HPX 18 Questions

[djohnson5198]

Guys,

i picked up a 2017 HPX18 a couple months ago and am still figuring thing out.  I've got a few things that I'm curious about and hoping you can shed some light.

 

1. Livewell cock valve - in my previous Redfisher 18 I could stop water intrusion by simply closing the isolation valve prior to livewell pump and the well would stay dry.  In the HPX I get water weather valve is open or closed.  Is this normal?  Am I getting water from another source?  

 

2. Bilge Drain Plug - don most of you guys install the plug from the inside or from the exterior?  I miss the threaded plug on the transom and may look into installing as it's quite a task to get down into bilge to easily install/remove the drain plug.  

 

3. Battery Switch - I have a two position switch installed into the center console and just assumed one of the positions pulled 12v from cranking/house batter and the other pulled 12v from one of the trolling batteries as setup in my previous rig.  This however doesn't seem to be the case as I only get power on position 2 and no power when on position 1.  Hard to believe it would come factory rigged in this fashion or that a dealer would install this way.  Any of you guys see the logic in not using both sides of the switch?  It's pretty tight in the console so I hadn't done too much digging just yet.

 

Thx for any feedback you guys can provide 

Derek

[dabear]

I have always installed my drain plug from the outside of the hull . 

[conocean]

1. I'm not sure how you're getting water in the livewell when the valve is closed IF the livewell drain hole is plugged.  

2. I've always installed my drain plugs from the outside of the hull with a bronze/rubber plug. 

3. Your battery switch might be wired incorrectly. 

Hope this helps! 

[Stx4wheeler]

Bilge drain with a plug from the outside of the skiff here.

Yes, of the three maverick's I fish one 17, and two 18's even with the livewell valve shut you get some water in the livewell.  I went to the hardware store and bought a rubber stopper and put it in the livewell drain.  This has solved the issue.

[Beak Boater]

On boats that have a the old style bilge drain, I just put the plug in from the outside. Never had a problem.  I have an Hewes 18RF, like you said I just close the seacock on the bilge intake to the pump and no water.  Not sure why the 18HPXV is plumbed different. My battery switch is like yours. I have 3 batteries. One house 2 trolling. Trolling motor is 24 volts, two batteries in series for that, and the battery switch has no control over it. Only thing it controls is the house battery. Also if like mine, your motor doesn't charge the trolling motors only the house battery. I have an onboard battery charger in the boat that charges them.

[jason p]

The drain hole and plumping is below the waterline so water will enter back through the drain hole if the boat isn't moving, if you look back while your moving it will be gone. Either put a plug or the stand pipe in the drain with the Seacock closed if your trying to keep it dry. The Seacock only closes water from the pump plumbing, if you leave it open while running, pressurized water will flow thru the livewell plumbing via the cheese grater with the pump on or off. That's on my 2010 model anyway. 

[SEfish]

@djohnson5198 Curious if you ever found a solution to #1. I just bought a 18 hpx v and have the same issue. I use the screw in plug, which is small and black (different than the short and tall overflow pipe), but water still seeps in.

It seems crazy that there isn't a way to keep the livewell completely dry.

[dabear]

I put a plug in the stand up,pipe hole .