from the livewell lid being too low, then I'm looking from some ideas. I will see what I can do about putting the boat in some water. I may not have any issues, it just seems low to me just looking at the side of the boat. I would have been more comfortable having the overflow tube higher on the boat so that I never have to worry if I happen to load more people in the boat which is highly likely when I go home and visit family. It could be myself and my GF and my sister and her husband. It should never be more than 4 people or basically two couples, or possibly 3 guys. There wouldn't be much room with 4 people anyway, but I don't want to be worried about loading an extra body onto the boat because of where the overflow valve is.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 14, 2009)

If you are running two pumps, your first picture will work just fine.

You will have to put a valve of some sort on your overflow line to keep the pump from just circulating it back into the livewell when you go to empty it.

Your overflow can even be under the waterline if need be but your livewell will always get water in it unless you have valves on both lines.


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## Macgyver (Apr 14, 2009)

I went back and looked at all your pictures on the other thread. I think if you came straight out near the top of the live well and straight out the side with an overflow you'll be fine as far as height. looks to be WELL above the waterline, but to be sure I'd do as quackr said and get it in the water to determine just how it'll sit and where the water line comes to . if for nothing else but to ease your mind about it all . 

I have a 750 GPH pump on mine with a 1 1/2" overflow out the side and I have yet to have it not flow out as fast as it comes in . another thing to keep in mind is the the GPH rating on these pumps is different the higher, longer, and/or smaller the hose is or the way it's routed. I see you have a standard bilge pump hose on it and that is less restrictive so the flow will be good. mine I run through a 5/8" ID garden hose so I get good pressure from it for my 3' long spraybar. I only use the pump inside the livewell to pump it out and/or recirculate the water when I'm running with the big motor as I can't pump water in then. when I am trolling around I only use the livewell pump mounted in the transome to pump water in, the excess water runs out the overflow .


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## cybereyes (Apr 14, 2009)

I may be just thinking this boat sits lower in the water than it does, I really hope so, considering the weight I have placed in it with all the mods as well. My only saving grace is the fact that this boat is so wide. It just looks like if I came straight out from the top of the livewell that it would be in water. Not because of having it in water before because I have no idea on this boat, it just looks like it would be a water area. I guess I will see. I'm going to have to put a bunch of weight in the cooler too to simulate having it filled, and maybe even some weight in the livewell. I don't want to find out once a group of people step onto my boat.


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## cybereyes (Apr 15, 2009)

Ok, so I took the boat to some water today and I was wrong. The water doesn't even come close to the point where it will hurt. I had no idea that the boat would sit that high in the water. So all is good. I can keep everything where it is and just take the overflow straight out from the livewell. 

With the boat sitting in the water by itself the water only came up to where the 1st white line is. With both of us in the boat and me leaning over the edge to see where I could get the water to, it came up to the 2nd white line. The arrow marks the spot where the through hull overflow port will exit. So I think I'm good even with the extra weight of stuff in the cooler and in the livewell.


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## Macgyver (Apr 15, 2009)

yep , figured that'd be the case. just go straight out with the overflow and your good to go .


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## cybereyes (Apr 15, 2009)

Yup you were right. I never realized how high these things sit in the water. I was expecting it to be very close, but it wasn't. If you look at my pics in the other thread of the aerator pump hole coming out the transom, you see how low it is, and my GF said when she leaned over the back of the boat it was just barely covered with water. She only weighs 120 pounds but still. I'm very pleased with the result of this test.


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## Macgyver (Apr 15, 2009)

cool, ya may want to put a screen over that pick up to keep it from clogging up with crud and veggies.


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## Quackrstackr (Apr 15, 2009)

Good to see that it is all working out.

I was thinking... man, this guy has either put some serious weight into that boat or it has some super low sides for it to sit that low in the water. :lol:


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