Trayson's 2008 XLV ballast system upgrade

[trayson]

Why are some of you having trouble with bags filling up when the switch off? Is this the siphoning you're referring to? I haven't had this problem. And what is the vented loop for? I don't believe I have this. My bags will overflow through the drain line when full.

My understanding is this:

When you have a factory system with the sprinkler valves, the valves get closed and keep the bags from passively filling while the boat is underway.

I had a bad valve that was allowing one of my bags to fill while underway. $11 and a trip to home depot solved that.

If you have a custom aerator system and a scupper on the bottom, I believe that it's forcing water into the fill line, pushing it through the pump (despite it being powered off), and it passively fills the bag while underway.

With an impeller system, if you have bags that are filling while underway, it's most likely because your impeller is getting worn out and water is being forced past the impeller of the pump. I had this happening with my Supra that had a Ballast Puppy impeller pump.

I've been told by wakemakers that a vented loop can stop this. However, others on this forum have stated that it does not "fix" the issue. So who knows. I have read that going from the scupper through hull to just a mushroom will help with the passive filling issue. I assume it's because the scupper style through hull functions as a ram intake for the water...

As far as the siphoning, it's simply gravity creating a siphon because the intake thru hull is lower than the water in the bag and it pulls water out (through the aerator pump, the impeller pump should stop this and the water shouldn't go further than the impeller). The vented loop is designed to stop this from happening by putting an air break in the flow of water. Water can likewise be siphoned out when the bag fills higher than the drain thru hull, and people criss cross their vent lines to deal with this.

I'm certainly no expert, but that's what I've gathered thus far.