Live well overflow and auto bilge questions

[IronMj]

Yesterday I turned on one of my live well fills and forgot it, I had the drain switch closed on it i had the fill on high and I totally forgot about. It way over filled the livewell and filled my bilge, I guess that’s normal the water has to go some where? On my helm switch panel the bilge has an A & M the M lights up when you touch the bilge switch but the A never does I wasn’t sure if it just lit up whenever the water got to the level that the bilge pump had to turn on automatically? I had a lot of water in the engine compartment from my screw up so… the auto bilges obviously is not working or I don’t have an automatic bilge pump, I’d never been in a place use it use it before. You would think the “pro package” would have an auto bilge? I’m the second owner of this boat 2020 Z19 Pro so I didn’t really get a run down on how all this stuff worked when I bought it.

[DavL]

I have a 2022 Z21 xl Pro. Not sure how similar the Z19 Pro may be but, I found the auto bilge pump as installed from factory sits directly under one of the livewell hoses and often prevents the float switch from working freely. As a result the float will not come all the way up and so the pump will not come on. If your float switch is not operating freely the "A" light will not come on and the pump will not operate no mater how much water you may have in the bilge. You can easily test to see if the switch and pump work by manually lifting the float switch up - should hear the pump run. Not a big issue for me as I have only had water in the bilge when fishing and it rains and I simply hit the manual pump switch. Only fix I can figure is to reroute the hose which is a pain or rig something that raises the hose up.

Best - dave

[IronMj]

Thanks Dave, I’ll look at that!

[Fishahaulic]

I have a 2018 Z19 and the same thing happened to me. The live well pump is suppose to turn off automatically and for some reason, it didn't, and filled my bilge. Like you, I thought I would have had an automatic pump also, but after hitting the manual button, clearing everything out I found that, nope, no float for automatic pump out. A float has since been added, but I haven't had the livewell overfill either. It's turned off on it's own every time since.

[BMCD]

Does the Z19 not have a overflow hose to a thru hull fitting? Possibly that may need to be adjusted. I would think it would not drain into the bilge.

[APS]

overflow won't keep up with the pump running on high

[IronMj]

APS that makes sense I’d never used high that before, not sure why I did this time?

[C0MRAD]

My 2020 Z19 pro came with an auto bilge and the overflow will keep up with the livewell fill pump. When I use my livewell, I turn the fill pump on high and leave it on all day. (I only use recirc when I'm going on long runs) I have had a culling buoy or a fish tail block the drain, and then it will overflow into the bilge. But it typically will fill and properly drain all day long.

[IronMj]

Guess I can take a hose and run water to the livewell over flow to see if they are plugged and where the drain? I looked for a float in the pump compartment didn’t see one I’m not totally sure if I’m in the right area or exactly what I’m looking for but pumps and transducer is all I saw under the door in the bilge area.

[Mcjenson]

My 2020 Z19 pro came with an auto bilge and the overflow will keep up with the livewell fill pump. When I use my livewell, I turn the fill pump on high and leave it on all day. (I only use recirc when I'm going on long runs) I have had a culling buoy or a fish tail block the drain, and then it will overflow into the bilge. But it typically will fill and properly drain all day long.

My Z20 drain won't keep up with the fill on constant.

[IronMj]

Thanks Mcjenson I feel like has in the past but I’d never really used high and forgot that may have been part of my problem, I’m headed for Ky lake Monday for a few days I’ll definitely play with down there.

[APS]

I've always left my fill on low or med all day with no problems overflowing. Auto bilge is an option on some boat packages, I'd check out your pumps to be sure one is equipped with float. Most newer ones have the float built into the base and not an external float switch.

[BMCD]

Gotta make sure the the over flow hose does not have a low spot in it.

[Andrebass]

On the newer ones, you just touch the two circles on the side of the switch and it should turn on the auto bilge pump and make the light on dash light up with out filling the boat with water.
It's a neat way to check them.

[IronMj]

Andrebass when you say newer what years are you talking? The 2023’s seem to have a touch panel similar to my 2020?

[187famous187]

I have a 2017 Z20 that works the same way. On the side of the switch on the actual bilge pump there are two circles. Place a finger on each circle and your auto bilge pump will come on.

[187famous187]

https://www.spxflow.com/assets/pdf/j...switch-r05.pdf

Mine has a switch that looks like that on the side of the pump. The link has instructions on how to test it

[Andrebass]

Andrebass when you say newer what years are you talking? The 2023’s seem to have a touch panel similar to my 2020?

On the bilge pump itself. 2019 Z20 reach down in the bilge area where the batteries are, then lift the hinged cover and you'll see a cluster of pumps, one of them is different than the others. that one has a black plate or float switch on the side. there are two round circles imprinted on it. use your phone camera and take a picture to understand. touch them with two fingers and the pump should turn on.

[IronMj]

Andrebass & 187famous187
You guys helped me a lot, I don’t have the auto switch in my bilge area just the pump with a black and a brown wire going into it no black switch with circles on it any where.