Livewell pumps

[Hoser]

My pump keeps blowing fuses that I continue replacing with bigger ones. At some point I'm sure this is going to cause a problem. Can I open up the pump to see whats going on inside with the boat in the water or is that just like pulling the transom plug? The trailer is nowhere near the boat or I would just pull it out of the water and not be asking dumb questions.

[big-o]

Hey Hoser

I had a old pump in the back of my truck...so I took it apart to see ...if it was on the back of a boat....the water would have come in big time, i think you should get your trailer....Also by going to bigger fuses...you are risking a fire....be carful Bud.....It wasn't a dumb Question

[ady]

I'ts exactly like pulling the transom plug. If you blow fuses you must not uprate the fuse - the fuse is there to protect the wiring not the pump and as big-o says - you run the risk of a fire and a bigger maintenance task by having to replace all your wiring as well as the pump. I suggest you get a cork of suitable size and have it ready to bung up the hole - then remove and replace the pump. You will take on some water but not enough to worry about.

[roughrider]

The bearing in the pump is shot,replace with a new pump,and I would pull the boat and use silicone to seal new pump. roughrider

[bass ackwards]

1 Does pump work, then it's probably a bad connection, if the bearings were going and loading the motor that much, the tiny winding wires in the motor would go up in smoke. Look for corrosion on connection or bad switch, this will cause the extra load.
2 If fuse blows right away then you could have a bare wire contact between positive and negative.

[Hoser]

Last night when I turned the pump on no water was flowing but the fish finder started going wacky. Had to keep adding water with a bail bucket to keep the fish alive....that's the fish that helped keep the screemin reels in first place btw

[Tony]

I've been having a similar problem with my livewell. One day I was fishing and had the livewell on once already, but the next time I tried to turn it on I could hear the pump but water wasn't coming out. I figured that the battery was too low, which it shouldn't be because it's a new battery. I took it home and charged the battery and the next time it seemed to work. We had it on and off all day, but by the end of the day the same we had the same problem.

Does anyone know why this could be happening? Shouldn't I be able to run the livewell for a couple hours straight without worring?

[bass ackwards]

Have you got a screen filter on the inlet pipe, you may have crap gumming up the works or you may have bearings going ???? Screen can be purchased at most boat places.

[ken & Jo]

I've been having a similar problem with my livewell. One day I was fishing and had the livewell on once already, but the next time I tried to turn it on I could hear the pump but water wasn't coming out. I figured that the battery was too low, which it shouldn't be because it's a new battery. I took it home and charged the battery and the next time it seemed to work. We had it on and off all day, but by the end of the day the same we had the same problem.

Does anyone know why this could be happening? Shouldn't I be able to run the livewell for a couple hours straight without worring?

I have had this problem also. I believe the aerator pump gets airlocked once in a while. This can occur when driving the boat with the pump turned on and air gets trapped in the intake tube. I've found that after I've driven the boat a short distance (with the pump off) to kind of unlock the air it starts to take in water properly again.

Ken

[Wall-I-Guy]

Does anyone know why this could be happening? Shouldn't I be able to run the livewell for a couple hours straight without worring?

I believe Ken gave you the plausible answer as to what's likely happening as it's happened to me too! Sometimes it's weeds clogging the intake as well. But to answer your other question, I used to leave my livewell in my Legend on all night with no problem

So I should think you should be able to

[Tony]

Hmmm interesting, Ken I think you may be on to something, it makes sense to me. I'll give it a try if it happens again. Thanks guys! It's so nice to have a place to ask questions and get answers back without having to run down to the marina or make an uneducated guess. Cheers to the site and the Fish-hawk community.