Ballast Systems and Shut-Offs/Wastegates

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.

I have a 1.5" thru-hull (scupper style), and at any speed it is creating water pressure which will push water thru the pumps and into the bags. I have to have a shut-off either before the manifold or on each line.

The RV valve is the only "manual" thing I have to do on my system, other than flip switches on and off. The handle is conveniently located inside the main seating area and is not exactly a PITA compared to other systems.

I don't think his is a scupper valve but I could be wrong.

I'm not sure why you would have to open and close the valves at all. Mine stay open all the time. The only time I ever closed one was to take the pump apart on the water when it got clogged.

I have an aerator pump system (3 fill pumps) it was built in 2005 and doesn't have any type valve between the pump and thru-hull. I believe that the coast guard regulations require a manual shut-off valve on all below water-line thru-hull fittings beginning in 2006. I know Centurion changed the system design at that time. My system has always worked everytime I hit the fill and empty switch.

You only need the shut-off if you are using Aerator Pumps, like Tsunami, Rule, Atwood, etc, AND the thru-hull is under the boat and scoops water when the boat is moving. It would always be filling when the boat is moving. Aerator pumps let water flow thru even when they are off.

Right so if I am using aerator pumps but don't have a scooper just a regular through haul on the bottem, and run the fill lines as described then I wouldn't need to open and close the shut-off all the time. I would still have it for safety reasons though.

u r correct.

Any type of valve, anywhere in the system prevents the bags from siphoning back into the lake. My old system had valves at the bag connection, was tee'd off of the raw water intake and worked fine for many years. Filled two Launch Pad Lounges (440# each I think) in under 10 minutes, but took about 30 minutes to siphon drain because there were no drain pumps.

My new system uses a 2" brass ball valve, a 1.5" electronic waste valve, 6 pumps, and is all plumbed off a 1.5" through hull fitting tee'd to the motor as well. Fill or Drain 1200# in under 7 minutes, but it required a bit more wiring.

All the wire is now properly run up to the driver seat control panel, I just thought this was a good picture to show how much wire is really involved.

My argument is that you don't need the waste gate at all though. If you run the lines the way I suggested.

I automated my rv waste gate

IMHO, you are a fool if you rely on some hose and rubber sacks and cheap PVC fittings to maintain watertight integrity of a 70K$ boat. Boats that are designed that way are badly designed, period, no matter how blingy they are or how much you paid for it. If you pop a sack or crack one of those cheap plastic fittings, your boat will sink. Your bilge pump will not keep up and you will swamp before you know what's happening. When the insurance company surveys it, they will laugh and tell you to pound sand. My boat has no plastic fittings below the waterline, sched 148 bilge rated hose, brass solenoid valves and a brass seacock on the bilge thru hull. You should close the hand valve after filling, it says so in the manual.

Your manual

All of them, the lawyers require it. That way, when a cheap plastic aerator pump cracks in half when you hit a double up and your boat swamps, the manufacturer can say that you were improperly operating the boat and they are not liable. Same with your insurance company.

i agree 100%. i have the bags valved, so that on a normal day i don't have to pull the hatch and fiddle around in there. But i do close the bag valves after they fill. On a scoop, FYI. With a safetly valve below the water line that stays open.

If you decide a mushroom is for you, great. and if you build it right, you won't have air in your system. no air = siphoning. so you'll need the valves anyway.

it will either siphon or fill by itself. just valve the bags if throwing caution to the wind is your deal.

FYI "pricey" is all relative