here is the start to my 21V ballast install

[Pro-Fab]

I am using 4 attwood tsunami 800 GPH pumps and 2 rule 1100gph pumps (because I have them already)
Using 1.25" thru hull, and 3 dpdt carling switches, 1" fill and drain hose, 2 500 lb sacks in the rear and 400 lb sack up front.

I still need to get all my thru hulls, clamps, and hose. And for picture purposes I can't leave it out.



I have all the bags and two more pumps in the boat.

[Pro-Fab]

would it be terrible to not put a vent in? if there is no air in the bags then I dont se the problem with running an air tight system.

[Pro-Fab]

I recieved the rest of my ballast parts from mike last Thursday, I completed my ballast install in about 4 hours 30 minutes of which was trembling over drilling a 1 1/4" hole in the bottom of our boat. We are using a 400 lb bag for a bow filler so I used extra hose for the front ballast so that I can run the front bag any where in the boat. This can really help add weight in the rear corners for surfing when we only have 3-4 people on the boat. I did not end up using the drain thru hull for the fron as I will just run a hose long enough to throw over the rail for draining, and if we dont use it as much as I anticipate in the rear then I will eventually run the drain thru hull up front.

I will post pictures over the weekend. I need to make a plate to mount the switches because the PO mounted a sattelite radio reciever in the indent above the speedo adjustment knob.

We left out Friday Evening after I finished the ballast install. I had no leaks and the ballast works great except the rear bags still had about 1-2gallons in them.

[laserfish]

Pics please. Would love to see where you mounted the thru hull and drains. I know that trembling feeling from the installation of the Perfect Pass paddle wheel. Measured 20 times and was still really nervous with that hole saw.

[lohe]

Any updates with pics?

[Pro-Fab]

sorry I had somewhat of a short season last year. We started going to the dunes with some friends and also had a drop in business so funds were not there. expectto make a LOT of trips this year. I will post updated pics of the ballast install. here is a picture of the plate I made for the switches today. I useda piece of 22 gauge aluminum sheet. I cut the holes for the switches using a dremel and my small home made sheet metal brake to bend the aluminum. as well as some tin snips to cut out the sheet.

First I used a piece of paper to make a template and then traced my desired template onto the sheet metal, then cut it out, and did some fine tuning with the tin snips and brake. trilled the holes and riveted the plate on.

[IDBoating]

30 minutes of which was trembling over drilling a 1 1/4" hole in the bottom of our boat.

Man, I totally understand that feeling. I'm getting ready to install my ballast system this Spring and the number one worst part will be drilling the intake holes in the hull. I've drilled through fiberglass to install a waketower, and that was bad enough, and it was still above the waterline. Actually drilling several big holes in the absolute BOTTOM of the hull just creeps me out.

[Pro-Fab]

sorry no pics, I had to reseal my oil pan on the cummins, and put a new tranny pan gasket in.

[Pro-Fab]

ok so here are the rest of the pics from the ballast install.
valve and intake (starboard side of v drive)

manifold (starboard side of transmission)

port side locker

Starboard locker

front sack under helm but is placed in either bow or rear seat

drivers seat with switches

[Pro-Fab]

going to plumb the front sack drain before season hoepfully and wire drain switch for front sack as well as wire the lights in the switches up.

Notice the manifold is twisted slightly downward so that when water fills the manifold it automatically feeds the pumps and doesnot allow cavitation to occur when pumps are on.

[IDBoating]

Notice the manifold is twisted slightly downward so that when water fills the manifold it automatically feeds the pumps and doesnot allow cavitation to occur when pumps are on.

Actually, you normally want the flow to be "continuously uphill" from the bottom of the hull to the pumps if you're using aerator pumps. If any section of the inlet plumbing is higher than the pumps, an air bubble will not be able to escape and will block water flow to the pumps. If the plumbing is "continuously uphill", though, any bubble will propagate up to and escape through the pumps and then water will be available at the pump's inlet.

When you drop your boat in the water, there is air in the inlet plumbing. The water will start to force its way up, but if there's a "trap" as I've described you can end up with no flow.

Impeller pumps can draw a vacuum, so they are not susceptible to this problem. Aerator pumps do not draw a vacuum so you must be much more careful in how you route the inlet plumbing because the system MUST be self-purging.

Please report back on how this works for you.

[Pro-Fab]

aerator pumps will let water past the pump when they are off because it is a cartridge style pump and not air tight, a ballast puppy pump will not let air past the pump when not on because it is an air tight impeller style pump. That is why the ballast puppy has enough suction to draw water through the line.

The cartridge style pumps will cavitate if there is air. the pumps being angled down in such a manner will help the pumps fill with water because the pumps are below the water level. They will not cavitate because the air is forced up through the cartridge. just the same for placing your drain pumps on the bottom port in the sack, the waters weight will force the water into the drain pump, and keep it from cavitating. if you over fill a bag with aerator style pump the watter will push through the drain pump and out the drain if there is no vent.

I have used this ballast many times last year (hundreds if not thousands of fills and empties) and never once had an issue with cavitation.

also if there is a small air pocketit will be higher than the pumps allowing the pumps to suck water and begin a syphoning effect.

[IDBoating]

I'm not worried about cavitation. I'm worried about an air bubble sitting at the top of the inlet plumbing. Water pressure or "weight" is not going to force such a bubble down and out. The aerator pump isn't going to draw a vacuum, so that won't evacuate a bubble either.

The fact that an aerator pump will pass air when not running has nothing to do with this problem. It's entirely because the inlet plumbing runs higher than the inlet of the pump.

If you're not having problems, you're lucky. If you ever do, this is the first place to check. I would have arranged those pumps so their bodies were above the manifold, not below, but that's just me.

[dom w. forte]

I agree the pumps should be standing straight up , they will have a hard time primeing because of an air bubble in the manifold, we have boats that the outlet hose on a straight up pump wont prime because of the hose getting a droop and acting like a sink trap , everything has to run uphill including the bag vent to let the air out of bladder.

[Pro-Fab]

seeing as how the pumps are under the water line significantly, the water will fill the pumps. They are slightly turned down and not completely upside down. We tested the manifold and the water line of the boat and determined that the water pushed most of the air out of the manifold. The cartridge will stay full of water allowing it to continue sucking water. if and when the air is pushed towards the pump the air will be pushed through the pump by the water, period. If the pumps were placed on top of the manifold they would be so close to the water line that if we were in a choppy water setting it COULD prevent the pumps from continuous pumping. The pumps were angled down so that there is ALWAYS water in the pump as the entire manifold is under water unless we are jumping or something crazy, in which case we would not need to be filling ballast.
Trust me this manifold/pump set up was tested before it was installed. waterline measurements were made and this is how she tested best.
Basically for our application this was the best method. think of it this way. if you have an air bubble trapped at a high spot you do not want that high spot to be the pump. also think that the lowest part of the manifold is the pump cartridge, and the outlets ares facing upwards. If, for some reason, an air pocket gets to the cartridge the air will simply float past the cartridge to a higher point.

There has not been a problem with this set up and nor will there be.