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Old     (ssevey17)      Join Date: Aug 2016       08-24-2016, 4:26 AM Reply   
To make a long story short, I bought a few ballast bags 4+ years ago and have never used them. They are the style that use waterbed connections. I'm planning on hiding them throughout the boat but I don't have a automatic fill system so in was going to rig up an old bilge pump to fill them. My question is, how do you guys empty them? I know it is a dumb question, but I'm wondering if I should make a manifold for the.bilge pump so it can suck water out of the bags...
Old     (brit_rider)      Join Date: May 2004       08-24-2016, 4:57 AM Reply   
1 pump per bag. one fills, one drains. you will also need check valves and a vent line.

Remember that those waterbed fittings are not intended for use below the waterline.

check out wakemakers.com for alot of info on rigging the systems up
Old     (ryan_shima1)      Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Layton, Utah       08-24-2016, 6:20 AM Reply   
If you're planning to just manually fill them with a ballast pump, just get two of the blue connectors (1 or each side of the hose). When you fill, the pump is in the water, and when you drain, the pump goes on the waterbed connection of the bag. Make sure your ballast hoses AND wires to the pump are also long enough so that it reaches the water and the electrical outlet.

FYI, when filling make sure the pump is completely submerged underwater before turning it on, this will help prime the pump and push all the air out so you don't get a vacuum in the hose, which will cause the water not to flow. When draining, if the pump won't prime when turned on, just gently push on the bag to get the water flowing or suck on the opposite end of the hose to get the air out. Just be careful to watch the water coming through the hose so you don't get a mouth full of lake water. For faster filling/draining, get a pump for each bag. Just make sure you have multiple outlets in your boat. If you don't, they make adaptors with multiple connections.
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       08-24-2016, 8:30 AM Reply   
are you doing a built in system or tossing a pump over the side? there was a great article on here covering a couple different ways to skin the cat, can't find it tho.

If you're bags are close to each other, you might get away using 1 pump to drain 2 bags (like under your bow seats) but you typically need a fill and a drain for each bag. I have 3 bags and 6 pumps wired up in my boat.

for now, experiment with tossing a pump over the side to fill, then hook the pump to the bag to drain when you're done. figure out your ideal weight setup, then you can put in a more permanent system.

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