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Live bait pumps - quality😞😞


Pickles

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On my 5m Quinny, I have 2 live bait tanks and 3 live bait pumps, plumbed so each tank has one dedicated pump and then a 3rd backup pump that serves both tanks. I have done this because of the poor quality of the pumps. I have tried, Johnson, Rule, Shurflo (and cheaper copies), but all have failed within a year. I wash and back flush after each trip and squirt fresh water through the oulet and intake. 
 

I don’t buy them as they fail within the warranty and RTM, just keep replacing them 🙂🙂, but it’s a real pain to replace them.

My boat has over 1000 hours on it in 5 years and gets used at least 2wice a week, so the pumps get a good work out and turned off when moving (I’ve got pick up spouts)
Has anyone found a better alternative 

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Hey Bob I now recall you mentioned this when we were out on my boat.

You’ve seen my set up. My live tank 360gph Rule bilge pump also pumps my deck wash and bait board tap. Generally the pump is on even when underway and only gets turned off when back at ramp.  I’m onto the 2nd pump in 25yrs - this last pump has been in service 15yrs approx 300hrs.

Unless quality has really dropped off there may be something astray in your set up. From my understanding these pumps do not tolerate back pressure well, so is there something restricting water flow.

Are your pumps failing mechanically (eg at the impeller, casing water ingression) or electrically ??

cheers Zoran 


 

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Hey Zoran, the pumps are 750 and 850 GPH and have inlet filters so this may restrict water flow slightly, but inhibits entry of weed, fishing line etc. The pumps seem to fail with the shaft on the impeller “rusting” and snapping  at the impeller - even though it is supposed to be marine stainless (but Chinese stainless). 
There is a shurflo that looks the goods, but over $400 now 

. It has the motor seperate from the impeller and is driven by a magnet so that anything that impedes the impeller won’t strangle the motor as there is no “shaft” only a magnet, so the motor keeps rotating. If I ever have to buy another (not replaced on warranty), I’ll probably get the Shurflo.

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Hi all...I’ve been thru 3 pumps myself in 18 months.the impeller breaks off the shaft.I have a suspect feeling the angle of the inlet that pokes thru the hull is to steep,and forces water to fast and hard into the pump causing it to break.my last pump was an expensive pump.thinking the cheap ones were the problem.

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I have a specific livewell pump Shurflo 800 gal, original pump 8 years old.

I had the same in my old boat, about 7 years old still going strong when I sold the boat.

Clamp shell pick up that forces water in the tank at low speed .

I always run the pumps at home to get rid of the salt water .

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Hey WRXHOON, that magnetic drive seems to be the way to go - no shaft to snap.

Is there any chance you could show a pick on the outside of the hull (it looks like your pump is mounted vertically and through the bottom of the hull and not the transom???)

Edited by Pickles
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Hi all...like I said,I’m suspecting water being forced in way to hard and fast.

my shurflo just broke.I haven’t pulled it out yet because I’m waiting for new pump to arrive.I actually heared the pump impeller break.the pump still runs,just doesn’t pump water.

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On 6/16/2021 at 6:00 AM, Pickles said:

Hey WRXHOON, that magnetic drive seems to be the way to go - no shaft to snap.

Is there any chance you could show a pick on the outside of the hull (it looks like your pump is mounted vertically and through the bottom of the hull and not the transom???)

 

That's on the boat .

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1 hour ago, wrxhoon1 said:

You are correct if fits on the bottom of the hull and the lever you see is the seacock valve . Very common in American boats .

 

That's the actual fitting .

Raw water pickup for livewell & wash down - The Hull Truth - Boating and  Fishing Forum

@Pickles I fully agree with @wrxhoon1.

I have the exact same pump and pickup (Make sure you fit an emergency seacock if you do go down this path!) on my Seaswirl Striper - The manufacture date is 2004 and its still running fine! I thought it stopped the other day but turns out just one of the wires had worked there way loose that the boat manufacturer joined - Don't get me started on some of the things they have done! 😅

I should add I have hardly ever flushed it, although I plan to get something like this to help it last longer. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265139020776

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1 hour ago, TK01 said:

You guys using the Shurflo pumps, how is the noise?  I've got an 800gph one for my slimey tubes and it is ridiculously loud to the point I hate using it.

Mine is fine but it is in the bilge area.

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15 hours ago, TK01 said:

You guys using the Shurflo pumps, how is the noise?  I've got an 800gph one for my slimey tubes and it is ridiculously loud to the point I hate using it.

Mine is also in the very back of the bilge.

Never noticed the noise before - But I also have a 150hp 2 stroke and rarely turn it off when fishing. 😅🔊🙉

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11 minutes ago, Brendan Monks said:

Mine is also in the very back of the bilge.

Never noticed the noise before - But I also have a 150hp 2 stroke and rarely turn it off when fishing. 😅🔊🙉

I reckon there’s something wrong with mine then. It’s in the bilge area too but still loud. It works fine though

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13 hours ago, longy509 said:

Have you tried a deck wash pump

 

They do work but not ideal, horses for courses.

Deck-wash pumps are high pressure low volume and they draw much more power.  800 G/H bait pump will draw less than half the amps a 360 G/H deck wash pressure pump.

It is best practice to have 2 pumps one for deck-wash and another for bait tank.

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  • 2 weeks later...

800 gallons* an hour?  Thats 3000 litres per hour.  Almost 17 milk jugs a minute.  How fast are you bait shitting themselves? Maybe buying a pump fitted to the task would be best here.  For years ive used a 2x d-cell aerator ($12) that keeps a dozen yakkas alive in a bucket for hours.  

 

*(Gallons?  1974 was almost 50 years ago. Holy crap!)

 

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As you can see above I have 800,  back cruncher  has 1100.

These are American and they still use US gallons the fuel is sold in gallons as well.

They will never pump the rated volume because they have to pump upwards, depends on what size tank you have and how many livies . I use the same pump for my slimey tubes with a T and switch valve. 

Unless I have a full tank I don't run it constantly and I don't run it when under way, the speed of the boat forces water in the tank.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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