Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

[southtexas]

I have 2 livewells (one bow, one stern) that work with same auto pump. Today my front baitwell filled with water while underway to the point of running over---pump was not activated! I stopped, let all the water drain out through drain hole, and noticed that as I moved forward (at 2 or 3 knots), more water was coming in through the baitwell's water delivery tube (not sure term; it's the tube that fills up the baitwell). At a dead stop, the water stopped coming in.

As expected, my intake is under the hull and it has a cupped cover over it (obviously to keep this from happening; to keep water from being forced into it).

Is is usual that something might have lodged into the intake to keep it open? I assume that when the baitwell system is activated, the suction opens a valve. Is this valve now stuck in the open position?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

is the cup opening to the bow or stern? if bow it will pick up water, is the overflow on the live well open and clear?

 

[southtexas]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

the cup opens to the stern, so you'd think simply its design would keep water out. The water is clear and there was no water in the bilge area either. Just the baitwells. I watched it flowing in from the baitwell fill tube, but only while under way. When we were stopped, there wasn't a drop coming in.

 

[southtexas]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

OK, today did more investigating. The water intake thru-hull fitting is brass, oval shaped with vents cut into it, it also has a long tube that reaches through the hull to the pump. The vents point to bow, allowing for water to flow in. The other thru-hull I mentioned previously seems to be a "dump" only.

We took off the brass oval, there is no valve of any sort in it. Which leads me to believe I have isolated the problem--the Rule pump (700gph; shaped like a coke can) itself. It appears there is no check valve of any sort on the pump. The only thing I noticed on the pump is its "fan" freely spins both ways. Could this be the problem? When a pump is turned off, how does it keep from bringing in water through the thru-hull?

If so, seems solution is to get a new pump OR---close the water tubes in the baitwells until I need to use them, then only open them to the point where they let a little water in.

Anyone with ideas?
thanks

robby

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

it does not, there is an overflow, look inside the well on the side near the top.

 

[southtexas]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

TD, thanks. Will look for an overflow this week and get back to you.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

For safely reasons there should be a seacock mounted between the intake and the pump to control the flow of water into the boat.

I have a lever in the back of the boat to open and close the seacock on the LW pumps without the need to get under the deck.

 

[southtexas]

Re: Baitwells fill with water while underway w/ pump turned off

Dingbat, no seacock mounted. I looked at some online and will probably add one if space permits and was wondering, roughly how space will I need to do so? Looked online like it's about 6-8 inches tall and would need as much width to work the lever. Sound close?