How transom outlet live wells drain (below the water line)?

I always thought after the live well is filled, the aerator is periodically turned on to freshen the water with oxygen. I’m specifically talking about live wells that drain out the transom and below the water line as in an older Lund Rebel I recently picked up. I’ve been reading posts that sound like guys continually refill their live wells while out on the water. So my question is, can the live well drain if its on the water and the outlet is bolow the water line? It seems unlikely. Thsnks,

If completely stationary, no. If moving, yes, water will drain.

Ever remove your drain plug to get water out of the boat? Works the same way.

Stan Cieslak wrote:

So my question is, can the live well drain if its on the water and the outlet is bolow the water line?

Outlet level being below the waterline is immaterial. The tank (and all of it’s components) will drain down the the top of the lake water. If the tank is above the water level it will drain completely. Other wise it will only drain down to what ever the water level is outside the boat.

Click on the pic to get the complete drawing.

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ClownColor wrote:

If completely stationary, no. If moving, yes, water will drain.

You are taking about the bilge draining and the question is about the live well tank.

The outlet on the transom for my live well tank is below the lake water level. The tank itself is above the lake water level. The tank drains completely when stationary.

Not all tanks are above the water level. Doesn’t matter where the outlet is, only the tank position.

Huntindave wrote:

Outlet level being below the waterline is immaterial. The tank (and all of it’s components) will drain down the the top of the lake water. If the tank is above the water level it will drain completely. Other wise it will only drain down to what ever the water level is outside the boat.

Click on the pic to get the complete drawing.

X2. The livewells in the boats I have had, all have drained while on the water. The drain hose will still hold water though until the boat is taken out of the water.

Great, thanks. That clears things up. I’ll have to look, but I’m wondering, now, if my aerator switch just aerates or if it pumps, too.

when you say older lund rebel… how old are we talking. If you mean a 16 footer from the 80s and early 90s… in the one I had the aerator just recirculated the water and sprayed the water from the bottom. I usually just ran the fill pump and let it run out the overfill tube.

Yes, its a 1990. It probably has two switches, one for aerator and one for fill I’m thinking. Thanks.

My ’88 and ’00 Lund Rebels both had a single switch (turns the pump on/off) so no aerator option. If you want fresh water on the fish you have to leave the pump running and let the water discharge via the overflow pipe in the live well.

barc, thanks. And thanks all. I will probably find out that one switch is what I have too. I havent had a chance to check it out yet. I’m pretty sure though that the switch is called aerator.

“Aerator” switch on my last 2 Lunds as well as my dad’s lund and his previous smoker was just a pump to bring freshwater into the livewell.

So, not an air pump pumping bubbles in, but actually pumping in fresh aerated lake water.