# Livewell won't pump water



## fishnguy (Apr 14, 2004)

My old aerator was slowly dieing and finally came to a point where it wouldn't turn on. I purchased a new one (atwood 800gph) from Walmart. I installed the aerator pump through the transom and connected the hose. It started right up in the driveway. The problem is when i put it in the water it turns on but doesn't pump any water to the livewell. Any ideas?


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Vapor lock? I had mine set up in a way that did the same thing. The only way I could get it going was to put the boat in reverse.


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## fishnguy (Apr 14, 2004)

Bump

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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

A lot of times, the pump will have problems priming itself, which is why putting it in reverse fixes it. If yours said "self priming" on the package, this shouldn't be necessary, and you may have to "tweek" the location of your pump a bit. Some pumps just cannot be made to start up on their own....

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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Found this on Atwood's FAQ's...


My aerator pump won't pump to my livewell. It's mounted through the transom below the water line. What do I do?

Aerator pumps can airlock two different ways:

1. At the motor housing:* To correct this, make sure the outlet of the pump is oriented with the outlet up or between 12 o'clock and 2 o'clock.

2. In the water line: To correct this, you need to eliminate any high and low spots you have in the line running from your pump to your livewell. A steady incline is best.

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## Fishman2025 (Aug 14, 2009)

Is it wired right? May be spinning the wrong way. 

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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Fishman2025 said:


> Is it wired right? May be spinning the wrong way.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Good point^^^

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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

yep check polarity... but most new cartridge pumps should fill up fine... maybe it takes a second? mine when turned on will take about 5 seconds to start pumping


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

As everyone has said, it sounds like it's sucking air and needs primed. Mine does it a lot. If going in reverse doesn't fix it, try intermittently covering the intake hole with your hand (under water) while turning the switch on and off. It usually does the trick


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## fishnguy (Apr 14, 2004)

Thanks for everyone's advice. I'll find out in the Spring. I'll double check the wiring and try running in reverse. I have a feeling that will do the trick. It sounds like it's gargling water so it probably just needs primed.

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