Well I just built me in a new livewell with intake water, a recirc pump / pump out, drain, and overflow.  All works beautifully except the overflow.  The overflow (1 1/8" ID) cannont keep up with the intake water (800gph) and makes it very difficult to monitor the level in the livewell.  I have a center console with the livewell under the seat, so my only option was to go down through the floor with the overflow.  It does drain this way but very slowly.  Is this common for an overflow below the waterline?  I figured it would always drain since your water in the overflow line would have more pressure than the water outside the boat and equalize.  And it does, just too slowly to keep up.

Do any of you have a center console or setup where your overflow goes out under the water line?  Just wondering on whether I should increase the overflow to 1 1/4 or 1 1/2" ID or just work on a way to send it out the side?   :-/

I would less GPH pump first.  Maybe a 400.  Would be less work and if you buy one at WalMart you can take it back for the first 30 days "for any reason".

Yes I thought about that.... the 800 is just what i had on hand when i built it.  I have it on a timer but even when its off you can tell the overflow is slow to drain so I figured it was the bigger problem.  That may have to be something I change as well.  The recirc is a 500 so maybe I should just switch?  The livewell is 40 gallons BTW.

Does your overflow have a pump or it just regulated by the water level in the live well.  Post a Pic if you can!

My recirculation pump can double as a pump out just by turning a valve.  The overflow is simply to regulate new water comming into the system and keep it from getting too high.  My current issue is the overflow wont drain quick enough for the intake of water and it will actually slosh out of the side if the boat tips too much (until it drains down to level).  I will post a picture here in an hour or so.

OK finally got some pictures from my phone, sorry for quality.

Just put a valve on the fill pump line to regulate the amount of water the pump puts out. You can also just put a simple restriction at the point where it puts water in the livewell to slow it down.

Pretty simple really.

That spray bar you're using for the inflow has a control valve on it.  Simply adjust it for less pressure.  

That was something I was thinking about but was afraid of back pressuring the pump and hurting it.  Figure that would be ok?

That was something I was thinking about but was afraid of back pressuring the pump and hurting it.

Xs 2

So does anyone have an overflow that flows out below the waterline???  I still havn't got a definative answer as to if that is an OK way to go in the first place.  

It WOULD be possible for me to change it and run an overflow out where the tubing is, then through the back deck and out the transom, but it is very very difficult because I have to have a bit / whole saw that is 15" long and big enough I can thread an overflow hose through.  Not to mention the whole deck / hull is filled with floatation foam.  It was hard enough to do with the 3/4 " intake hose.

Mine goes out below the water line.  I have no problems but I rarely run the FW pump after the livewell has already filled.  Once it's filled I usually run the recirc pump only.  

Ok.... thanks for the input guys... much appreciated. I really just want to get this thing right this time so I can concentrate on my fishing!

cart do you know the size of your overflow off hand?

I can't imagine it's anymore than a 3/4" in diameter pipe. My overflow is a thru hull at the bottom of the well into a 90 degree elbow. The pipe is about 3/4 or a little more of livewell capacity up from the bottom. As the water reaches max level the water begins flowing into the top of the overflow and out the back. My recirc pump is actually tied into the overflow line via a Tee connection.  It pulls it's water from that line.