2016 Craz ballast frustration

Only my 3rd summer with the boat and the front ballast is driving me crazy. When empty I run the pump for 20 minutes ( the preset time) and it’s not half full. At that point the pump only runs for a minute ( dealer tells me this is a safety feature) and shuts off. I have checked for prime and it seems to be ok. I pulled the impeller and it’s perfect. I think the timer system of filling and emptying ballast bags is flawed. Has anyone re-wired the switches so you know the pumps ARE running. As you guys know the switch being lit up on the dash doesn’t mean the pump is running! Seems silly to me. With rear bags full it’s impossible to pull the panel and check the pump for the front ballast to see if it’s flowing. HELP!

You can hear them running pretty easily.


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Also check your lines and thru hull for debris, mud, etc...

Does it drain slowly as well?


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Something seems really wrong if it takes you 20 min to fill half of your front ballast. Do you have a hard tank and a bow bag? I am guessing you have a single pump. I have the two pump system on my Craz, but it only takes 8 min to fill the hard tank and the bow bag. If the impeller is good and the pump is running, I don’t really have a clue what the problem would be. I would check for a kinked hose, or like the earlier post said look for debris in the lines or intake. I would assume you aren’t leaking water from the hoses or tank, as that would be obvious and your bilge would be kicking on. If that does work, I would contact a dealer or wakemakers and ask them.


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Originally Posted by Stazi

You can hear them running pretty easily.


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Problem is the pump could be running but not filling! Not easy to check for prime. I am told by the dealer that all pumps use the same intake, and the rear bags fill just fine. So I don’t think I have debris. My issue is with the timer system.

Are you sure they all fill from the same intake. I would bet they don’t. It should not take 20 min to fill that is ridiculous. Get under the boat and see how many thru hull fittings you have. One is raw water intake the others should be ballast.


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Originally Posted by DRHRSH

Problem is the pump could be running but not filling! Not easy to check for prime. I am told by the dealer that all pumps use the same intake, and the rear bags fill just fine. So I don’t think I have debris. My issue is with the timer system.

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If the pump is running but not filling, it's much louder and sounds like it's grinding.

The timer system is just that - a timer. It has no effect on how fast your bags fill.

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Originally Posted by jcarter20

Are you sure they all fill from the same intake. I would bet they don’t. It should not take 20 min to fill that is ridiculous. Get under the boat and see how many thru hull fittings you have. One is raw water intake the others should be ballast.


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They don’t. All the reversible systems have a separate intake/outlet for each of the 3 pumps.


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Try swapping one of our rear pumps with the front one and see if there is any change.

Do you get air in your bag? I had a hose between the thru hull and pump with a pin hole in it from the factory. An interior screw had just barely punctured it. It was well above the waterline so it wasn't sinking the boat or anything, but when the pump was filling it sucked air through that pin hole and totally screwed up filling. When draining it sprayed water all inside of the engine compartment (how I found the pin hole) and the bilge pump would kick on.

don't mean to sound stupid, but how do you check lines for debris? That grill is on the bottom of the hull, so do you detach from inside?

*disregard my comment.

Just for reference in my 16 I have only the hard tank middle (no soft front bag) and it takes me about 7 minutes before its spitting out the side full.

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Originally Posted by strato

don't mean to sound stupid, but how do you check lines for debris? That grill is on the bottom of the hull, so do you detach from inside?

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The new brake with the grill is for the motor. The ballast intakes are just a brass open hole thru-hull. There are 3 of those.


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