I Hate These Plastic Helm Ballast Valve Controls!!! Anyone find a replacement?

[DLafont]

Wow, you're hardcore peteSki! There was still ice on my lake 2 weeks ago and I'm in the same area you are!! Where do you ride in the Ottawa area? I'm about 100km north on the Qc side.Water level was so high last week-end I decide to wait until this week to adjust my dock. Btw, where did you purchase the parts you used to update your ballast system?

[homer12]

On the issue of ball valves, does anyone have issues closing those fully? Mine seem to still leak by

[peteSki]

Wow, you're hardcore peteSki! There was still ice on my lake 2 weeks ago and I'm in the same area you are!! Where do you ride in the Ottawa area? I'm about 100km north on the Qc side.Water level was so high last week-end I decide to wait until this week to adjust my dock. Btw, where did you purchase the parts you used to update your ballast system?

Got the boat in for the first time Apr 17 on the Rideau river at Manotick, ice had been gone for a few days in this section. We've been riding there since they don't lower the water that much on this section of the Rideau, so plenty deep for skiing and hydrofoiling. Usually I put my boat in a bit closer to Ottawa at Eccolands Park near the airport. There's a ski club there that I'm a member of so I ski the course with them and then use my boat for footing and foiling. The water levels are now at normal levels all through the canal so I'll be putting in at Eccolands next time. I do the odd day trip out to a lake as well for a full day on the water, but the Rideau ramps are just 10-15 minutes drive from my house so I can drop in after work for a couple of sets!

I bought the solenoid valves online from a company called Valves and Instruments, they worked out well, here's the link:
http://valvesandinstruments.com/sole...l-service.html

[DLafont]

Got the boat in for the first time Apr 17 on the Rideau river at Manotick, ice had been gone for a few days in this section. We've been riding there since they don't lower the water that much on this section of the Rideau, so plenty deep for skiing and hydrofoiling. Usually I put my boat in a bit closer to Ottawa at Eccolands Park near the airport. There's a ski club there that I'm a member of so I ski the course with them and then use my boat for footing and foiling. The water levels are now at normal levels all through the canal so I'll be putting in at Eccolands next time. I do the odd day trip out to a lake as well for a full day on the water, but the Rideau ramps are just 10-15 minutes drive from my house so I can drop in after work for a couple of sets!

I bought the solenoid valves online from a company called Valves and Instruments, they worked out well, here's the link:
http://valvesandinstruments.com/sole...l-service.html

Hey PeteSki,

I know that area, went there to test drive the 1990 Nautique I bought from a guy near those parts. I sold it to my buddy after 4 solid summers when I moved up to my PAN.

Thanks for the link for the valves!

[LJBuck]

PeteSki,
Did you hook the Asco valves directly to your ballast fill switches on the dash? & if so, did you just splice into the wire for the switch? Or is there another way?

[peteSki]

PeteSki,
Did you hook the Asco valves directly to your ballast fill switches on the dash? & if so, did you just splice into the wire for the switch? Or is there another way?

Actually I wired them in parallel to the fill pumps, so no need to open up the dash. I removed the manual ball valves and put the solenoids in their spot, which was pretty close to the fill pumps for each tank, so just cut and splice the wire near the fill pump where you can get at it. That way when the switch on the dash is set to fill, the valves activate whenever the fill pump is on.

Pete

[LJBuck]

Actually I wired them in parallel to the fill pumps, so no need to open up the dash. I removed the manual ball valves and put the solenoids in their spot, which was pretty close to the fill pumps for each tank, so just cut and splice the wire near the fill pump where you can get at it. That way when the switch on the dash is set to fill, the valves activate whenever the fill pump is on.

Pete

Brilliant! Thanks Peteski!

[LJBuck]

Pete,
What is the part number off of your valves? (don't answer that, I jumped the gun like a noob) , but are you using the explosion proof valves?
-Lucas

[peteSki]

Pete,
What is the part number off of your valves? (don't answer that, I jumped the gun like a noob) , but are you using the explosion proof valves?
-Lucas

I don't think the ones I got are explosion proof. If you follow the link above you can bring up the full spec sheet on them. These ones were the ones recommended in the original how-to article by Jeff a few years ago. I'm sure you could get the explosion proof ones just make sure those valves have the same properties as these ones in terms of open/close and how much PSI is needed to open them... should be zero or I believe that leads to problems since there isn't much pressure going through them when the tanks are being filled by the pumps when the boat is not moving.

Have had 6 or 7 outings now and each time fill and empty has been working perfectly. I tend to fill and empty 3-4 times per outing since we go from slalom to hydrofoil to barefoot etc so there is usually an adjustment between skiers.

[fb_rider]

I just did the Asco Red Hat valves as well. They work great and are so much less hassle!

[homer12]

So, I am finding that even by closing the manual ball valves at the hull I am still getting water seeping past into the tanks and have to empty every so often. I think these ball valves are sticking and need replaced possibly. Are you guys that are running the solenoids getting any water past them?

[slidin_out]

So, I am finding that even by closing the manual ball valves at the hull I am still getting water seeping past into the tanks and have to empty every so often. I think these ball valves are sticking and need replaced possibly. Are you guys that are running the solenoids getting any water past them?

Put the solenoid sprinkler valves in mine this spring and after a little tweaking my bags (pulled the hard tanks) are holding water steady. They don't keep filling while under power and they don't allow water pressure from the bag to push out through the empty line when they are over half full. For anyone contemplating installing valves the ones I used from Home Depot had a bleed screw and a flow control knob. If you tight the bleed screw all the way down it slows the flow through the valve. I loosened the screw on the fill line to bleed the air out of the line then tightened it down using light pressure instead of cranking it tight. On the flow control knob in the middle for some reason two of them were tightened all the way down allowing not much more than a trickle through the valve. So make sure you turn them wide open. Definitely a great upgrade. When the solenoid isn't activated those valves close tight.

[fb_rider]

The Asco Red Hats leak zero water when closed.

[prowake]

as pointed out above there are several ways to skin that cat. but the specific issue of opening and closing valves can be remedied by installing solenoid valves like these in line. they open when you power up your fill pump, problem solved.

there are several threads on here that discuss this in detail, btw.

I'm at Home Depot and cannot seem to find these metal valves.

the ones available are plastic and not adjustable.

I I cannot see them allowing much flow, as they rely on quite a bit of water pressure to open and stay open


are there any other options than the ascos?

[prowake]

I just bought three motorized ball valves.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-4-NPT-Moto...IAAOSwv0tVVqcR


should work better than any solenoid system. Seems those require a lot of pressure