Live well filler - shooting water into bilge

[NeoBrew]

I don’t use my live well very much. (210 FSH). I’m on a trip right now and noticed that the bilge pump is running a lot. Had this before but assumed it was a drain port, anchor locker, or that I didn’t have the drain plug o-ring seated.

A little investigation revealed that the live well filler line has a small port on the elbow going in that is just pumping water into the bilge.

There is a small tube that leads up to the black “max air” port just above the live well. It is not connected to anything at the bottom. Is this supposed to be on that port?

Any tips on how to get in there and fix it? I was able to take a picture from the right rear cup holder hole, but there is no way I would get a hand down that far.

looks like I could reach it from the engine compartment if I took the sidewall off. Unfortunately it looks like that was installed before the starboard engine, so that will be a pain to get at all the screws.

Any advice would be appreciate

 

[tdonoughue]

Having trouble orienting from the pic... Can you take a few more?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

This is for the aerator, it sucks air in through the max air intake on the transom that you identified. And yes the black tube is supposed to be on that nipple. If you don’t fill the live well this nipple won’t leak.

If you can’t reach it through the starboard cup holder on the transom you’ll have to pull the clean out tray to get to it, that’s the easiest way. Trying to pull any of the bulkheads would be exponentially more difficult. I think others have said they could change the aerator pump from the starboard cup holder, did you try getting your hand down there?

I’ve been very intimate with all that plumbing down in there but I accessed it from the aft bilge when the clean out tray was off and it’s still going to be a reach from there and I have monkey arms Lol! You are going to be laying with your face against the clean out hatch, yiu will be fully committed to reach this stuff.

I don’t know if you have sealed your clean out tray or not yet or even had it off. Be careful when you put the screws back in to not strip them. Go to the hardware store and get some de natured alcohol and some exterior window caulking. After you put the clean out tray back on, wipe the area down with de natured alcohol to clean it and remove any water, then put a bead of window caulking on the outside seam and that will keep water from getting in that way. You could get some very thin weather stripping weather and put that down before you put the tray back on instead of the caulk. While your at the hardware store pick up some screws that are the next size diameter wise up from your stock clean out tray screws just in case some strip during re assembly.

The easiest way to temp seal it is to get some rubber caps that will go over the aerator inlet and outlet’s in the live well. You’ll lose the ability to use the aerator but you can still use the fill pump to push water into the live well and out the overflow to keep fish alive.

 

[NeoBrew]

This is for the aerator, it sucks air in through the max air intake on the transom that you identified. And yes the black tube is supposed to be on that nipple. If you don’t fill the live well this nipple won’t leak.

If you can’t reach it through the starboard cup holder on the transom you’ll have to pull the clean out tray to get to it, that’s the easiest way. Trying to pull any of the bulkheads would be exponentially more difficult. I think others have said they could change the aerator pump from the starboard cup holder, did you try getting your hand down there?

I’ve been very intimate with all that plumbing down in there but I accessed it from the aft bilge when the clean out tray was off and it’s still going to be a reach from there and I have monkey arms Lol! You are going to be laying with your face against the clean out hatch, yiu will be fully committed to reach this stuff.

I don’t know if you have sealed your clean out tray or not yet or even had it off. Be careful when you put the screws back in to not strip them. Go to the hardware store and get some de natured alcohol and some exterior window caulking. After you put the clean out tray back on, wipe the area down with de natured alcohol to clean it and remove any water, then put a bead of window caulking on the outside seam and that will keep water from getting in that way. You could get some very thin weather stripping weather and put that down before you put the tray back on instead of the caulk. While your at the hardware store pick up some screws that are the next size diameter wise up from your stock clean out tray screws just in case some strip during re assembly.

The easiest way to temp seal it is to get some rubber caps that will go over the aerator inlet and outlet’s in the live well. You’ll lose the ability to use the aerator but you can still use the fill pump to push water into the live well and out the overflow to keep fish alive.

My daughter was able to get her hand down the cup holder. (I could not!) She could just barely get the tube on. It is over the barb, bit there is no hose clamp on it, so I’m expecting it to come off again at some point.

I didn’t realize the cleanout tray can come off. I will figure that out for next time.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

My daughter was able to get her hand down the cup holder. (I could not!) She could just barely get the tube on. It is over the barb, bit there is no hose clamp on it, so I’m expecting it to come off again at some point.

I didn’t realize the cleanout tray can come off. I will figure that out for next time.

Thanks for the help everyone!

That little hose does not have a hose clamp on it, once the tube is fully on it shouldn’t come off.

 

[NeoBrew]

That little hose does not have a hose clamp on it, once the tube is fully on it shouldn’t come off.

One might wonder why it was off then? I suppose it could have been off from the factory. I had this problem on a camping trip when I was using the live well a lot. At the time I didn’t notice what was going on. That was shortly after I bought it (used), so it probably has been off since I got it.

Been using it a fee days and all is well so far.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

There was someone else on here that had the same issue… who knows how long yours has been off.. glad you got it identified and put back on.