Thread: bilge pump live well etc.

guys just want to say thanks for all the help ! got another question for yall. does the bilge run off of the crankin battery and does the live well ? is it neccesary to run t he bilge all the time ? my battery died yesterday. do yall charge yalls crankin battery ?i heard the crankin battery charges when you run the boat . i guess i havent run the boat long enough ? thanks guys!

Normally everything except the trolling motor runs off the cranking battery but this is not to say you can't run things off the TM battery(s). The bilge pump should only run when there is water to be pumped out. Most outboards have low output charging systems. For this reason I have always recommended when installing an on-board charger that you get one big enough to include the cranking motor. Most people simply do not run the big motor long enough to keep the starting battery charged and eventually you run out of cranking power. Also remember if you have ever connected a charger to the cranking battery backwards, even for a split second, there is a 99% chance you have blown the diodes in the charging circuit.