Livewell Problem

[TyeeTanic]

I have a new Tahoe Q5SF - nice boat, but had a problem with the livewell pump today.

We caught the first fish we wanted to keep and I started up the livewell pump no problem. Fish goes in.

Catch another one we want to keep and open up the live well - no water!

I switch it off and on - if I leave it off long enough it spurts out some water and then stops. I figure it's plugged somewhere.

So I call the dealer and he says run some tap water back through the pump by putting a garden house onto the live well feed water nozzle. Did this and flushed the pump backwards. Saw bubbles and water coming out of the inlet nozzle just beside the engine, so I know everything is clear - tried starting up, and nadda - now I can even hear the pump running.

What the heck is going on? Do I need to prime the pump again, or is there a more serious problem???

[LongLine]

Guessing prime or impeller problem.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[TyeeTanic]

Is there any trick to being able to check the pump without pulling the whole boat out of the water?

Can a make shift plug with hold the pressure of the water from the inlet to the pump if I take the hose

off and have a look? Or is this too dangerous to do?

[skipper19]

Your pump should draw a vacuum and as long as the inlet is below water there should be water drawn to it. Check your hoses coming to the pump for air leaking in. If you can pull the hose off the intake side of the pump and put your finger over the hole you should get suction on your finger. You might have to put some water in the pump through that inlet hole to get vacuum and feel the suction. If no suction there at the pump there is a problem with the pump. If there is suction, reattach the inlet hose with some water in it, and check for suction at the next union down from the pump, usually at a ballcock valve that keeps the system from being open to the outside of the hull in case of failure. Keep checking back towards the thru hull fitting for suction until you isolate the loss of prime. Most of these pumps today are self priming but need good airtight connections all the way to the thru hull. Some pumps have a clear plastic filter element with a screen you can clean out if that is the problem.

[ Post made via Android ]

[TyeeTanic]

So I went out tonight, hoping that by some miractle the livewell pump would work by just switching it on.

I do this, and the water is pumping fine (plenty of water coming out) and then over about 2 mins it just dies down to a few drops before it stops all together.

So, do you think there is just a blockage in the suction?

The thing is I was able to flush water backwards through the system and I could see the air bubbles coming out of the inlet - so I figure maybe it's not blocked and perhaps what skipper is saying that there is a leak - but then why did the water come gushing out when I first started the pump?

[skipper19]

I still think you have a place where air can get in the line to the pump inlet. If it sat for a while and the pump was able to push water out, I'm thinking that the water pressure from below the water line of your boat, where the thru hull fitting is, is able to displace air in the draw line and move on it own up the line over time. In that case it would seek a level the same as the level of surface that your boat is sitting in the lake. Then once the pump is drawing vacuum to replace the water pressure from the lake, it begins to pull air in somewhere above the water level of the lake.

It's possible to have a bad pump too, but try to be sure you have intact inlet hoses and fittings, could be an O ring seal right at the pump, check for the vacuum at the pump inlet with your finger over the pump inlet hole first. If no vacuum I would try another pump. Hope this helps.

Mark

[ Post made via Android ]

[TyeeTanic]

Thanks Skipper.

Ya, I ran out of time to check the lines in detail. Will do that hopefully this Friday. It could very well be air.

If I switch the pump off for 5 or 10 mins and then start up again, I always get about 50 - 100 mL of water coming out

before it runs dry - so the water is coming in.

If I let it sit longer, the water gushes out and then goes to a drop in a few seconds.

So I figure the pump is working - either a leak in the suction or their is a partial blockage in the suction where water can slowly

leak in but not fast enough to keep the pump running.

Mark

[TyeeTanic]

Figured out what the problem is, and I feel like a moron.

The livewell pump is hooked to my auxillary battery which is not hooked up to the alternator - it is a deepcycle and also sends juice to the trolling motor.

Guess what ran out of power???

I only had to send the mechanic down from the marina to figure that one out - and it cost me $50.

Nice!

[skipper19]

Uhhhhh....jeeze, ya didn't tell us the pump quit running....ok glad it works now.

Sorry about sending. you on a wild goose chase and the 50 dollar battery lesson

[ Post made via Android ]

[TyeeTanic]

Well, it's not completely my fault.

The dealer that sold me the boat said the only thing that was hooked up to the auxillary battery is the trolling motor.

I guess he forgot to mention the livewell pump.

Thing is when I had it off for several hours, I could switch it back on and it would work for a few seconds before dying down. That was the little bit of juice left in the battery - which also fooled me.

Anyhow - it is a better outcome than having to replace my pump!!!