rv waste gate/ballast q's

Im in the final stages of planning my ballast system for my 205v. Right now,the center bag is plumbed in by the factory with aerator pumps.

I'm planning on using tsunamis with a manifold. I want to use an rv waste gate between the manifold and the through hull scoop. I see in posts that an adapter will be needed, but I cant find out what that adapter is.

Also, any reason not to put a ball valve as the first part after the though hull as an emergency valve?

I used a 1.5" bronze ball valve as a shut-off. The RV valve is just plastic and could easily break.

The RV Gate valve will have a fitting on each side to attach to whatever type of plumbing installation its going into. The gate valve is sandwiched in between the fittings and held toghether with 4 small bolts.

Check out this link under Flange Fittings:
http://www.valterra.com/RV/rv-main.htm

On mine, there is a male threaded fitting screwed into the bronze valve, then the RV Valve, and then a female fitting. I used a flexible hose coupling over the female fitting to attach it to the manifold.

I went to a local RV store. Here are the parts I used:
T1008-1 1 1/2" Male Thread
T1006-1 1 1/2" Spigot (I think)

(Message edited by Rich_G on June 17, 2007)

ok, thats what I was thinking. I dont ever want to have to touch the ball valve, but its nice to have for emergancies.

so, im going 1-1/2" scoop->90elbow->ballvalve->wastegate->manifold->pumps->
checkvalve->bag->pump->vent

and im using fly high sacks with the quick release fittings and tsunami pumps.

dj, That's exactly how mine is set up (except the QR fittings, but they're on my xmas list)... if you want to check it out sometime.

another question on wiring up the waste gate.
looks like you need to apply power to open the gate, then also apply power to close the gate. I was really hoping to have it all controlled by the ballast switches, and not have another switch for the gate. Anyone know how to wire the gate up that way? Guess I could always build a little controller to do it

I don't know how the power wires work on the waste valve (ie. once it is open does it hurt to keep running power to it).

If that is OK, buy DPDT ballast switches and you can wire the waste valve in with the ballast.

2 issues with just hooking it up to the dpdt's
1) I would have to hit drain for a second to close the gate (not a big deal)
2) If I were filling one sack and draining the other, id be sending voltage to both the open and the close wires. im sure the gate doesnt like that

when I looked at Electric Gate Valves, they came with their own switch, and the newer model had an LED light to let you know when the valve was open. It seems like using the switch that comes with the valve would be a lot easier than rewiring the system.

I went with the manual valve for simplicity. you are limited to 6 feet on placing the handle. If you wanted to get fancy, you could marry the manual gate valve with a manual Open/Close cable actuator from Flow-Rite. They can make the cable any length you want.

Here is where I have the handle mounted, and with the seat in place it is hardly noticeable, but easy to reach. I have a 99 with no wraparound seating. this is Port side

I think im either going to scrap the whole thing and go with ballast puppies, or im going to add a micro controller to drive the waste gate.

hmm...I'd probably be one of the only people with a microcontrolled ballast system

Could I replace the Manifold system on mine with 3 electric waste gates? 1 for each bag.

I am using a separate pump on each bag to empty, and a single pump to fill works great but I would like to the manifold system to be electric and run buy three switches on the dash.

Will this work?

What benefit does the waste gate offer with aerator pumps that a check valve after the pump would not fix?

I was hoping to replace the ball valves that I use to fill ballast (Single pump - three bags)with these waste gates, I already have the empty pumps wired to the dash. I am scared to use 3 aerator pumps to fill with because of back flow, I don't want to mess with any handles or ball valves.
And three ballast puppys would be over $500.00


The empty side was easy I just used three cheap 750 aerator pumps ($20.00 each) and mounted them straight to bottom of the sacs, thru a check valve and out the hull.
The fill side is a headache.

dj, why not copy supras sytem?? I think they use sprinkler valves.

I have looked at sprinkler valves but they all seem to be 24V.

email skier's choice and see what they use. I think their system works great other than it's slow.

Jon, pressure on the scoop would continue to push water thru the manifold and into the sacs. more control with a valve.

I think a manual gate at the scoop is your best bet...

Danny - Try Rain Bird sprinkler valves. I used them to install my sprinkler system and they will open and close with just a 12 Volt battery.

Thanks Mike,
I will see if I can pick one up at Home Depot, Their website states it is 24v but I will mess around with one in the garage and see if I can get it to work.

(Message edited by boomerang on July 19, 2007)

I used to have a gate valve on my Rival system. It broke after less than 1 year of use. It broke in the open position, so I was filling the sacks constantly, any time I was moving. I tried to close it manually, but the screw literally broke in half.

I swapped it out for a brass valve and drilled a hole in the back seat so I can reach it. It is slightly painful to not have it all done at the flip of a switch, but I will not replace the gate valve until I know that I have one that will last.

The guys at Rival said that they had not found a reliable one yet and were not necessarily recommending an RV gate valve for most people, because they were tired of replacing them.

I installed a Drainmaster RV waste valve last winter/ beginning of summer, and couldn't be happier, it works great at preventing the bags from siphoning back into the lake without the use of check valves. I got the one that has a switch on it to tell if the valve is open or closed. I used this switch to control power to the pumps using a relay (valve open=power to the pumps, valve closed=no power to the pumps) I have three switches to control the pumps and one to control the valve. I also put in a 2" brass ball valve (the 1.5" was restrictive) just incase, 20 days on the water this season and I have never used the brass valve. I also enlarged the factory raw water pickup to 1.5" and T'd off of it. I have no problems I can fill/drain with the motor on or off and it does not rob water from the engine (the impeller water pump for the motor will always pull more than the aerators) Here are some pictures I took during the install, yes some hose clamps are missing, they are there now, but I think I finished the project in the early a.m. before a houseboat trip and never took pictures of the finished product, but you can get the idea of how it works.
Thanks to all of my fellow WW'ers who posted ballest installs in the past. The information I learned from this site allowed me to find the Drainmaster RV waste valve, manifold ideas, Flow-rite fittings and hose.


To answer one of the original questions, the RV waste valve adapter is 1.5" female ABS. I just inserted a short piece of 1.5" ABS and am using no-hub couplers to join them to either the brass pipe on the inlet side and the PVC on the manifold side. This allows for some flex as well and limits the chances of breaking either the ABS or PVC IMO.
Good luck with the ballast install. By the way I have some left over parts I'll let go cheap if anyone wants them.

Nice work Mark, especially on the relay / switch electrical mods.

TTG, were you using an electric gate valve? Mine is manual, cable actuated. I am not real concerned about the open / close valve function breaking, but I am a little concerned if the valve completely failed, and water is gushing into the engine bay. I have a bronze valve in front of it, but if my kids are out in the boat they may just think they have the ballast setup just right..., until its too late.

Has anyone had a complete failure with one of these RV waste gate valves?

nice job.

One thing I have done with my install is to install the gate pointing downwards. Hopefully this will minimise bilge water getting into the gate electronics.

I also have come up with a slick relay scheme. But I need to prove it out before I post it.

Rich,

Mine was the electrical valve.

The only way I see a catastrophic failure occurring is if the hoses come unclamped. I have never heard of this happening. When the dump valve fails, it will either be stuck open or closed, and water still will not enter the bilge unless a hose comes off.

The water intake on my Rival system is 2 inches, so if that happens to me, all I can do is hope I notice it before it is too late to put my hand over the hole.

My ballast has a microprocessor that switches relays that power solenoid valves and two pumps. The boat has tanks under the floor on each side. The tank controls and digital level meters are on a side panel by the driver. The only issues I have with it are speed related, and I'm going to replace the factory .5 in valves with 1" ones for 76$ ea.