Hard Tank to Fat Sac Conversion

[BoardSkier]

I have an '05 Air Nautique 226 with factory hard tanks. Wakemakers offers several rear tank conversion options that will double or even triple the ballast. Has anyone done the conversions? Do the fill guages still work? According to Wakemakers, the plumbing and pumps are usable and guages should work. Would like to hear from someone who converted their ballst.

[PatrickB]

I just did this conversion in my '02 SAN. Ditched the tanks and went with 750s. I am using the factory fill and drain pumps - work fine although I'm sure other pumps are faster. My sending units are not compatible with bags, so no gauges for me. In addition to a way better wake - you get tons more storage if needed. The guys at Wakemakers got me handled for the conversion.

[seth]

I have never heard of anyone switching from hard tanks to bags and still have working gauges. The sending units use a float valve which would never work in a bag.

[jonsquatch]

The sending units are in the hard tanks, which if you are like me are taking up space in the shed in case when I sell the boat the new owner wants them. If you have physical gauges they just display from the sending units which are now disconnected and in the shed. If you have the linc (at least the 2.0 version) and the hard tanks with either the float sending units or the pressure sensors the linc only uses them to check the level when you first turn the system on, after that it bases the levels on run time. In my 2012 with the linc and the hard tanks removed it still guesses the ballast level which more or less coincides with full "factory" levels when the bags were empty to start and the impellers are new. If you have real gauges that actually give an indication of what the levels really are then you will lose that when you swap but honestly most of us with the linc have learned not to rely on the display anyway since they are only estimates. You will know you bags are full when water comes out the overflow and they are empty when the pumps change pitch. Even if you have accurate gauges now if you piggyback then you are still operating on feel once you go above factory.

[scottwilk]

I have a 2003 AN 226 TE. How difficult is it to switch these Hard Tanks out? Say from 1 - 10. 1 being very simple and about how much time did it take. I never use the starboard side, but I guess if im doing it I should switch all 3? any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks - Scott

[N8Syncro]

Rear tanks take 10 minutes, 9/16" for the bolts, and a heat gun and screw driver for the lines. It's a 1 on your scale. Not sure on the center tank as I didn't have one.
The 1100lb fat sac fills the rear lockers nicely, just put a butterfly valve on the vent line so you can fill it to the max.

[jkallen21]

The factory belly tank of my 2006 SANTE literally takes the entire area. I don't know if swapping that one would do much for you - definitely no extra storage space benefit since it's not accessible.

[simplysanj]

Rear tanks take 10 minutes, 9/16" for the bolts, and a heat gun and screw driver for the lines. It's a 1 on your scale. Not sure on the center tank as I didn't have one.
The 1100lb fat sac fills the rear lockers nicely, just put a butterfly valve on the vent line so you can fill it to the max.

Can you please explain why put a butterfly valve? I am assuming you are talking about a non return valve so I don't quite get why you need one on the vent if you aren't sharing the vent amongst multiple bags. Thanks!