Gravity III ballast pumps/manifold/strainer/valves from my 2008 XLV on ebay

[trayson]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231556256006?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Gravity III ballast pumps/manifold/strainer/valves from my 2008 XLV on ebay for a couple more days...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E57T24QBJm8/VU1iOijapXI/AAAAAAAAY1o/82v1OJEScwE/s800/20150508_182135.jpg

[CornRickey]

That looks like my big bertha system I thought the gravity system was different. How's the new system going?

[trayson]

That looks like my big bertha system I thought the gravity system was different. How's the new system going?

Probably the same system with a different name.

The new system is going well. I think I will have to break down and do the vented loops though instead of just the check valves... And I'll admit that reversibles would have been easier. But I'm not afraid of the extra work it took, and I still like the fact that it's a little faster (in theory, I haven't really timed it) than a reversible would be, and I appreciate the fact that it draws a lot less current for the aerator pumps, as a lot of the time I fill/empty I have the boat turned off. I wouldn't want to have to have the engine running (racking up hours) to do my pumps. I did add 1 reversible though as an "auxillary" pump that I use to fill a sack that's under the port seats midship. It also has a TEE/valve that will allow me to fill a bag under the port bow seat. It fills off the factory scupper intake, so a reversible made the most sense for that.

[CornRickey]

I'm still leaning towards the aerators because you can run them dry and know when the bags are empty.

[trayson]

I'm still leaning towards the aerators because you can run them dry and know when the bags are empty.

I'm still a fan of aerators. I will say that for my 1 reversible, I went with the "above waterline draining" configuration. it puts a check valve on the hose from the thru-hull so it can only fill from that hose and then puts another check valve on a line that TEE's off from there to go up to a drain thru hull on the side of the boat. Basically the reversible pump fills from under the boat, but drains on the side of the boat so I still have that audible/visual indication of when it's done draining.

The aerators take a lot more work fitting 3 new pumps on top of the 3 thru-hulls/ball valves and still being able to spin the pumps on and have clearance for the levers on the ball valves. I ended up cutting down the handles of my ball valves and it was still tight with everything in the bilge. Like I said, a more challenging install, but once it's in, it's nice. and if something goes wrong with a pump, it's cheap and easy to yank the guys and replace.

I don't regret going aerators. But I have a better appreciation for the ease of installation offered by a reversible.

[CornRickey]

Good to know thanks. New prop this year so pumps go on the "next winter" list.