Live well coolers

[350V RGR]

I was thinking if a 12--24--36volt cooling plate would work for live wells?

We have all seen those 12volt plug-in coolers for cars. you know the ones that plug into your cigerette outlet.

Well what if a boat company took those same side plates and set the plates into the live well, then gelcoated over them, all we need is a 5-8 degree temp differance. would this work??

I know there are alot of questions tobe asked.

1. how many plates will it take, to acually make a difference

2. how long would it take to get the water cool?

3. how much power would it take to run such a system?

4. how much would it weight and what kind of room would it eat up?

5. could it handle the rough ride?

6. is there re-charging that would have tobe done?

I know these are just a few, But what if someone could get it to work

There has been so much R/D done on everything else, whats next?

This might not be the answer, But cooling the water seems tobe the next step in keeping our fish as heavy as we can

anyway just a thought I wanted to share, maybe some one will be able to branch off of this idea and make it work!!!

I also understand that we are not clones. Some of you cats may think this is the stupidest thing in the world. Thats OK you have the right to your opinon.

This is an idea that I have to try to help out.

O, just to be sure I say it.

"I am NOT starting a company/ nor do I want to" this is just a idea

Ok thats it, cooling the livewell water.

[TTCal]

Just some thoughts...

It would have to be something that was temperature controlled. Meaning, you set the temp and the system maintains it. Otherwise a signficant change in temperature from where the fish came from (the lake) to where they are going (your livewell) could have some serious affects on the fishes' long term survival.

I'm taking this from my experience raising tropical and saltwater fish of many shapes and sizes. When you change water in a tank, you have to make sure the water you're putting back into the tank is close to the same temperature as that in the tank otherwise you run the risk of shocking the fish and having them develop a disease called "ick".

Given their size, my guess is the fish we catch would have better tolerance to such conditions, but I would still think the potential for similar effects are there depending on temperature differences.

[350V RGR]

YEA, I thought of that.

There could be a temp senser in the live well and another temp senser placed to read the lake/river water.

I have been using this type of system on hot water solar systems for years.

All that would be needed is to have the two sensers go into a small control box/ computer pad. That would kick the system on when the livewell temp was the same as the lake/river and of course it would shut the system down when the livewell got 5-8 degrees cooler then the lake/river temp. or it could be programed to keep the livewell water cooler then the lake/river water at all times. The constant cooler version would be easier on the fish, not having there water going up and down all day.

I totally agree with the shock value of a bass being placed into water that is way to cold.

I have read that water anywere from 4-10 degrees below the lake/river water on HOT days is best for bass.

I know we us ice, but it would be hard to control temp by ice. Its just to spikey??

anyway, just a thought

[TTCal]

yeah... just a thought.. watch someone take your idea and run with it... better apply for a patent dude..

[350V RGR]

Thanks for the confidence, But no thanks. The last thing I want to do is end up like a guy who loved fishing so much he made it his life and then ended up just mad.

I trully hope someone does run with it!! That would make me very happy

I've seen money ruin people first hand and it's not worth losing your family over. No matter how big of a house boat and golf course the family has.

I could have an idea every week and still not match what fishing has done for me

Now thats my story and i'm sticken to it

[Guest]

How about just pumping fresh water in all day long. In the summer months I leave my livewell on non-recirculate.... which brings new water into the livewell all day.

I think the cooler style livewell would be great but, I am guessing the power it would take and the additional maintenance for the system would be a lot of hassle for only a short time frame each year. Blue Ice blocks frozen the night before your fishing and then kept in your ice chest in ice dropped in the livewell water throughout the day during the day would work pretty well also. That is cheap - reuseable and one less thing to go wrong with your boat!

[hydro]

There are already several patents on the books for various types livewell coolers that use ice and even a mini freon air conditioning unit for livewells . I was playing around with this same idea a couple of years ago and used an old aluminum heater core out of my truck immersed in ice in a small ice chest . Livewell water was circulated thru the heater core with a livewell pump which was controlled with a bulb type thermostat monitoring the livewell temperature. Running tests I was able to drop the livewell water temp 15 degrees using this set up . You have to keep replacing the melting ice around the heater core but it gives you a lot better control of the livewell temp once you get it down where you want it .

[mark poulson]

I think any system that tries to cool the water with a heat-exchanging unit like a condensor will take way too much power, at least with today's techknowledgy.
The livewell-with-ice circulating system sounds like a more reasonable solution.
As for using ice or blue ice, I used to buy two bags of ice, and dump a half a bag every couple of hours into the livewell. To keep the water cold, I'd run the recirculator, and turn off the aerator, so I wasn't dumping out the cooled water. I'd pump out half the livewell and refill it before I put another load of ice in, to clean up the water. But I worried all the time that the water was too dirty.
Now I do it differently. I freeze a dozen water bottles and put them in my ice chest. Every hour or so, I put a frozen bottle in the livewell, and pull out the one that's "defrosted". That way, I don't put a lot of cold all at once, the water stays relatively the same temp., and I can leave the aerator on automatic, to keep the water cleaner.
I usually just put them back in the cooler, but they are still cool enough to refresh, so I try to force myself to drink the defrosted water when I do the change.

[350V RGR]

Tom,

I hear what your saying. But I am sure that when a product does hit the market. All of the hassle's will hopfully be fixed through R/D

As far as the hassle for the short time. Yea, but summer is a season just like winter. I would very much like to have something to help me out during a certin part of the year, thats why We spend so much money on good rain gear.

Anyway, you made some of the same comments as I did. There is work tobe done to get it right


hydro,

Thats cool!!! I was asked years ago to help out with a demolistion(SP) derby car. We ran the cooler lines from the trans into the back of the car. were there was a like 18" by 20" can that we put alot of coils in the can. added ice and covered the can. The tranny never got hot. But we did have OTHER things to fix after the runs, But again a hot tranny was not an issue.
So, thats cool that you could get the water down 15 degrees. Good job

As far as patents, I'm not going to say anything else about ways to fine tune my little idea. I hope I'm not being cocky, but it would suck if I go blabben my mouth and some cat has something close to my I'm runnen my mouth about. I would never want to hurt a person "going for it"

Mark,

I pretty much agree with all you guys, but I have seen some pretty cool little pumps in my 15 years dealing with Solar/Plumbing. As a matter of fact the slower the water ran throught what ever cooling system. The more it would have time to cool down

Anyway, hopefully someday we could have something like this as an option

But until then we'll just keep our livewells on and add ice, If someone knows anything better, let us know!!!

PS. I have gotten a TON of great info off this site, So thanks to all who help out

[Ken C.]

Novel idea, unfortunately the electronic refrigeration elements ("peltier" devices) consume a large amount of current... wait for the technology to improve then it'll probably work.

In the mean time, try filling your livewll as soon as you put your boat in the water. That's probably the coldest it'll be all day! Then augment that with ice or frozen water bottles.

[NaCl]

*NM*