Livewell Question 98 Tracker

I bought a 98 Tracker last year, this is my first real fishing boat. Yesterday I was running the aerator manually by turning on the switch. I do not have the automatic timer I have seen on other boats. I would like to change switch if I can.


So yesterday when I pulled out I noticed water on my carpet, same thing today. Pulled the plug and I had a bunch of water in my boat. I have a feeling the overflow tube is not working correctly or I am doing something wrong.


There is a black plug you need to put in manually at bottom of tank, to drain I pull this plug.


There is a white tube coming from the back of tank leading down, this is the fill tube.

Then there is another hole that looks to be the overflow, I think this is the issue but not sure.

will take any opinions on this

thanks

Blow air thru the overflow to make sure it is clear. Check for loose fitting or cracked fittings at the pump. Dead things have away of getting into overflow tubes, I know that for a fact. LoL ! Oh , by the way if you pull the plug it will drain to the bilge , should be a hose to a fitting thru the transom or pull the boat drain plug before you pull the plug in the live well.

So, if you don't use the aerator, you don't have any water in the boat?? Just making sure the problem is the aerator, and not leaky rivets/welds/seals. If the problem is only when you run the aerator, do as Granite suggested and check all hoses and fittings for tightness or leaks - repair any you see. If none of this works, and the problem is still with the overflow, you can "create" your own overflow. Instead of plugging the drain hole with a stopper, buy a small piece (<1' length) of the correct sized PVC - correct size is a piece that fits snuggly into the drain hole. Measure the height of the overflow, and cut this new pipe about 1" lower than the overflow. As water rises above the new pipe, it will drain through the pipe/drain, and hardly any water will escape through the overflow.

Good luck - leaks are not easy at times.

Mine does same thing. It supplies more than it can return. That is only if I run in manual. On the timer it works like it should. Mine also has a white pipe that is overflow, I can pull pipe out to drain all. Filled boat with water a couple of times before I figured out what was happening.

Like others have mentioned..... I have the Auto aerator and it will indeed overflow the box unless you are idling or the boat is underway for it to suck water out. It will flood the boat just easing around. I have heard of guys partially pulling the white recirc pipe out where it recycles and pumps a little water out at the same time. I generally fill the box and keep the recirc on auto. When I get over 10 fish, then I will pump it down and add new water a couple of times in the whole day. Also, if I keep my box lid open about 10 inches or so, I don't get any floaters, it seems like the water gets more oxygen so you don't really have to mess with it much.

Thanks for all the replies, I just tested in driveway and filled tank until the overflow would work. Watched it for a few minutes with garden hose going with a sprayer one end. I think the little pump is doing what others have said it is pumping to much on manual. I left it on and forgot it a couple times. The pump is rated at 500 GPH Rule pump. I am going to look into a timer.

Thanks for all the replies, it saved me from removing all the screws to get a look at the overflow.

I found a few timers I believe I can wire in - not the cheapest around $50

The pump might be to many gph, a smaller pump might fix problem if overflow isn’t plugged

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pnut

The pump might be to many gph, a smaller pump might fix problem if overflow isn’t plugged

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Unfortunately, even the smallest one made pumps way too fast for a overflow tube to keep up with. If it does empty into the bilge (or even leaks heavily into the bilge) ... what he could do is install an automatic bilge pump. Something like the Amarine-made 750gph Auto Bilge Pump (w/float switch) costs about the same as a float switch alone (~$20 @ Walmart or Amazon). https://www.amazon.com/Amarine-made-.../dp/B00N6HHF6Q

I bought the timer today at Bass Pro, installed it today and plan to test tomorrow if I can get out. The auto bilge pump is a good idea also. The little timer was pricey at $50 but I think worth the investment.

I don't know if they are all like this but on a Tracker, aerate means "fill." " Recirc" will just recirculate and aerate. As others have said, the fill rate is faster than the overflow.

Another thing that I didn't mention is that my overflow outlet it next to the intake draw for the fill, which are both near the bottom of the boat. If my overflow tube is 18" to 2 feet under water, nothing will drain without the boat underway...it will have to be pumped down. If you are constantly adding fresh water setup on a timer, then pull the white recirc pipe and then let it pump it down setup on a timer as well.