Ballast System Shutoff's

bjeremi · Soul Rider Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 433 City: Owasso

I have been researching on the site for a while now and decided to do the aerator style system. One of the things that puzzles me the most is the shut-off valves people use right after the thru haul or in some cases people are using electronically controlled RV wastegates. The wastegate seemed like a great way to do it but was pricey. The manual shutoff valve seemed like a pain in the ass to have to open and close. So this may be a stupid question but would you need to constantly open and close the valve to operate your ballast system? If you ran your fill lines from the thru haul and after the fill pump to up high(up above the water line) and then back down to the sacks (your fill pumps still being below the waterlines) Your sacks shouldn't fill by themselves correct? My buddy's 04 Wakesetter with the MLS seems to work this way and I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I understand you would still want a shutoff for emergencies.

Juice75 · Outlaw Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 218 City: Austin

bjeremi, the system I put in my Sunsetter is like you described, and I don't have to open and close the valves. They're just a safety precaution, in case a pump cracks. Although, since I ran some bigger bags in the back, I had to put one way check valves in the fill lines to keep the water from siphoning out the bottom. So you may want to look into those as well. I used the swing type check valves. http://www.plumbingsupply.com/pvccheck.html

bjeremi · Soul Rider Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 433 City: Owasso

Check valves I completely understand. I just didn't want to waste time and money on the electronic wastegate.

jedsterr · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 291 City: Star Idaho

an alternative to the check valve would be a vented loop. This is, as you described, a loop above the highest point of the bag/tank, but with a vent in it to prohibit siphoning back to the lake. I like that the vented loop has no moving parts to fail or stick. I've read complaints of the check valves sticking......

My Tsunami 1200 arrived yesterday & tonights project is wiring & plumbing the suckers into my system. Automation is going to be wonderful.

bjeremi · Soul Rider Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 433 City: Owasso

Elaborate a liittle on this vented loop

jedsterr · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 291 City: Star Idaho

Vented loop = siphon prevention.

Using an aerator pump, route your hose so that it travels in an arch, higher than the highest point of your sac, or tank. This prevents water from flowing out of the sac as long as a siphon doesn't develop. Placing a vent in the highest point of the loop prevents a siphon from sustaining itself & is a more failsafe method than the check valve in my opinion.

There are parts made specifically for this purpose like this one:

or you can just make your own with a tee, a cap & a rubber casket. Drill a hole in the cap and in the rubber gasket that do NOT line up. This will allow air in which defeats the siphon yet should seal when water presses against it.

wesgardner · Posted: Aug 17, 2007 11:28 am Post subject:

My front sacks will fill by themselves because they are below the waterline - I DO turn my main valve on and off - I just cut a hole in the floor of the boat and stick a homemade extended handle (BCD - Ballast Control Device) down thru the hole and can turn the valve on and off - I run a ghetto boat - huge wake with 3000 lbs of ballast but ghetto all the way - it's a 1989 - you can probably search around here for pics of my install

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

The RV gate valve is to keep water out after you are done filling. If you have a scoop you will fill sacks you don't want filled while you are underway.

I have all metal plumbing from the thru hull to a manual shut-off valve, just for safety. Then ran hose and/or pvc to the RV gate valve.

Just peice of mind and it works like a charm with the flick of a switch. The gate valve is worth the $80 or so.

Dave K. · Newbie Joined: 20 Oct 2007 Posts: 6

Hello everyone,

I am trying to grasp a solution to a potential problem. I'm using Tsunami pumps and inbetween the pump and the entry point to fill the bag I was planning to put a PVC one way check value in.

What do I do to prevent water from coming through and into the bag automatically by force, once the boat is underway?

Secondly, which thu hull would be better and why??

Thanks for the help

Juice75 · Outlaw Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 218 City: Austin

Hey Dave - if you use the one in the first picture, then gravity will keep the bags from filling up. The water will only rise up high enough to equal the level of the lake.

I've never used the scoop type, so don't know if that will fill up when you're moving or not.

WakeKev · Newbie Joined: 22 May 2008 Posts: 8 City: Lincoln

No what is everybody doing about the air that is already in the bag if your inlet & outlet are located on the bottom? Is there away of bleeding the air off to further fill the bag or is that one of the downfalls of having automatic ballast? Also are the electric solenoids or valves used because the pump won’t hold water in the bag once there full?

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Most people have a vent on each sac that run out of the top. That way you know when you are full by when the water starts coming out of the side.

Either scoop will suck water in while you are in motion. I would go with option 2 to protect from debris.

Using a vented loop would be tough if you are running vents. You will have to get the loop higher than the vent or it will spew water when you're close to full.

Juice75 · Outlaw Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 218 City: Austin

The amount of air in the bags is minimal. About once or twice a season, I'll burp the bags by opening the top port and let the excess air out. I'm guessing I only lose about 2 lbs per bag because of air. And that's without running any vent hoses.

The vents would be nice, but I decided to keep it as simple as possible.