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  1. #1
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    97 190SX Livewell Hydro-Air Idea/Ideas Neeeded

    My 97 190SX does not have the hydro-air pump installed and would like to have the ability to recirculate water within the live well. I cannot seem to find how it was installed from the factory, if anyone has any decent pics of the pump(s) and plumbing that would be awesome.

    Here is what I currently have (sorry boat is torn apart but everything is in its approximate location). I do have the hydro-air timer and is wired just never installed (was told it was a option and installed after the fact).


    20210525_122937.jpg20210525_115530.jpg20210525_115608.jpg

    Here is a pic of inside the live well that shows the aerator and overflow.

    20210522_191427.jpg

    So my thinking is to tee into the livewell drain with a and install a pump that will draw water from the bottom of the well. I'll then tee into the line from the fill pump to the aerators and plumb the outlet of the new pump to that and in theory should recirculate water between the drain and the aerators.

    I would have to install a inline check valve between the fill pump and the tee to the new pump to prevent the new pump as shown below. Doing it this way would not require any cutting of the livewell just some hoses that are being replaced anyway.

    Livewell Diagram.png

    Hopefully that makes a bit of sense, I have the room in the bilge area for the plumbing. So is there a better way or easier way to do this, also any issues with using my existing aerators for this?

    Next would be what pump should I use and ideas on a check valve?

    Thank for the help!

    JDR
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. Champion Boats Moderator Lea's Avatar
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    #2
    The hydro air system circulates air into the water in the livewell. Pinned up top is a fix for the systems which were erroneously simply moving water around without bubbling air into it. Flow-rite is the system used in most cases. Possibly, the Flow rite website will show what you need. If not, I bet TX Champ will be able to help you!

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    #3
    Lea, I've looked at that thread however and I may be misunderstanding but I do not have a second hydro pump on the live well and in order to supply the aerated water to the livewell such as when the boat is out of water it would require a second pump. I could run the livewell on the 100% fill setting and rely on the overflow possibly but I do not like having to keep the level that high.

    I've also looked at TX Champ pics with the pump out/fill double elbow setup and won't work with what I have it the fill pump does not have a check valve nor enough room for the extended fitting.

    I need to be able to recirculate the water in the livewell and aerate it within itself on the trailer out of the water at any level.

    Thanks again for the help!

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    #4
    Any other thought from anyone, can provide some more pics or info if needed. I want to do this right the first time as the restore on this is getting close to done.

    Thanks!

  5. Champion Boats Moderator Lea's Avatar
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    #5
    In order to aerate water (hydro-air) when on trailer, you more than likely will need separate additional pump. My hydro-air pump is on the wall of my livewell, while aerate/fill pump is down in the bilge. Two separate systems.

    Reggie (tx champ)! Where are you!!!!!

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    #6
    I think that what I came up with via the diagram but was hoping that there might be some other options. I feel I'm pretty good at this stuff however good enough to know there is someone other there that knows more than me.

    Thanks again!

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    #7
    JDR,

    Leave the existing thru transom pump where it is....now is the time to replace it if in doubt. Were the manual live well drain is now...discard it and obtain a new appropriate valve from Flo-Rite along with a new control and cable. The proper valve will have female threads which will allow you to mount the new pump to the new valve that replaces the existing live well drain valve. The new valve flo-rite control will have recirculate-empty-auto selections. From the Flo Rite website you can purchase a push-pull live well nozzle which will allow pump-out if you require this feature.....you will have to add a new section of tube and cut a new hole for this function.

    As lea said there is the factory installed feature with the pump mounted on the rear bottom side of the starboard live well....water inlet to this pump is installed on the rear side of the live well not the bottom...with outlet emptying in to the live well below the live well water level.

    The modification i describe in the first paragraph is what I did to my 1995 ChampioN 186. It will allow you recirculate water with the boat out of the water. Add the timer of your choice. I will post a picture of the install later.

    Ray

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    #8
    Resized_20190401_131718.jpegHopefully this image is a good one.

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    #9
    Live Well Pumps.jpegA shot a little closer in.

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    #10
    ARW,

    Thank you for the response, and would be greatly appreciated if you had more pictures of the install. I was not aware there was a drain/fill valve that had the pipe fitting in it, makes life a little easier. I am assuming you had to drill to add the extra aerator?

    I'll probably be replacing all the pump since I am in it this far just trying to get a parts list together. I already have the timer as it was installed from the factory and wires ran just not plumbed. I will say I was hoping to avoid cutting the well and using the existing aerators just due to lack of room as I'll be adding a panel in the middle of the well to house my new fuse/breaker box as I gutted most of the wiring on this thing and adding a 4th. battery.

    Thanks again!

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    #11
    No new holes were drilled in the lower transom. The pump thru the transom is in the original factory location. It is the only live well pump that came with this 186 SC. Had this one since new. It had the manual drain valve that's in your pictures. It is switched from the console and fills the live well to over flow whether in auto/timed or continuous.

    The 186 SC did come with the other live well pump as described in my post....mounted directly to the bottom star board side of the live well behind the cover you have off in your photo's. It discharges inside the live well with a tube below the water line and introduces air bubbles to the water. This can serve as out of the water recirculation also.

    The second/added pump to the system is on the new Flo-Rite valve. A new hole was cut into the live well where a new push/pull discharge valve was added to system to provide an additional way to get water into the live well plus allow for live well pump out and at the same time an additional way to recirculate water on or off the lake. For pump out I added a additional hose and drilled beside the bilge water exit....on my boat on the rear port side. My live well is divided with a removable aluminum plate with holes in it.

    Hope this helps. Will have to remove batteries to get better pictures of the entire bilge area. The ones I posted are all I have. But I will remove that cover and get a picture of the rear of my live well and post it later.

    Ray

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    #12
    Rear of Live Well.jpegHere is the picture of the rear of the live well. The pump is mounted directly to the live well from the factory. It is called the Pr-air system by ChampioN. The second picture is the outlet of the Pro-Air pump inside the live well which injects air bubbles into the water.

  13. Champion Boats Moderator Lea's Avatar
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    #13
    Factory called the system Hydro-air....

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    #14
    Thanks Lea.....Had a brain F__T

  15. Champion Boats Moderator Lea's Avatar
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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by ARW2056 View Post
    Thanks Lea.....Had a brain F__T

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    #16
    That is what I was trying to avoid was cutting another hole in the live well, I don't have a issue doing so it's just taking up much needed space on that part of the well.

    Any issues you folks see recirculating the water through my existing aerators?

    Doing it this way will keep the new pump in the bilge and no need for extra plumbing on the live well. With that route the only thing I need is a check valve if anyone has any suggestions.

    If I pull it off and it works I'll post up my work as it seems that this is a pretty common issue.

    I also did verify my fill percentage and hydro timer is working and good to go.

    20200528_132842 (1).jpg

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    #17
    So here is the solution on my set up with the hydro-air timer but no hydro utilizing the flow-rite OEM aerators. Swapped to a drain/fill/rec valve, new pump installed on that valve, a check valve ahead of the fill pump. Very clean and no cutting or altering anything other than cutting the drain valve end of the cable a little shorter. About $120 into to the new pump, valve, Y-fitting hoses, clamps and loom.

    20210715_220823.jpg