Pumps

[cddetelich]

Hello everybody,
I bought a 1999 215 Explorer last fall and can't wait till this spring to launch. Shakedown should be fun.
However, some questions about pumps. The boat has two coffin boxes, a live well, and a raw water wash down.
Original owner told me there were three pumps: One in the bilge for pumping out the bilge, one for either filling the bait well or
wash down, and one for the coffin boxes. Does this sound right?
So, my questions. Coffin box pump-does it fill or drain? Bait well/washdown fills well? Then how does it drain? Gravity?
Bilge-automatic with manual override?
I am actually thinking of just getting a few buckets of water (when the weather warms up) and fill each of these compartments
and seeing what drains out of what opening by gravity alone.
Thanks for your help and advice.
Charlie

[WhazzupII]

Well assuming the things have not been changed by a previous owner: the bait well/washdown pump fills the baitwell. To drain, you pull out the overflow tube and it drains out the bottom of the baitwell via gravity; the coffin box pump drains the box; and the bilge pump should be, if everything is still hooked up correctly, automatic with a manual override.

[pete]

sounds right,the coffin box pump should be labeled "fishbox pumpout"basicly put your caught fish and ice in it and pump it out when needed.and o yeah, it never pumps all the water out.  

[seabob4]

Especially on the 215s.  Even though they are pumped out by a macerator, water still remains by the drain...and don't run a macerator dry!

[WhazzupII]

it never pumps all the water out.  

So true! I pump it once, fill it with water from the hose and a few drops of bleach, let it soak a bit, and pump it again. At least the water that is left aint nasty. Wish it would get that last bit out though :(

[seabob4]

it never pumps all the water out.  

So true! I pump it once, fill it with water from the hose and a few drops of bleach, let it soak a bit, and pump it again. At least the water that is left aint nasty. Wish it would get that last bit out though :(

The only thing that will fix that is to relocate the drain from the side of the fishbox to the bottom, and install the flush fitting drains like T-H Marine makes.

Good luck on that one!!

[T Race]

Especially on the 215s.  Even though they are pumped out by a macerator, water still remains by the drain...and don't run a macerator dry!

seabob,

   I am new to this forum, and I would like to say BIG THANK YOU ALL for being part of my decison to go ahead with me and my wife's recent purchase of our '99 215 Explorer.  

Down to business.

   I finally figured out how to get the live-well/RW working (discovered the seacock... ah-hem..)  Now need help with the fishbox pump.  It has power, I can hear the pump motor. I may have run it dry trying to get out that infamous 'last inch' - oops.

Questions:
1  Did this year/model come with macerator pump(s)?
2  If the fishbox pump is not a macerator pump, does that fact indicate that I can (possibly) get it operational again? I will try to provide photos of pumps early next week.
3  If I cannot get it operational again and it will need to be replaced, I like the idea of upgrading it to a macerator pump; that said, what is recommended as far as a new macerator brand/model.

  Any and all suggestions are very welcome.  

Best wishes,
T Race

[seabob4]

T Race,
Wellcraft/Aquasport was kind of chintzy back then, they actually used a small Johnson livewell pump for their fishbox pump out.  Real macerator pumps have a very distinctive, almost growling sound when running.  Livewell and bilge pumps have a nice whirr sound.  So, based on that "scientific" analysis, you should be able to tell what type of pump you have.

If it's a "whirr", then you may have some blockage that is preventing flow.  You can run these pumps dry without issue, so if the pump motor is running, then it should just be a matter of clearing out the hoses.  If it is  "growl", well, the pump motor would work but the impeller may be shot, as you can't run most macerators dry.  But seeing as todays models have run-dry protection, and at about $116 on Amazon, you may just want to swap it out for a new one and be done with it...

[T Race]

T Race,
Wellcraft/Aquasport was kind of chintzy back then......

seabob,

  thanks for your assistance and the wicked good news that I won't have to upgrade the motor until I am ready.  

  I was also kind of thinking hose blockage and not burnt pump motor, particularly after I got the livewell/RW working - previously I had been hearing that motor whirring but not pumping, just as the fisbox is still doing.

  the boat was sitting for 5 months on consignment and had accumulated some gunk in the deck scuppers as well as the 'last inch' in the fishbox. I think that moldy gunk is what may have clogged it the fishbox hoses.

 
   thanks for your expertise and generous assistance,

   Best wishes, T Race

[T Race]

T Race,
Wellcraft/Aquasport was kind of chintzy back then, they actually used a small Johnson livewell pump for their fishbox pump out.  Real macerator pumps have a very distinctive, almost growling sound when running.  Livewell and bilge pumps have a nice whirr sound.  So, based on that "scientific" analysis, you should be able to tell what type of pump you have.

If it's a "whirr", then you may have some blockage that is preventing flow.  You can run these pumps dry without issue, so if the pump motor is running, then it should just be a matter of clearing out the hoses.  If it is  "growl", well, the pump motor would work but the impeller may be shot, as you can't run most macerators dry.  But seeing as todays models have run-dry protection, and at about $116 on Amazon, you may just want to swap it out for a new one and be done with it...

Seabob (and anyone else interested in fishwell/fishbox pumps),

  I took some photos of the the two pumps, the livewell/RW washdown and the port & starboard fishboxes.  They appear to be the same make and model.  Can you confirm/deny if they are macerator pumps?

  If they ARE macerator pumps, can you tell by looking if they are a run-dry protected model ?

 
    I tried to capture some nomenclature.


    This is a more complete view.


    Another view; curious about that round, clear plastic capped appendix type thingy (that's Genuine Frontier Gibberish)

I just spent half of this past Sunday floundering through learning how to post pics on this site; by God, I'm a'gonna post some dang pics  :bounce:

So tell me what ya'll think: Macerator pump or not?  Thanks in advance for any replies

[flounderpounder225]

T Race,
Wellcraft/Aquasport was kind of chintzy back then, they actually used a small Johnson livewell pump for their fishbox pump out.  Real macerator pumps have a very distinctive, almost growling sound when running.  Livewell and bilge pumps have a nice whirr sound.  So, based on that "scientific" analysis, you should be able to tell what type of pump you have.

If it's a "whirr", then you may have some blockage that is preventing flow.  You can run these pumps dry without issue, so if the pump motor is running, then it should just be a matter of clearing out the hoses.  If it is  "growl", well, the pump motor would work but the impeller may be shot, as you can't run most macerators dry.  But seeing as todays models have run-dry protection, and at about $116 on Amazon, you may just want to swap it out for a new one and be done with it...

Seabob (and anyone else interested in fishwell/fishbox pumps),

  I took some photos of the the two pumps, the livewell/RW washdown and the port & starboard fishboxes.  They appear to be the same make and model.  Can you confirm/deny if they are macerator pumps?

  If they ARE macerator pumps, can you tell by looking if they are a run-dry protected model ?

 
    I tried to capture some nomenclature.


    This is a more complete view.


    Another view; curious about that round, clear plastic capped appendix type thingy (that's Genuine Frontier Gibberish)

I just spent half of this past Sunday floundering through learning how to post pics on this site; by God, I'm a'gonna post some dang pics  :bounce:

So tell me what ya'll think: Macerator pump or not?  Thanks in advance for any replies

Regular pump, same as mine, and the "round, clear plastic capped appendix type thingy"   that is the sea strainer, so crap from the water dosn't clog the pump...  
Marc

[T Race]

Regular pump, same as mine, and the "round, clear plastic capped appendix type thingy"   that is the sea strainer, so crap from the water dosn't clog the pump...  
Marc

Marc,

   Thanks for your response .... once again, wicked good news that they are regular pumps and I should be able to get the hoses cleared (assuming that is my issue, why the boxes won't pump out).

   Are you planning to retro-fit in a macerator pump at some point to pump out your fishboxes?

[flounderpounder225]

Regular pump, same as mine, and the "round, clear plastic capped appendix type thingy"   that is the sea strainer, so crap from the water dosn't clog the pump...  
Marc

Marc,

   Thanks for your response .... once again, wicked good news that they are regular pumps and I should be able to get the hoses cleared (assuming that is my issue, why the boxes won't pump out).

   Are you planning to retro-fit in a macerator pump at some point to pump out your fishboxes?

No, first of all, IMO that fishbox is in about the worst place it could be.  And mine is a one-piece lid that is the size of a small coffin and weighs a considerable amount.  So lets put 4 guys in the cockpit and we're fishing in 2-3 seas.  So everyone has to exit the cockpit area, get that lid pryed open, lay it down so it's sliding all over the place, usually winds up falling half into the cavernous fishbox, can you see the comedy unfolding  :x ?? I strap a 150 Igloo to the leaning post stanchions, holds Ice a lot better, I am thinking of using the fishbox for holding my stern anchor, wreck anchor and lines for when I need them.  I put a hole in the bottom of my fishbox, and installed a thru-hull fitting, and an expandable garboard drain plug to keep rain water from accumulating in there, just drains to the bilge and out.

[T Race]

No, first of all, IMO that fishbox is in about the worst place it could be.  And mine is a one-piece lid that is the size of a small coffin and weighs a considerable amount.  So lets put 4 guys in the cockpit and we're fishing in 2-3 seas.  So everyone has to exit the cockpit area, get that lid pryed open, lay it down so it's sliding all over the place, usually winds up falling half into the cavernous fishbox, can you see the comedy unfolding  :x ?? I strap a 150 Igloo to the leaning post stanchions, holds Ice a lot better, I am thinking of using the fishbox for holding my stern anchor, wreck anchor and lines for when I need them.  I put a hole in the bottom of my fishbox, and installed a thru-hull fitting, and an expandable garboard drain plug to keep rain water from accumulating in there, just drains to the bilge and out.

Marc,  sounds like to me you have it goin' on on your boat.  Thanks again for assisting me figure out my pumps.

best wishes, T