Ballast Bags?

Just got my first boat this year... 2006 Mobius XLV. Got a quick question about the ballast. With the main valve open, should the bags fill with water up to the lake level on their own? When I am sitting still, the bags will slightly fill with water, without turning the pump on. I thought the ballast pump would prevent water from entering the bags until it was turned on. Is there something I may be forgetting, or do you turn the main valve on and off everytime you want to use the ballast? Thanks for the help!

Not positive on the XLV. I have and LSV but there's tons of people who can help with your ballast and tell ya what to look for here. Give it a few hours or the afternoon and you will get lots of responses im sure. Also there's a lot of posts on Ballast under Modifications.

My ballast never fills on its own. I can be out all day and it never fills unless i hit the switches. I have more issues trying to get it to drain then fill LOL. My aerator pumps love to get air in them.

Only thing i can offer is there's small black levers on each solenoid and if there in the open position they will full the ballast automatically. Or your solenoid might have a weak spring and leaking water by.

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Originally Posted by mmandley

Only thing i can offer is there's small black levers on each solenoid and if there in the open position they will full the ballast automatically.

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This is the first thing to check for sure. How quickly is water coming in?

The water seems to flow in at the rate of gravity. It stay's approximately 1/4 full while sitting still. It will not completely fill up until I turn the pump on.

Another thing is that I turned on the right ballast only and both rear bags filled up? I'll have to dig around and see if I can find a problem, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Which bag is it? Sounds like one ofyour valves is not sealing. Had the same problem this year. Took the valve apart and had a piece of grass in it. 5 minute fix. This was on my supra ssv.

Along the same lines here.

Once again yesterday i was working in the boat and my center locker < Ski locker > bag is completely full of air. I am constantly having to unhook this bag and bleed air out of it.

Is this normal or something i can do? I have herd of putting tape over the drain hole but do i really have to put tape on my boat?

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Originally Posted by jbheuerman

The water seems to flow in at the rate of gravity. It stay's approximately 1/4 full while sitting still. It will not completely fill up until I turn the pump on.

Another thing is that I turned on the right ballast only and both rear bags filled up? I'll have to dig around and see if I can find a problem, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Check to make sure the lever is oriented in the proper position on the valve. Also, check the solenoids when you flip the switch on the dash (have someone else do it) to make sure only the one for that switch is opening. It sounds like one of your valves is stuck open, so it's filling a little while running, and as soon as you turn on the fill pump, it fills completely.

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Originally Posted by mmandley

Along the same lines here.

Once again yesterday i was working in the boat and my center locker < Ski locker > bag is completely full of air. I am constantly having to unhook this bag and bleed air out of it.

Is this normal or something i can do? I have herd of putting tape over the drain hole but do i really have to put tape on my boat?

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Is there not a dedicated vent line for the center bag? There should be three connections, fill, drain and vent. Make sure the vent line is clear of obstructions and the hose isn't kinked. Something is going on there, because the air should just bleed out through the vent line as water is pumped in.

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Originally Posted by jbheuerman

The water seems to flow in at the rate of gravity. It stay's approximately 1/4 full while sitting still. It will not completely fill up until I turn the pump on.

Another thing is that I turned on the right ballast only and both rear bags filled up? I'll have to dig around and see if I can find a problem, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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This is almost certainly the little black lever on the solenoid. It overrides the dash switch so if it's horizontal, the solenoid is always open and would cause the issues you are describing. Study the pic below and you can see the little plastic black levers. They should be in the position shown.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...g/IMG_3040.jpg

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Originally Posted by mmandley

Along the same lines here.

Once again yesterday i was working in the boat and my center locker < Ski locker > bag is completely full of air. I am constantly having to unhook this bag and bleed air out of it.

Is this normal or something i can do? I have herd of putting tape over the drain hole but do i really have to put tape on my boat?

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Yes, air is getting in thru the drain fitting and hose. If you don't want to tape the drain fitting, you can disconnect the drain hose at the bag.

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Originally Posted by jasonwm

Is there not a dedicated vent line for the center bag? There should be three connections, fill, drain and vent. Make sure the vent line is clear of obstructions and the hose isn't kinked. Something is going on there, because the air should just bleed out through the vent line as water is pumped in.

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No, there is no vent line on the bags from the factory. There is a vent hole on the bags but they are just plugged.

I have the same issue with my front bag, fills with air by the time i get to the lake and consequentlty i can never get the bag full as it won't purge the air. There has to be a solution to this but i just haven't had time to pursue it. Anyone figures it out then post it 'cause i'd love to actually use the freaking bag!

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Originally Posted by cab13367

No, there is no vent line on the bags from the factory. There is a vent hole on the bags but they are just plugged.

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So what if you remove the plug and added another fitting & hose and T it into the drain? Theoretically that should allow the air to purge as the bag fills right?

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Originally Posted by Razzman

So what if you remove the plug and added another fitting & hose and T it into the drain? Theoretically that should allow the air to purge as the bag fills right?

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Razz,

That sounds right. I always roll up and remove all the bags to allow everything to dry, then I don't hook them back up until I am on the water so I don't have this issue. But if I was going to leave the front bag in there all the time, that's what I would do.

Al

Sounds like a good idea. Am i correct you referring to the cap and such at the top of the bag? One ind has the Fill and Drain nozel and the other side has a screw on cap.

Any idea what adapter will fit those to attach a line to it?

Then i would just run a hose from that cap on the top section of the bag back to the lower drain line where it pumps it out of the boat.

I think pretty much any of these would apply, Wakeside Fly HIgh Ballast Fittings. I'm just going to have to figure out how to getur done!

Yup i think your right onto something there Razz. I think ill get the first two pictures. The screw in adapter and then the quick release fitting so it looks like the others. Then a T junction and some 3/4 hose and run it from the front of the bag back to the lower drain line. Hopefully that works.

I dont quite understand why only the front bag fills with air. Must be the way that drain port is on the curve of the hull in the front.

I know this sounds like a pain but i would think the T should go as close to the thru hull as possible, but i dunno.

I think the thru acts like a scoop and sucks the air in. Hey! Why not just cork it up! :p

Yea i was wondering about that too. < T it at the hull exit > See another good reason why i didn't fill in that sub with spray foam. I would need to run the tube right threw that cut out where the sub fits in.

I would think running it to the Hull exit will cause more issues with draining water. The exiting water would hit that T and then drain back into the bag making it im possible to drain then. With the T at the primary exit point on the bag then it would be less likely to pump it back into the bag?

I dunno, those T's aren't that thick are they? I'd use the ABS ones from an auto parts store. Where's Jason when you need him? :D

Well no there not that thick but wouldn't you want a 3/4 so you dont limit the drain flow?

Maybe get one of those angles Ts so the air is mixing at a 30 degree angle. So the water flowing by acts like a Vacuum and helps pull any air and water out. Ohh thats a good thought if i do say so myself. LOL

Ok i think it's getting a little deep here! LOL! :p

Yep, that's the solution. W736 in the spare hole, W742 on to that, and then Wye it into your drain line. You could install a check valve, but if you use a Wye fitting (and not a Tee) it shouldn't be necessary.

Amazing (and a little surprising) to learn how Moomba set their systems up from the factory.

You've got PM. :)