Sealed Wet Well

[AbuMasgouf]

I use a wet well method to mount the transducer. I've been researching different ways to mount it in a sealed wet well so I don't always have water in my hull from every trip (since I car top mine upside down, the water in my wet well always comes out)…. Maybe it’s just me but it always bugged me.

I came across a few setups from the west coast that used PVC pipes and tupperware containers. The only draw back for me was they were more "permanent" using goop to install the enclosure. I like the flexibility of the duct seal, so I came up with an enclosure that still allows me to use the duct seal but seals fully so water doesn't leak. So I wanted to share it…

Note: The final picture is from my kayak where I use a down imaging transducer. The “in between” pictures are of another transducer the uses sonar only. I didn’t take pictures in between when I did mine, but took some when I did another for Toyomo.

I used a plastic bottle and cut the back end to fit the top of the transducer.
20130620_230353.jpg

I cut the top of the bottle and angled it in a way that I can easily open the cap and fill in water.
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I taped the pieces to the transducer to make a shell.
20130620_230408.jpgphoto.jpg

I positioned the transducer in the hull, lined the duct seal around and pressed it down and around the plastic shell firmly. Then I covered the whole thing with the duct seal to make a complete seal.
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I've used this now for about two weeks on three outings and car topping for transportation. No water has leaked. I also store my kayak on its side and again no water has leaked.

With the hot weather I thought about the pressure build up with the water evaporating inside the seal and possibly weakening the seal. In theory the seal should resist the pressure from the water inside, so it could technically be sealed and forgotten for the most part. But as a precaution, when I know it's going to be crazy hot, I drain the water by putting a cup underneath to catch the water. It doesn't bother me to pour water in… I would just hate to have to redo the seal.

[Goody]

I just duct seal the whole transducer to the inside of the kayak right in the under the center hatch without any water and it's been working fine for the past 2 months. I use to do the wet well, but no need to. It works either way.

[Strummerfan]

I wonder if a hard freeze would have a negative effect on the transducer?

[upgradingdave]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing.

Quick question: I bought a bucket of duct seal from Lowes, but it was very watery and it doesn't seem like the same stuff you show in your pictures.

The stuff I bought came in a bucket like this: http://www.zorotools.com/g/00066608/k-G1713975?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc &utm_campaign=Google_Shopping_Feed&kw={keyword}&gc lid=CLb8rNmghLgCFcOh4AodYkgAIA

But I'm thinking maybe you're using stuff that came in a bag like this? http://www.garvinindustries.com/Tool...FdGd4AodJn0ApQ

Thanks!
Dave

[AbuMasgouf]

I just duct seal the whole transducer to the inside of the kayak right in the under the center hatch without any water and it's been working fine for the past 2 months. I use to do the wet well, but no need to. It works either way.

I don't think the down imaging ones (like mine) work like that. They need some medium to shoot through. I have seen folks with sonar only FF put the transducer right on the duct seal without issue.

I wonder if a hard freeze would have a negative effect on the transducer?

From the standpoint of the water or the transducer itself? I'd probably drain it in the winter between outings for the water.

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing.

Quick question: I bought a bucket of duct seal from Lowes, but it was very watery and it doesn't seem like the same stuff you show in your pictures.

The stuff I bought came in a bucket like this: http://www.zorotools.com/g/00066608/k-G1713975?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc &utm_campaign=Google_Shopping_Feed&kw={keyword}&gc lid=CLb8rNmghLgCFcOh4AodYkgAIA

But I'm thinking maybe you're using stuff that came in a bag like this? http://www.garvinindustries.com/Tool...FdGd4AodJn0ApQ

Thanks!
Dave

Yeah the stuff I'm using is the one in your second link. I got mine from HD but Lowes should also carry it

[moc]

This is cool. I might have to set mine up that way the next time I redo my wet well.

[Strummerfan]

I just found a variation on this using a tupperware type container with bottom cut out.

[AbuMasgouf]

I just found a variation on this using a tupperware type container with bottom cut out.

Yea that was one of the designs I saw and got inspiration from. Like I said in my original post there are also really cool looking ones that use a large PVC pipe as well. Most of those that I've seen that use some sort of compartment, use goop to hold it down, which is a more "permanent" type of fixture than I wanted. The plastic bottle I used is just to give it a flexible structure and helps the duct seal keep its shape if something hit it (I store things in my front hatch sometimes).

[retroyellow]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing your experience. I should have opted to use the duct seal instead. Goop is indeed more permanent that I thought it would be.

[M_Duong60]

I'm pretty sure that the duct seal at lowes is water-based. The one at HD isn't.

[zimm]

the duct seal you're looking for is clay based and looks like a small brick
it can be found in the electrical dept. it's used to seal electric penetrations on buildings
Professional play- doh that's not water soluble, doesn't melt or freeze and rarely dries out
the liquid duct seal is for use on AC / heating ducts and though it may work it really isn't suitable for transducer applications unless captured in something to keep it from running.

Lowes
http://www.lowes.com/pd_13591-12704-...=R#reviews_tab
HD
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-B...1#.UdINTdi-0uc

[chex]

How's your wet well holding up Mustafa? (i'm rewiring... looking for a new transducer mounting option... leaning towards wet well)

[tufnik]

Been using this wet set-up for two years in my Outback. Fill it from the top. The yellow nylon tie holds the transducer. Use goop to seal holes and hold tie and transducer in place. Works great. Yes, that's duct seal. And yes, I cut off the top of a juice bottle.

[AbuMasgouf]

How's your wet well holding up Mustafa? (i'm rewiring... looking for a new transducer mounting option... leaning towards wet well)

Hey Mike,

My sealed wet well worked really well. The only complaint I had was since I transport my kayak upside down and recently started to store it that way as well, the weight of the water (and everything else) started making parts of the duct seal come off and the water would leak. I would have to press it down every now and then to make sure that its sealed and I would fill it up. So I got tired of it and decided to do the marine grease mount.

Rather than make something myself, I found the humminbird transducer kayak kit at a reasonable price and decided to just buy it (http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-740...transducer+kit I have the DI transducer).

I saw a lot of DIYs that were really nice of people using high density foam to make the base, gooped it to the kayak, filled it with Marine grease and secured the transducer. That was what I was going to do but since the price I found was reasonable, I decided to just get the kit.

Best part is I never need to fill it with water and don't have to worry about it coming off while upside down (because it's so light). Only down side is it takes a while to get an accurate temperature reading.

Hope that helps

[AbuMasgouf]

Been using this wet set-up for two years in my Outback. Fill it from the top. The yellow nylon tie holds the transducer. Use goop to seal holes and hold tie and transducer in place. Works great. Yes, that's duct seal. And yes, I cut off the top of a juice bottle.

That's really creative Tufnik!

Do you have any issues of it coming off? Not sure how you transport and store your kayak...