Wake Makers Piggy Back Not Draining

[Phoenix]

Hi All,

I am looking for some help with my new piggy back ballasts. I have put in a pair of 750's, and filling is not an issue. My problem is draining.

While draining, the hard tank will empty (and shown on the maliview as empty), however when I open my locker the fatsac is still about 60% full.

I have checked my vent lines to make sure they are above the water level, even tried unhooking the vent line off of the fat sac and it still not getting much flow from the sac into the hard tank.

Can anyone suggest any ideas for improving my water flow?

Thanks,

Don

[shawndoggy]

Can anyone suggest any ideas for improving my water flow?

Put dedicated drain pumps on the bags.

http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=2524

[Murphy8166]

Can anyone suggest any ideas for improving my water flow?

http://www.betaprostate.com/

This should help

[Phoenix]

Put dedicated drain pumps on the bags.

http://www.bakesonli...il.aspx?ID=2524

Thanks Shawdoggy, that's one of the options I'm considering.

One of my other concerns is that my hard tanks may not be filling as quickly, and I would like to use the MLS presets for the wakeboarding... so would be nice to know when I pick beginner or intermediate that we really only have quarter to half ballasts.

[Wake My Day]

I purchased the piggy back system from wakemakers as well. I always had problems draining the bags. Every time I would have to jump in the rear compartment and pick up the bags to drain them. NO GOOD. I ended up putting in pumps to drain them.

[2011vtxny]

When installing a separate drain pump can you wire it in with the drain pump that is controlled through the MLS or do you have to wire in a separate switch?

[wakeboarder3780]

When installing a separate drain pump can you wire it in with the drain pump that is controlled through the MLS or do you have to wire in a separate switch?

You can wire it to the existing MLS switch which makes emptying a breeze. All you have to do is clear a section of the stock wire in the rear locker and solder a jumper wire into it that you can run to your empty pumps. You flip one switch and both empty pumps run. The one attached to the bag pumps water into the tank as fast as the one removing it. It's fully automated unlike some other ballast systems out there. The stock "add a bag" systems from wakemakers SUCK at emptying. But if you do a little extra wiring and add one pump to each side, the system really does work quite well.

Side note: You will also want to switch out your stock 5 amp breaker for 10 amp breakers for each locker. This takes 10 minutes or less. Bakes marine has the exact breakers you need. http://www.bakesonli...il.aspx?ID=2540 If you don't the breaker will sometimes kick out when emptying because of the double in amp draw.

If you put empty tsunami's on those bags you will be pretty happy. It's the system I have now and I wouldn't change a thing. All i have to do is flip the MLS empty switch and now i get a constant steady empty stream instead of that chug, chug, crap that happens when the gravity fed drain doesn't happen fast enough. I called wakemakers like 3 times to troubleshoot the system. Save yourself the pain and buy two extra pumps and some spare wire. Wakemakers has everything you need except the breakers.

Edited May 23, 2012 by wakeboarder3780

[Phoenix]

Thanks All,

Looks like the extra pumps it is. I will need to look at the wire before increasing breakers (engineering side of me says the wire needs to be sized to the breaker).

Cheers,

Don

[Cdoogles]

I'm surprised your having such trouble getting them to drain. I just made my own piggy back system and it is draining fine and almost draining the bag completely. I am draining off the lower, front port so if I was moving it would be more difficult, but sitting still it works great.... Still, best setup is always to add new drain and fill pumps! Miss that setup on my old boat.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[wakeboarder3780]

Thanks All,

Looks like the extra pumps it is. I will need to look at the wire before increasing breakers (engineering side of me says the wire needs to be sized to the breaker).

Cheers,

Don

IIRC the amp draw on those aerator pumps is very small. Even the smallest of wire should be able to support two pumps, but certainly check just to make sure. I run this system on my boat and have had no issues to date. Really loving the wakemakers system once the additional empty pumps were added. I was very frustrated with their system at first. Bashed it pretty hard on this forum too, but after the empty pumps were added I've been happy.

[a92harley92]

Thanks All,

Looks like the extra pumps it is. I will need to look at the wire before increasing breakers (engineering side of me says the wire needs to be sized to the breaker).

Cheers,

Don

Also need to consider the traces inside the medallion box. Although, others have bumped the fuse up and had no problems. Another option is to use a relay for your current load.

[JohnnyDefacto]

I have the same 750's over hard tank and my sacks drain completely without having to touch them. I was sure to use the shortest amount of hose ( two feet i think) and run it along the floor as low as possible.

could it be vapor locking somehow? The sacks are soft so they collapse as they empty, so this should not be happening.... strange.

[jrad12381]

Im having the same issue. I just installed the wakemakers piggy bag system in my MXZ. The first time I used the system they drained down to like 20-30lbs, now I cant get them to drain down below half in my 750 sacs. I have only had the system for a few weeks, and Im not sure why they wont drain any further.

[Happy to ride]

Replace the 3/4" drain fitting in the sac with a 1" fitting and place a 3/4" X 1" tee between the hard tank and drain pump with a quick connect fitting and the sac will drain first and then the hard tank. Mine works great and I never have to worry about how things drain. No new pumps and the "MLS" still works right.

[Phoenix]

I have the same 750's over hard tank and my sacks drain completely without having to touch them. I was sure to use the shortest amount of hose ( two feet i think) and run it along the floor as low as possible.

could it be vapor locking somehow? The sacks are soft so they collapse as they empty, so this should not be happening.... strange.

I thought it might be vaopur lock, which is why I have popped off the vent hose to ensure that there is air getting into the fat sac. That didn't help at all.

My hose from the drain of the sac to the fill of the hard tank is probably 2-3' only. Just enough to bend it without kinks from the hard tank to the fat sac.

Replace the 3/4" drain fitting in the sac with a 1" fitting and place a 3/4" X 1" tee between the hard tank and drain pump with a quick connect fitting and the sac will drain first and then the hard tank. Mine works great and I never have to worry about how things drain. No new pumps and the "MLS" still works right.

I'm on a 2012, so I already have the 1" hoses.

If I'm following correctly, I would have no hoses going to the fill of the hard tank now? Or would I go from the drain "T" off to the fill, and "T" again into the drain line?

[Happy to ride]

I put a tee on the hard tank fill line and ran a fill hose to my sac, and a tee in the vent hose next to the through fitting, on the side of my boat, from the hard tank so that when the sac is full it dumps overboard. Route the vent for the sac as high as you can get it so the hard tank will fill first. The hard tank being lower will always fill before the sac ( that thing called gravity helps) and the "MLS" float will shut the fill pump off when the hard tank is full. Just hit the fill switch again and the sac starts to fill. As for the drain, that tee is between the hard tank and the "drain" pump under the back small square pad in the locker. I just used about 6 to 8 inchs of 1" hose and a quick fitting and when you hit drain, or go home, on the "MLS" the drain pump will empty the sac then the tank. (That gravity thing again) The only difference is that the sac water never has to go though the hard tank now so it drains "alot" faster and the drain pump will not cavitate like it did before. When I dont use my sac's I have quick connect plugs that I put in both the fill and drain fittings that go to the sac and it works just like the factory set up. I use 1100# sac's in the lockers so I put some alum. angle on the engine walls for support. I was a little worried about the drain fitting being up next to the transum but have never had any problem with the set up.

[Phoenix]

Thank All,

H2R, Does this look correct for how yours is set up?

I currently have the "Y" fitting at my through hull for the two vent lines, The fill pump goes to the anti-siphon then to the Fat Sac, which then drains to the fill of the hard tank.

Your method sounds much better, as you say using gravity as our friend (just like alpine skiing).

Thanks for the input.

Cheers,

Don

[Happy to ride]

Looks real close, Make your fill hose loop as high as you can before going to the sac so the hard tank fills first, and put the drain tee right at the hard tank ( unscrew the pump, and put in a threaded tee and replace the pump so the tee is as low as it can go). I will try to get some pictures posted soon.

[Phoenix]

Thanks for that.

I will start ordering up some hose and T's, and hopefully put this together next week.

Cheers,

Don

[2011vtxny]

I just replaced the vent 3/4 inlet to my hard tank and replaced it with a 1" 90 degree fitting. Then I cut out a notch from the carpeted access panel to run a 1" hose to a 1" 90 degree drain fitting in the bag. Total hose length is about 8".

Drains pretty good, I get about 95% of the water out without lifting and shifting the bag.

[Phoenix]

I just replaced the vent 3/4 inlet to my hard tank and replaced it with a 1" 90 degree fitting. Then I cut out a notch from the carpeted access panel to run a 1" hose to a 1" 90 degree drain fitting in the bag. Total hose length is about 8".

Drains pretty good, I get about 95% of the water out without lifting and shifting the bag.

I'm on a 2012 that already had the 1 1/8" hoses. My hard tank can be empty with the soft tanks still half full, so I am sitting waiting for it to slowly shift into the lower tank before draining some more.

I have ordered my tees and extra hose and going to work on H2R's layout.

[itsonlywater]

Looks real close, Make your fill hose loop as high as you can before going to the sac so the hard tank fills first, and put the drain tee right at the hard tank ( unscrew the pump, and put in a threaded tee and replace the pump so the tee is as low as it can go). I will try to get some pictures posted soon.

Please do. We are loooking to install the system as well and would like to get it right the first time. Pictures always help!

[Phoenix]

Please do. We are loooking to install the system as well and would like to get it right the first time. Pictures always help!

Picked everything up this afternoon. Forecast calls for rain, which means I'll be in the garage working on the boat.

Hope to have pics this weekend, and testing next week.

[Phoenix]

Finished one side and now need to test the installation.

I have started a new thread that outlined the whole installation, with pictures.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/topic/38325-modified-wake-makers-piggy-back-installation/

Thanks all for your feedback along the way.

Don