Help! Wacky Gravity Ballast Issues

[CaptainWebb]

Hello all, Hello I just bought the boat and I am having a weird issue with my gravity ballast system.

First both rear ballast pumps worked the day off sea trial but the front locker would only drain.

This morning only the Starboard side would work --- Then I tried testing the front locker fill pump by hooking it to the working starboard side power. Once I did this the freaking thing kicked on the port side fill which wasn't working 2 minutes earlier!

Now only the Port side works instead of the starboard.


WTF is going on!?

[MJHSupra]

The gravity 3 systems worked slow on the modern day bigger ballast bags and had issues over time with the sprinkler valves or pumps going bad.

The system had 1 big pump to feed 3 bags that was directed thru a manifold with sprinkler valves. Each bag had a drain pump to empty. Four pumps total. The system had a set of fuses under the dash (low amp draw) and had switches in the dash.

I would check all your electric connections for all pumps with a multi-meter. Check your switches to make sure they are good.

You have options:
1) Find the bad valve, bad pump, or electric issue and replace it.
2) Replace the system with a motorized ball valves. There are some post on this forum about it. You can buy supplies on eBay.
3) Replace the system with three modern reversible pumps from a company like Wakemakers - Jabsco Pumps or Johnson Pumps, etc.

Those are cheapest to most costly options. You get what you pay for on those options.

[CaptainWebb]

It seems to me that someone may have tried to tinker with it and made it worse. Is there a wiring diagram somewhere?
The switches and pumps work but something is causing confusion behind those switches. Does that make sense? Its not a valve or a bad pump and I dont even believe a bad switch BUT maybe. I ordered new switches but I think its not wired properly to the switches.
I have 6 Tsunami pumps one to fill and one to drain each of the three bags.

[sandm]

6 pumps is aftermarket as mjh calls out. trace wiring back and you will likely find the issue.

you have option 4 that mjh didn't mention. 3 fill, 1 for each bag and 3 drain, 1 for each. this is how a lot of current boats are set up to operate(not current skiers boats with reversibles). once you know the wiring then troubleshooting can begin but need to know the whole wiring path from where each switch goes to AND where they are drawing power.

should also ask by not working do you mean not filling or pumps not running at all. if not filling depending on plumbing that could be vacuum issue. not running is electrical and trace wiring as mentioned.

[CaptainWebb]

Not running Its Electrical - I will have to hire someone to address the wires and where they should be plugged into the switch.

I unplugged one working pump to test another and now the side that didn't work does and the one that did doesn't after i put it back to the way it was originally. I think everyone is missing that part.

I ma trying to find a diagram or info on why its acting so crazy.

[UNSTUCK]

Check your ground wires. I bet you got a back fed ground when the one started working that wasn't working before.

[CaptainWebb]

Check your ground wires. I bet you got a back fed ground when the one started working that wasn't working before.

Yeah its nuts, one works then stops and then the other starts working. Stuff like this drives me nuts I am all good with the mechanical side but Ill blow the boat up while in an angry rage trying to figure this out.

I will try and mess with it later today

[MJHSupra]

Not running Its Electrical - I will have to hire someone to address the wires and where they should be plugged into the switch.

I ma trying to find a diagram or info on why its acting so crazy.

SC does not publish the wiring diagrams.

[MJHSupra]

Yeah its nuts, one works then stops and then the other starts working. Stuff like this drives me nuts I am all good with the mechanical side but Ill blow the boat up while in an angry rage trying to figure this out.

I will try and mess with it later today

I agree. Bad grounds or loose connections will drive you nuts. A multi-meter can help you out. If not, find someone who knows how to use one. It would be pretty quick job to start at the pumps and trace the electric connections back to the switches. Then from the switches back to the buss under the helm via some fuses.

If you have a modified system already, it's a hard question for people on here to know what changes were made and how they rewired the pumps. If you have 6 pumps, it sounds like a system that can handle the ballast bags.

I had a bad switch on my 2007 Supra that would work one day and not the next. Drove me nuts. I ended up replacing all switches after some testing (1 bad and 2 good) and did not have issues again. I hope your issue is something simple like a bad ground.

[CaptainWebb]

I was just speaking to a buddy that's a mechanic. While tossing ideas around I came up with the relay behind the switch panel. Maybe its making the entire system nuts...