06 Mobius LSV Gravity 3 ballast issue

[cbftbl87]

I'm looking for some guidance; maybe someone has seen this issue before....

At the beginning of the season my ballast system filled all of the bags with no issues.
However, the solenoid valves wouldn't close properly, so the bags filled by themselves while driving fast even with all the ballast switches off.
So I replaced the solenoid valves with these........https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-1-in-FPT-Auto-Inline-Valve-57281/300642255
(purchased from the Moomba dealer though)

After changing the solenoid valves, I was getting a 'water hammer' effect when all ballast switches were on and the water flow to each bag was very slow, and kind of 'pulsing' and not a consistent stream. But I can get each bag to fill more easily if I fill them up one at a time.
So I went ahead and bought a new OEM ballast pump from the dealer, since it still had the original, but after installing it there was no change.

It seems like the solenoid valves are restricting the water flow, since the bags filled properly before changing them.

Thoughts?

[Holdmybeer]

They are 12VDC solenoid valves, and not 24VDC? (The HD site were 24V)
Is the Polarity correct being DC?

Hammering is a restriction. Sounds like the pumps are trying to suck through the valves. That is why I am asking. Sounds like the valves aren't opening when you power them.

[cbftbl87]

I'm not sure on the voltage since I bought them from the Moomba dealer. The home depot site just looked like the same ones. I also wondered about the polarity, but the two wires are identical and both just solid black. I can feel them open with the ballast switch, and they are pumping some water, but it's like a cyclical stream of water and not consistent flow. I agree that it seems like they're not opening completely.

[Holdmybeer]

There are usually flow arrows on these. However, being fill and drain from the same hose I suspect these aren't single direction.

If so, that could be the problem.

Are all 3 pumps sucking water through the same through hull fitting?

[cbftbl87]

There is one fill pump (& one through hull fitting) that feeds the 3-sprinkler-valve manifold. Then each bag has its own smaller drain pump that empties it through a separate tube. I verified all 3 sprinkler valves are in the correct orientation. I also tried manually opening the solenoids and recall it being about the same result.

[sandm]

best advice I would give is to ditch the irritrol setup and move to 3 separate fill pumps but that's a larger project best suited for winter. I hated that setup on our supra but back in the day, it was the standard.

sounds like valves are not opening all the way as you indicated. do a search on here for old threads and see what others have replaced with. the oem's were irritrol not orbit iirc. could be worth trying to find the exact replacement. I don't recall voltage being an issue but the ones you were sold might be a heavier duty version that needs 24v to open properly.

dumb question but nothing stuck in the intake hoses anywhere that would restrict flow or caught in the scupper under the boat.

[cbftbl87]

best advice I would give is to ditch the irritrol setup and move to 3 separate fill pumps but that's a larger project best suited for winter. I hated that setup on our supra but back in the day, it was the standard.

sounds like valves are not opening all the way as you indicated. do a search on here for old threads and see what others have replaced with. the oem's were irritrol not orbit iirc. could be worth trying to find the exact replacement. I don't recall voltage being an issue but the ones you were sold might be a heavier duty version that needs 24v to open properly.

dumb question but nothing stuck in the intake hoses anywhere that would restrict flow or caught in the scupper under the boat.

I looked under the boat, and the intake appears to be clear. Plus, it was filling the bags with no issues before I changed the valves. So I'm leaning towards trying a different valve as well. I'll research the original OEM brand/model. Thanks!

[cbftbl87]

Can someone verify if I should be using a 3/4" or 1" sprinkler valve to connect to OEM hardware? It appears that the Irritrol 700 valve could solve my problem and potentially shorten the fill time compared to stock.

Would I need the 700B-.75 or 700-1? https://www.irritrol.com/en/valves/700-series
Does anyone have experience with these valves?

[cbftbl87]

UPDATE: Ended up switching the valves to the Irritrol 700B's. Works perfectly now!

[sandm]

Good to hear.....

[VA LSV]

UPDATE: Ended up switching the valves to the Irritrol 700B's. Works perfectly now!

Glad you got everything working. I installed the Irritrol 700 valves in my boat quite a few years ago and have not had any issues with them.
BTW the solenoids on sprinkler valves are rated 24 VAC but work perfectly on 12 VDC.

[brian5150]

Just wanted to chime in, I have an '06 XLV with the Gravity III ballast system and over the winter did the conversion to ditch the sprinkler valves, bought directly from wakemakers, so far it has made the system much more reliable as far as function for me. Last year was having filling issues, bags would get air in them and make filling them difficult, just got tired of messing with them on the water to get them to work right. The fill time greatly decreased with the new system even with bigger bags in the back, but that wasn't my primary motive. I read posts where others engineered their own ballast system to replace the stock, but I was not that adventurous, and I don't know how much it would have really saved me, maybe a couple hundred.......? Anyway, glad you got yours working as it should for now.

[HFarr]

Van Halen rules!

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