Can you drain ballast bags from the hole on top?

[djheywood]

I just purchased 2 750# Pro X bags from the group buy and two tsunami water pumps. I may plumb the bags to my existing ballast in the future (2008 LSV) but as of right now I am thinking of just manually filling to save time and not have to wait for the stock pumps to do all the work. MY question is:

I know there are two holes on the top of the bag and one on the bottom. I was planning on filling form the hole on top of the bag, but I wonder if I can drain from this same hole? When the bag is full it seems near impossible to access the lower drain for draining via the quick connect pump.

Also, I remember someone mentioning they didn't like the stock disconnects because they can come off. Is this a risk for the setup I am going to be going with or only if they are plumbed to the existing ballast? If so what can they be replaced with that are more reliable?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Brian

[Chia]

filling and draining from the top is the way it is done with the setup you are describing. The stock disconnects work just fine when used in this way.

You sometimes have to push the pump down into the bag to get it to prime, other than that, piece of cake.

[skicrave]

I know there are two holes on the top of the bag and one on the bottom. I was planning on filling form the hole on top of the bag, but I wonder if I can drain from this same hole? When the bag is full it seems near impossible to access the lower drain for draining via the quick connect pump.

Hey Brian- With aerator style pumps (like Fly High's Tsunami Pump), you can fill and drain from the top connection, but you will have to watch the pump while draining in order to keep the water flowing. These pumps are not self-priming, which means you need to make sure the inlet of the pump is below the surface of the water in the bag (usually just by pushing on it). So that means it takes a little more work and a little longer to drain the bags, but it will work just fine.

Also, I remember someone mentioning they didn't like the stock disconnects because they can come off. Is this a risk for the setup I am going to be going with or only if they are plumbed to the existing ballast? If so what can they be replaced with that are more reliable?

The stock quick twist connectors are designed specifically for the application that you're considering. In manual filling and draining they work perfectly; they quick and easy to connect and disconnect so you won't lose much water when the bag is full, but they're totally secure, so you don't have to worry about them coming off while you're waiting for the bag to fill.

In an automated system, where the bags are going to be permanently connected, they're not the right style of fitting to use because they only require a quarter turn to release, which can occur without you knowing. In that case, the Flow-rite fittings are a better choice, but they're overkill for manually filling and draining the bags.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

[txwakejunkie]

I just purchased 2 750# Pro X bags from the group buy and two tsunami water pumps. I may plumb the bags to my existing ballast in the future (2008 LSV) but as of right now I am thinking of just manually filling to save time and not have to wait for the stock pumps to do all the work. MY question is:

I know there are two holes on the top of the bag and one on the bottom. I was planning on filling form the hole on top of the bag, but I wonder if I can drain from this same hole? When the bag is full it seems near impossible to access the lower drain for draining via the quick connect pump.

Also, I remember someone mentioning they didn't like the stock disconnects because they can come off. Is this a risk for the setup I am going to be going with or only if they are plumbed to the existing ballast? If so what can they be replaced with that are more reliable?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Brian

good god man, dont pull that plug when the bag is full, you will be taking a shower!!!! the bag will be half empty in your boat locker before you get the pump on there.

Edited April 14, 2009 by txwakejunkie