Thread: Bilge pump

Is the outlet for some reason below the surface of the water? and low enough to let water run back up into it? If so it will let water in, but the bilge pump is normally plumbed to only run water from inside to outside of the boat. Most bilge pumps are the same as livewell pumps. so make sure it is the bilge pump you are looking at if water is coming in. Could be your livewell pump.

The bilge pump has no inlet for water to come in. Most have the discharge hose over the to of the transom or through an outlet port near the top of the wall or transom.
I think you are looking at the aerator pump and it can bring water in if there is a leak anywhere on the pump or hose.

Thanks for your input that makes more sense to me that's it's the aerator not the bilge pump. Are they hard to change?

Originally Posted by Jdnelson07

Thanks for your input that makes more sense to me that's it's the aerator not the bilge pump. Are they hard to change?

Hard is hard to define on a boat. It depends on how easily you can access it and the various parts. On one boat I had you could only access the pumps through a deck plate so it all had to be done by feel vs being able to see what you were doing. When you are replacing it, its not a bad idea to double clamp any hoses below the water line so if a clamp fails the hose stays attached.

One trick when replacing is to put lubricant like liquid soap on the pump nozzle to let the hose slide on easier. When I replaced my aerator pump on my Tracker I had to almost stand on my head to access the pump under the back deck. I forgot the soap trick and got the hose halfway on and it stopped. I could not get it off or on from the awkward angle I had to work from. I finally borrowed the wife's hair dryer and got the rubber hose warm enough to slide the rest of the way on.

I've got the old one out. I've got a lot of room to work on my all I had to do was pull the gas tank out of the way and everything was wide open. Going to install the new one tomorrow after work