Livewell Conversion Kit?

"Has livewell compartment but it is not a functional-aerated livewell" I'm not sure what this means...is it a cooler?

GDS: I have not attempted to do what you're doing, so I'm not much help there. But I'll suggest that the wash-down pump may not make a good livewell pump. Some of the dedicated wash-down pumps have a high amp draw, meant to only operate in short duration. There are certainly many pumps that can do double-duty, but you may want to check yours.

If you do the job, pictures would be great. I've also contemplated converting my transom cooler into a second livewell.

Good luck.

Rob

If your a little foggy on it all here is how it breaks down...
Below is a dual port livewell pump. You'll see three threaded ends, The bottom blue male pipe threads into the seacock (ball valve) which is screwed onto the through hull inlet strainer pulling water from under and through the hull. The top white female port is a water outlet that the pump drives water to the livewell. The lower blue female port provides a connection for the washdown pump to draw raw water.



The earlier Gradys used a washdown pump with a diverter valve to serve both the washdown pump and livewell. It isn't really done that way anymore. Livewells use a dedicated pump designed for that purpose.
The dual port pump is the way to go now.
Below is a pretty good shot of how it'll look but this one is drawing the water through the transom. The problem with that is it will be high and dry when the boat is on plane. The other much bigger issue is that any through hull fitting below the water line must have a bronze shutoff valve (seacock) that you close before you walkaway from the boat at the end of the day. You don't want to return to find your boat sunk at the dock. It also saves your but if a hose bursts. This livewell pump shown is a red and white Rule unit. Its best mounted straight down pulling water through a bronze strainer which provide water under any condition. Note how the washdown pump is mounted with the motor above the hoses so if it leaks it won't be continuously pouring over the motor.
(though the motor is supposed to be water tight that is how the installation instructions recommend it be done).



Here is a video showing a little more on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17MbYlVR_Mc

Now on the space you want to use, I know Grady would sell it outfitted with the full option providing raw water, then like mine just having a pump that's sitting in the well recirculating the same stale water or nothing at all making it a glorified ice chest. The big question is where does this empty out to? Overboard or into the bilge? If its overboard you can probably make it a well. I did that with my forward fish box. But I also sealed up the upper edges of the box to prevent sloshing water from getting into the bilge.

I'm hoping your taking about the well at the starboard side on the stern. It should have a drain that empties on the starboard side. That is what Grady had intended to be your livewell. If that's it go for it! I'd also advise you to shop around getting what you need from mail order or even West Marine before you go to the Grady dealership. You'll end up with the same equipment but at a fraction of what Grady will charge you.

This is a little more of how it should look, a bronze strainer with a bronze valve and the pump attached directly to the valve.
Notice how I stress bronze? Don't go cheap on those two parts, a few extra bucks will save you from disaster.



Good luck with it!
Mike.
PS- One last note if you have to install a through hull strainer it cannot be mounted in front of a transducer. The strainer will disrupt he water flow enough to adversely affect the transducers performance. Just mount the strainer opposite from the transducer.

Mike: Wow. A very informative post!

Rob

Just to add onto (refinforce) what Mike said... any below-the-waterline thru-hull MUST be bronze. Not just because it's a good idea, but it's required by boatbuilding reg's. The ONLY other material approved for use below the waterline is Marelon. Plastic/Nylon... nope. Stainless steel... nope. The picture that Mike showed (as a "don't do this" pic) of the red/white horizontal pump is a sunken ship waiting to happen.

You know Dennis its really amazing, I'm actually in the process of getting this job done myself. I'm doing it right and you would think that it'd be easy to find a photo example online to show the right way to put a through hull in but its not. Goggle it and you'll see how common it must be that boat owners, or marinas haphazardly drill holes and install accessories with no seacocks and use questionable parts. I wanted to find a complete "this is how you should do it" example, but I couldn't find one. Virtually every installation photo would make you wince. Wow.
I know it can also be expensive to do it right, I just measured out what I'll need in hoses for my livewells (x2) and washdown pump and came up with nearly 34', (do you know what that sells for? :shock: Damn!). That cost may be influencing people to cut corners but when that boat is taking on water a couple miles out or sinks at the dock it won't seem like a bargain then will it?
Mike.

Does anyone know if these Rule Livewell pumps have a backflow preventor? Thinking that when the pump is running and you have a washdown connected to it, the washdown will start pulling water from the livewell pump and cause a reverse flow from the livewell....???

I think you're right, Mike, that the cost is absolutely one of the reasons. When someone sees two products that functionally do the same thing, I'm sure the thought centers around money and why would they need to spend 3x as much, when the less expensive one does the same thing. And then... they may look to a forum to justify their decision... and they might get that standard (ill informed) response of "Well I did it that way and it works just fine for me". Done - that's all they needed to hear. And now THEY will be on a forum spouting off the same thing of "It works fine for me"... and the cycle repeats. If they would just take a few minutes to research, or actually go and talk to someone knowledgable! I like the internet and forums and the freedom of exchange of information - but the easy availability of information that simply reinforces what someone "wants" to do (rather than "needs") is not a good thing (for some). OK, I'm stepping off my soapbox, now :wink:

ROBERTH said:

Does anyone know if these Rule Livewell pumps have a backflow preventor? Thinking that when the pump is running and you have a washdown connected to it, the washdown will start pulling water from the livewell pump and cause a reverse flow from the livewell....???

Click to expand...

I had the red Rule pump like the one in the photo out in my barn so having gone out to double check I can say no, it doesn't have a back flow preventor. I'm going to fill my live wells using sprayer bars mounted above the waterline so it won't be able to draw from the livewell. No worries.
Mike.