Doug's ballast !?

Doug · Posted: Mar 25, 2003 5:16 pm Post subject: Doug's ballast !?

I'm getting the boat ready for summer. This past winter I spent 3 months ripping out and replacing the floor. Now the floor is solid with new carpeting. One of the things I don't want to do is leave fat sacks filled up all the time. So I am planning on installing a custom ballast system. So far I have machined the parts for the manifold. I've got pics below. I will be filling 3 bags with 1000gph pumps, and emptying all with a 2000gph pump. I will be using a scoop for intake. The manifold will be placed behind the back seat. I still need to do more to complete the manifold, but any suggestions would be helpful.

Doug G

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

Do you have a schematic of how this is going to work...cause I am confused. Make one up in MS paint or something....

Doug · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 9:53 am Post subject:

Here is a schematic with physical placement. 1000gph pumps fill, 2000gph pump empties.

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

So the scoop pushes water into the manifold....then the 1000 GPH pumps distribute it to the various sacs?

Then you reverse the 1000GPH pumps to pull the water back to the manifold, and the 2000GPH pump shoots it out the boat?

Doug · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 1:20 pm Post subject:

The 1000gph aerator pumps are not reversible.

From what I understand, when aerator pumps are used in a system for fill and empty, they are typically configured back to back. When emptying, water is drawn through the fill pump, which is off, there is not much restriction. Any feedback?!

I was also thinking of putting a check valve in the fill line to the front sack. So the 2000gph pump is only emptying the back 2 sacks. I would just empty the front sack into the bildge/ski locker.

Ryan_m · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 653 City: glen ellyn

looks pretty good, however, inorder for your water to flow back into the manifold, and then up to the top and out of the 2000gph pump, arent you going to have to have your sacks above the manifold. Im not sure if this is need or not, but logic tells me the water will flow to the lowest point. If you get an air bubble inbetween the water and the pump then, it will be hard to get it to start pumping.

Geoff Standish · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 843 City: Calgary

I can't say I've ever seen a system like that, it could work awesome...but something tells me drawing the water back through the pumps for emptying will be difficult. And thier could also be air gaps like ryan said.

Filling:
How about using the 2000GPH pump to fill.......from the scoop go to the 2000 GPH pump, pump to your manifold...manifold distributes water to all the sacs

Emptying:
Use the three 1000 GPH pumps to empty...mounted directly to each bag. Then to you would need to make a "T" system for your water emptying outlet...or you could make 3 seperate outlets in your boat...

Just a thought....

Nathan Newman · Addict Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 711 City: Baylor

they had an article on wakeworld i think that was about how to build your own ballast system

Doug · Posted: Mar 26, 2003 3:00 pm Post subject:

OK, how about this. A pump with a rubber impellar to replace the 2000gph pump. I know they only about 700gph, but they are also self priming. So they would be able to better "suck" the water from the sacks, through the manifold, and out.

Ryan_m · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 653 City: glen ellyn

the picture isnt the best, but what about something like this? have the other hole of all the sacks going to a second manifold, the from the manifold to a pump, and out of the boat.......

Knut Hein · Newbie Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9 City: Middle East

Doug I really don't know if this is really working. As far as I know aerator have to ge fixed below the sea level as the water presure has to push the water into the pump. They are not self priming. Maybe I'm wrong but this is what I understand on 'not self priming'

Why don't you use 3 through hull fittings and fix the pumps on the deepest point of the boat. You can fill every sac with one pump like want to do