well, i managed to conect a bilge pump to fill my livewells, with water 100% from the outside... the bilge was dry, and i was filling the livewells with the pump...but now i have a couple of questions. first of all, how do you prevent the livewells to overflow?? this is an old (1977) boat without preparation for a recirculating pump.... the water enters to the livewells from a perforated pipe which does the function of a sprinkler, i believe to gather more air or something.... and, it has 2 hoses to the outside, one in the bottom, one in the top... im not sure if i can turn on the pump and the water coming in will be the same as the water coming out of the 2 hoses, refilling the livewells with new water always... wont the pump burn or something because of the continuous use??

also, when on plane, the pump stops sucking water, so i turned it off.... when i got to my destination, the livewells were empty.... do you put valves that you close while you are moving, and then open them when you are fishing???

sorry for all the questions, but i dont know where else to ask...

thanx!!

You should have a "standpipe" in your live well. The top of the should be at the level you want to maintain. It should also be of sufficient diameter so its capacity to drain exceeds the output of the pump. That your pump will not function when the boat is on plane is because the intake for the pump is not underwater.

Since you have only one pump with one function, consider getting a twelve volt aerator. Here's a photo to give you an idea how to set it up. You can also install a valve that will direct the flow of water to the aerating manifold, or to a discharge hose to pump out the well.

Image from this site:

http://www.memphisnet.net/product/3426/aerators_livewell_fishsaver

thanx, but i dont get it. whats a standpipe??

yes, i had already figured that the intake was not under water when i was on plane. what i dont know is how to keep the water in the livewells. im guessing i need to close the lower discharge hole, and use an aerator to keep the water recirculating... then when i get to my fishing destination, open the valve, and turn on the fill pump....

also, can those pumps be working for extenden periods of time, like a couple of hours???

thanx!!

A standpipe is a threaded hollow plastic pipe which should screw into the hole on the bottom of the livewell. The pump can run as long as it has a water supply and a charged battery.

oh ok, i get it now, thanx!!