Tank Buster ballast upgrade question

[casmith71]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_22540-322-35...d=3455130&pl=1

[casmith71]

Thanks will start on the intake side and just replace all three flow-rites and be done with it. Then I determine if we are losing or gaining water through the vent and fill. One step at a time. Thanks again for the replies! Hope I get to test it out this weekend and see if that resolves the problem.

post your results. when water comes out of the vent line its full

[slidin_out]

Yep I understand the vent line being the overflow. Since the gauges have always be inaccurate I just turn off the fills when they overflow. That fitting is for a 1" hose. I thought the fill line was 3/4"? Do I need to get a step down coupling as well for both sides of each valve?

[swatguy]

The water is most likely syphoning out the fill pump. When you stack a bag on top of the tank the aerator pumps can't handle the extra back pressure so water pushes its way past the pump back out the fill pump because its located so low in the transom.

the one thing that has been over looked is the vent line. When you fill the bags on top of the tanks, especially for surfing the bag vent is above the vent coming out of the side of your boat. Gravity takes its toll and water will dump out of that if you fill the bag completely. Adding a ball valve to the vent line is always a good thing especially for surfing When the boat leans its really puts that vent line discharge hole lower and water will syphon out. You can find these at any hardware store
https://www.wakemakers.com/pvc-ball-valve.html


Rather than monkey'ng around with that flow right just add one of these between the pump and the tank. You'll never need to flip the manual valve again. Most hardware stores carry these as well
https://www.wakemakers.com/marine-check-valve.html

[slidin_out]

Went ahead and picked up the ball valve for each side and the solenoid valve. Hope to get them in today and test tomorrow since we have some nice weather after all this rain down here.

[swatguy]

Good luck. That should work awesome.

[SurfingCane]

I have Sumo 1000 from WakeMakers but Brian (at WakeMakers) said they were 900#'ers. I also just ordered pump kit 41008 & ballast under seat bow bag 11052. Did some research & also from some good info on here found that our "older" 210 pump setup that the 06+ piggyback system will not work. I will be cutting out the cooler & putting everything in so it will all be "hidden away". My rear bags fill up fine & COMPLETELY fill the lockers when full. You will sink the swim platform about 2" or so. Looks kinda scary when not moving.


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[slidin_out]

I had already ordered some of the TH Marine valves so I replaced the port and starboard. If those don't work out I'll plumb in those other valves and wire them up. Took one of those FlowRite valves apart and WTH was Nautique thinking that that little flimsy piece of metal could hold back the pressure of water coming in while underway. Terrible choice but good of them to replace for the original owners. Also added cut off valves to the overflow so gravity and pressure will quit pushing water out of the top when the bags are maxed out. Oh and in the process found the source of an annoying rattling bolt I couldn't find all last summer as well as a loose bolt on one of the motor mount plates. Found about half a tank of gas worth of loose change under there when I took out the back seat base too so that was a bonus.

[slidin_out]

And as I was looking at trying to fit those two sprinkler valves in the same place as the original valves I got to thinking. Is there any reason the sprinkler valves couldn't go between the fill pump and the bag in an easier to reach location towards rear of the locker? Would the pump produce enough pressure to push the valve open? It's a tight, knuckle banging fit down in the bottom of the boat where the original cheapo valves are located.

[pSchwade]

The water is most likely syphoning out the fill pump. When you stack a bag on top of the tank the aerator pumps can't handle the extra back pressure so water pushes its way past the pump back out the fill pump because its located so low in the transom.

the one thing that has been over looked is the vent line. When you fill the bags on top of the tanks, especially for surfing the bag vent is above the vent coming out of the side of your boat. Gravity takes its toll and water will dump out of that if you fill the bag completely. Adding a ball valve to the vent line is always a good thing especially for surfing When the boat leans its really puts that vent line discharge hole lower and water will syphon out. You can find these at any hardware store
https://www.wakemakers.com/pvc-ball-valve.html


Rather than monkey'ng around with that flow right just add one of these between the pump and the tank. You'll never need to flip the manual valve again. Most hardware stores carry these as well
https://www.wakemakers.com/marine-check-valve.html

A valve on the overflow line is a bad idea... you or someone else will probably forget about it at some point and you will either burn your pump out or blow off a fitting.

you're better off looping the hose that comes out of the top of the bag and securing it to something that keeps the top of the loop above the top of the bag (same idea as a toilet), that way you can still use it as an overflow and you dont have to worry about the vent in the side of the boat being lower than the top of the bag. it also prevents air from getting in the bag so they will empty more completely. Just a warning though - some people have said that it causes the bags to empty so well that they suction down and stop you from emptying your hard tanks... if this happens you can use a smaller loop or run a small diameter section of tube through your bag to make sure that even if it collapses you can still pull air through the vent line.

[slidin_out]

No hard tanks in the rear just bags. I'm going to leave the vent valves open most of the time it's really just for when surfing and the bag is maxed out or we wakeboard with the bags maxed or close it. There are just there if I need them for those purposes. Getting to try it out Saturday so I'll post results and try to put up pics of the whole process to swap everything out and where everything was added and what parts I had to buy from WakeMakers and the local hardware stores.

[casmith71]

And as I was looking at trying to fit those two sprinkler valves in the same place as the original valves I got to thinking. Is there any reason the sprinkler valves couldn't go between the fill pump and the bag in an easier to reach location towards rear of the locker? Would the pump produce enough pressure to push the valve open? It's a tight, knuckle banging fit down in the bottom of the boat where the original cheapo valves are located.

shouldn't be an issue. may even work better. my center valve is like that bc the pump is attached directly to the thru hul and I just didn't wanna mess with it and it works fine being behind the pump. however it is a 3/4 lhose where as the rear is 1" behind the pump it is also a much shorter distance than the rear. before dealing with the PIA if putting the solenoid valves where the florites were I would put them behind the pump like you said and test it. if it doesn't work just reconnect the hoses like before. what have you lost?

[slidin_out]

shouldn't be an issue. may even work better. my center valve is like that bc the pump is attached directly to the thru hul and I just didn't wanna mess with it and it works fine being behind the pump. however it is a 3/4 lhose where as the rear is 1" behind the pump it is also a much shorter distance than the rear. before dealing with the PIA if putting the solenoid valves where the florites were I would put them behind the pump like you said and test it. if it doesn't work just reconnect the hoses like before. what have you lost?

Yep kind of what I was thinking. If these TH Marine valves work I'll stick with them and get my $70/back from the sprinkler valves. That's gas for a weekend on the boat lol. If they don't I'll test the sprinklers behind the other valves and go from there. Appreciate the links and insight on this project!!!!

[slidin_out]

The TH Marine valves worked well so I'll probably stick with those for the time being. Had tighten the cable sleeve clamp on the valve down on the water as it slipped a little and didn't open the valve all the way. That was an easy quick fix.

Only problem I noticed was when full water trickled out of the drain lines very slowly draining the bags. Closed the valve on the vent line and that stopped happening so I assume keeping it from sucking air in stops the drain issue. Guess it's too much pressure on the drain pumps and they will have to be replaced at some point. Anyone else have this issue when the bags are full?

[slidin_out]

Seems the extra pressure from the bags being full is indeed the issue with the bags trying to drain. Closing the valves on the vents also appears to stop it from happening. For you guys that have the tank buster bags 800-900lbs do you have the same issue? If so what did you do to stop them from leaking out the drain line? Simply replace the empty pumps to solve the problem or something else? I don't want to have to close the vent lines each time if I can help it.