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My ballast won't drain


jbjcrash

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First call it starboard, aft ballast tank ;)
Second check fuese to see if you popped one. Not sure if its a reversible pump. If it is, you have other issues. Check for kinks in the hose. Check wiring connections.. 

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This just happened to me last weekend for my center ballast.  I was afraid to put it on the lift with the extra weight.  I found 1st the breaker was popped....it popped because the pump was seized.  I closed the "fill" gate valves in the bilge, swapped the fill and drain pump cartridges and used the "FILL" switch to drain the water.  Then I ordered a couple pumps for spares.

I had a pencil type current detector that helped isolate the problem very quickly.

 

 

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Can't disagree with the above advice. It's not unusual, especially after not having been used for a while (winter or just setting for a few months) for the pumps to become stuck. Access it through the rear locker (if it's in the same place as mine) and tap on the top a couple of times with a screwdriver handle then try it again (after ensuring the fuse isn't stuck). If nothing, unscrew the set screw, and then unscrew the pump cartridge from the housing. Once the pump cartridge is out spin the impeller with your hand until it spins freely, then try to switch it on. If it works, put it back into the housing, and try it with the power (you may or may not want to mess with the set screw). In my VTX, it's a pain to access, so I use a ratchet strap to lift the floor and hold it out of the way.  If it doesn't spin under power, you may need to replace, which just requires splicing the new pump in. I keep one or two on hand most of the time. 

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If your in a pinch and the cartridge is not working you may be able to get it going again.  I have removed a cartridge and spun it by hand to get things moving.  Then try the switch again, with the cartridge still out and see if it'll run.  This could get you back pumping while waiting for a replacement cartridge.  

Lately, I haven't found cheap cartridges, but I have found cheap pumps.  Pull the cartridge from a new pump and keep the in-boat" housing.

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I'm having this problem as well and will try this over the weekend on my aft starboard/port drains as well.

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I've had some issues with my aerators priming -- if I put a little pressure on the bag (step on it) it will get the drains going without fail.

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Alright guys. I have tried filling it till it pukes. Nothing

where is this mythical fuse?  Are we talking circuit breakers (if so that's not it). The Malibu manual is crap!  

Next is opening the locker and diving in. 

 

Thanks for everyone's advice. I greatly appreciate it. 

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Same happened to me this week.  I did some trouble shooting and had a piece of plastic in one of my pumps, so you might have to take apart your pump (simple screwdriver for the job).  Fuses are under the drivers console.  Take a flashlight and get on your back to crawl under there.  Fuses should be labeled.  Should have one that says "drain right".  Check that fuse, if you replace it and keep blowing fuses you probably have something stuck in your pump and need to open it.  I have PNP in the back which is on the same circuit, so even though it says 5 amps on the label, it takes a 10 amp fuse. I learned this the hard way too.  =)

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  • 2 weeks later...

problem fixed, unscrewed the pumps from the housing and it was very dirty.  Cleaned them all up including removing to the 2 screws on each side of spindle/impeller and squirted some wd40 down in each screw hole that leads to the mechanical part and voila. 

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  • 2 years later...

Good thread.  Buddy called me from a trip he was on tonight and found this.  He has a long tow home in the AM and his fat sacs and tanks were full but the starboard side wouldn’t drain.  Fuses were good.  He has a 2014 23LSV, same fuse arrangement as mentioned above (separate drain and fill).  Told him to try to fill until it puked and flip it to drain right away and it worked.  He mentioned that his bilge was running a bit during the week...suspect a loose ballast fitting somewhere.  He’s stoked it drained....thanks crew!

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  • 9 months later...

Thanks for all of the information everyone.  I have a rear ballast tank that is full and the drain pump isn't working.  Fuse is good.  I want to unscrew the pump from the housing after taking out the set screw, but when I do this, will the ballast start draining out through the pump housing?  Do I need to drain the tank before doing this?  I didn't see any type of shutoff between the ballast tank and housing and not sure if anything prevents this from draining by gravity with the pump removed.

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Once you pull the pump cartridge out of the pump housing, the ballast tank will drain out until the internal water level in the tank reaches the top of the ballast pump housing. No shut off valve for the tanks and I would just let it drain into the bilge with the bilge plugs out. If you raise the front of the trailer some it may manage to get most of it out. I would pull the cartridge and turn on the pump real quick. It may very well start working fine at that point so you could shove it back in and drain it out like designed.

Edited by wdr
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Thanks, wdr.  I took the pump apart and there was some debris that was preventing it from spinning.  All good again!

The water that drained out while I was cleaning it went into the rear locker, went forward towards the driver, through a small 1" hole that allowed it to pass into the center of the boat, but then didn't come out of the boat through the rear plug.  Not sure if I just didn't drain enough water out to get all the way to the drain plug or not, but I was surprised nothing came out of the boat while on the trailer.  There was no direct drainage into the bilge area like I was expecting.

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The combination of the Fibecs rail, the lack of really low positioned lateral drain holes in the same, other assorted hull partitions and low spots in the bilge/hull will keep a good bit of water on those sides until it reaches a certain level to drain. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Can someone take a picture of the pump you are talking about? This weekend our left bag would drain partly. Plus our wedge would not move at all. Found out thr circuit board could reset then the wedge worked but not the drain. It will fill though.  Need help if possible or a video. 

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Do you have the hard tank or an actual ballast bag in that left side compartment? The pump on a hard tank will be located on the backside/aft end of the tank. For a bag it will most likely be located in the same general area but down in the bilge to aid in gravity draining the bag. 

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If it happens to you again

Jam a wine cork into the pump housing intake when you pull out the cartridge.

gives you some time to trouble shoot without draining.

A wine cork comes in handy 

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