Need your expertise with livewell wiring

[SoonerD]

I am converting a Crestliner Utility Boat to a more functional bass boat. That said, I'm completely "green" when it comes time to wiring and wanted to know if you can check the attached diagram to see if I am correct with my wiring and pumps (both recirc and fill pump). Couple of questions/concerns:

1. On previous bass boats that I have owned, there has been a fill/empty switch. I understand how this fills, but not sure how it empties and don't want to over complicate this conversion.
   
2. I am not sure if the "Rocker Switch Panel" has fuses as I'm only laying this out in a diagram so I can purchase the components needed. If so, do I still need the in-line fuses on the red and brown wire that connect to the rocker switches.
   
3. What kind of shut-off valve do I need and is it something that I can find at Home Depot or Lowes?

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your assistance!

SoonerD

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

Your wiring looks ok provided the switch panel does not have fuses. If it does, you don't need the in-lines. As for draining the tank, the "shutoff valve" needs to be open and the water will drain from the tank back out the INLET. To fill the tank, the "shutoff valve" would need to be closed. The shutoff valve can be either electric or manual. If electric (12 volts) it would be operated by a separate "drain/fill" switch. If manual, the valve would need to be located in a handy spot or it would need to be one that is cable operated with the control lever located in a handy spot. Home improvement stores would not likely have a 12 volt valve but they have lots of manual valves that would work. They would not have a cable operated valve. I haven't looked, but electric and cable operated valves should be available right here on iBoats in the Live Well Parts section.

Your system could be simplified greatly by eliminating the "shut off valve" entirely and routing the tank drain line to the overflow line via a siimple "Tee" fitting. You then simply insert a plug into the livewell drain. when you want to empty it, pull the plug.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

You have fuses going to the rocker panel and fuses going to the pumps. You only need fuse/fuses going to the rocker panel. If you size the wires properly(all the same size) you only need one feed from the battery with one fuse. If each pump draws enough current that a common wire is not big enough then it is fine to run the seperate wires with seperate fuses.

 

[SoonerD]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

Thanks guys for your assistance and like your "simplified" suggestion Silvertip regarding eliminating the "shut off valve" and using a plug. I also like your idea of using a tee fitting and routing the drain line to the overflow but really don't understand how this would work since the drain is in the bottom of the livewell and the overflow is towards the top. It seems to me that the water would have to drain upward? Am I "overthinking" this?

With that said, if I can't "Tee" in the drain with the overflow, what if I used the drain plug in the livewell as you mentioned and had the drain seperate. Since the drain would be below the waterline (unlike overflow) I would only be able to drain it once it's on the trailer. Do you see a problem with this?

Thanks again!

 

[SoonerD]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

Sorry Guys, but forgot to ask If you recommend using 1 1/8" on the overflow instead of 3/4"? I'm using a premium hose on all of this but was also wondaring if I couldn't use PVC on the overflow. I'm thinking about making the overflow go out the port side of my boat where the drain would go towards the stern of the boat, that is unless I can figure out how to tie them both in together as mentioned on previous thread.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

Come on dude! Water runs downhill. When you pull the plug it goes out the bottom of the tank, into a T fitting where you now show the valve. From there it goes out the back of the boat. If you fill the tank too full the water goes out the overflow and out the back of the boat too!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

Here's how my Crestliner was setup from the factory.

- transom mounted livewell pump with 3/4 hose running to the spray bar
- 1 1/8" drain hose exiting the bottom of the tank and running back to the transom thru-hull fitting.
- stopper tube in the live well drain to allow the tank to fill and then over flow out the drain tube, pull the tube to dump the water.
- 1 1/8" over flow hose mounted high in the tank (about the same height as the spray bar if I remember right) and dumping above the boat's water line, the hose drops 8-12" from the tank to the above water thru-hull fitting.

You want the drain hoses bigger than the fill hose so they can keep up with the forced water entering the tank.

I'm not a live-well guru, but what's the purpose of the aerator pump,,, since you can just kick on the transom mounted pump to aerate the water and replace the water at the same time. I guess it would serve as a backup if the transom pump failed??? Either way, my setup from the factory does not have an aerator pump.

I don't know how I feel about the valve since it's something else to fail and I think it would be a PITA unless it was electric or cable operated as ST suggested. You will also have to rely on 1 drain to keep the tank from over flowing. Good thing is you will only have 1 below water through hull fitting (pump).

 

[jusme9669y]

Re: Need your expertise with livewell wiring

Why dont you just buy a getchit system and be done with it. way easier