Custom ballast manifold question

[you da man]

I've noticed that once people ditch the stock ballast system/manifold for custom systems that they do not use a water strainer. Any concerns not having one and does having one restrict the water flow alot? I'm thinking of going the route of JesseC large diameter manifold with the large sprinkler valves.

[brain_rinse]

The strainer is only there for the benefit of the valves. Once you pull those it's no longer needed.

[you da man]

Hmmmm. So if I go the route with those large sprinkler valves then I guess I should have a strainer.

[brain_rinse]

Personally, I would make sure to have a strainer with any valves. If you think about it those valves were designed to be used in residential irrigation where they essentially run on tap water. Plants, sand, sediment, etc. all have the possibility to cause problems. There might be some valves that are intended for use with unfiltered water though? Not sure on that...

[DOCDRS]

the design of jesse's highflow head being less restrictive is less apt to get strangled up by small debris. That being said a strainer on any water intake IS a good idea. The new intakes are perforated on the intake to prevent twigs and such from being sucked up and because the flow is bi directional should clear itself on ballast emptying. Jesse's intake is not cut off like the others have been and there for larger foreign material may get sucked up. But everything does have to make its way thru the intake pump before it ever reaches a strainer or valve on the older gIII.

[JesseC]

The Irritrol 700 series valves I went with are advertised to not have issues with debris. I took one apart to check out it's workings and found that there was a small screen on the intlet that goes to the solenoid. Any debris that enters the main inlet of the valve will just pass through. With the valves I went with, the 3/4" are too small and the 1 1/2" require too much pressure. The 1" seems to be working for me, at leat on the sawhorses in the driveway. Two mor months or so before I can give it a try on the lake.

[DOCDRS]

I would also think that with the scupper you have that filling when your moving would help reduce fill times as well, plus help to increase water pressure at the valves.

[Fman]

Just a question.... with all the problems that Skiers Choice had with sprinkler valves, why on earth would you go ahead and re-install more of them?!?! There are some great options for ballast fill systems that dont use sprinkler valves, they are not designed for wakeboard boats.... "sprinkler valves" is the key word. Great upgrade for your irrigation system at your house!

Sorry, not trying to bash his system, there are just so many other "proven" options. If sprinkler valves were that great they would be in Mastercraft, Nautique, Malibu and all other wakeboard boats.

[you da man]

I don't think the sprinkler valve system is a bad design, I just think they didn't build it with the equipment large enough to have the flow times we would like. If Jesse's system works as planned I think it will be a nice alternative to running loop lines in every compartment and trying to hide the loop line for the center sac. Too bad it will be a couple months until he can test in the real environment. Either way, I'm either doing the vented loop or Jesse's system

[JesseC]

Just a question.... with all the problems that Skiers Choice had with sprinkler valves, why on earth would you go ahead and re-install more of them?!?! There are some great options for ballast fill systems that dont use sprinkler valves, they are not designed for wakeboard boats.... "sprinkler valves" is the key word. Great upgrade for your irrigation system at your house!

Sorry, not trying to bash his system, there are just so many other "proven" options. If sprinkler valves were that great they would be in Mastercraft, Nautique, Malibu and all other wakeboard boats.

As to skiers choice having problems with the sprinkler valves, that is an incorrect statement. I have never heard of a "problem". I have heard complaints of them not filling as fast as some people would want them to or having to flip a switch that was left in the wrong position, but they have always worked without failing or bags filling on their own. The only place they had an issue was with the size and flow of them.

In my boat an older LSV model there is not enough room for multiple pumps, the bilge area is fairly small and already packed full. A multiple pump setup will not work for me so that is why I went the route of the valves. The only way to get multiple pumps to work would be to mount them higher and fight cavitation issues. So far my tests using 5 gallon buckets show a huge improvement over my old valve setup. I would like to hear some of the options that you speak of and would GLADLY entertain building one of them and testing it.