Ballast Basic...

I recently bought a 2002 MC X-9 and I was wondering if any one could help me with the basics of how to use the ballast system. It has one bag in the center locker and a sac under the rear seat. I obviously know how to fill and empty them (although should the engine be running or anything like that?) but is there any maintenance that I should do regularly like an impeller or something? Any other things you can think of that people may not know would be helpful. Just trying to learn what I can.

pull the impeller out before winterizing. Make sure all the water is out of the pumps too. Impellers are known to stick if you have the old black style. They are being replaced with yellow and/or green ones now. If your pump turns on and it doesn't pump water, flip the switch back and forth a couple times to see if you can free up the stuck impeller. You should probably just pull the impeller and check it out to see what kind of condition it is in. Good to have a spare on board too.