Ballast System Query

[redboat219]

Just want to ask the wizard regarding his opinion which ballast system other than the Gas/Snort is better.

[Kazzer]

Just want to ask the wizard regarding his opinion which ballast system other than the Gas/Snort is better.

Aha! Earplugs at the ready! 'Cussin' about to commence!

Over to you Mr. Merriman. (I notice he's already wearing pink panties, so we can expect the worst.)

Prepare to meet thy doom Mr. Redboat219

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Just want to ask the wizard regarding his opinion which ballast system other than the Gas/Snort is better.

How about your feet encased in a tub of concrete, followed by a long hop off a short pier?

There IS no 'better'.

David,

[Subculture]

Sound metacentric height.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Sound metacentric height.

THERE! Concurrence from the Module people.

Prosecution rests, your Honor.

(that smoke and noise is me cutting victory donut's in the asphalt).

David,

[Slats]

I know you asked God for his view but I feel compelled to also jump in.

As someone who has built and operated just about every type of system.
Gas coupled with Snort is in position 1
Second is non-vented tank with water pump and check valve.
Third is brick tethered to a piece of string.

[redboat219]

Yikes! Did I say better than the G/S system? It was the cold medication kicking in last night.

What I meant was, "What would be his next option to the G/S system?"

[Slats]

Yikes! Did I say better than the G/S system? It was the cold medication kicking in last night.

What I meant was, "What would be his next option to the G/S system?"

a bit like saying after driving a Hand crafted Aston Martin Db9 - what else is there?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Stop kissing up, John.

Rick Teskey (AKA, Tor Johnson) just identified a peristaltic pump for us that might get the ball rolling on a closed-loop type ballast system. Up to the Boss if we move on this or not. Stay tuned, sports fans.

David,

[Slats]

is a peristaltic pump like the one's used for medical applications to shift fluids like dialysis etc?
J

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

is a peristaltic pump like the one's used for medical applications to shift fluids like dialysis etc?
J

That's right, John. Squishy plastic tube worked on by rollers attached to the perimeter of a drive disk. Relatively high pressure, low volume, little if any slippage.

David,

[Subculture]

As an aside, they can pump air as well as water, Nigel Edmonds uses peristaltic pumps to pump air instead of water.

The pumps are quite large, and he constructs them himself.

[Kazzer]

So what is wrong with using a reversible gear pump to do this work?

[Subculture]

They leak (through the gears), so you need a check valve of some sort, this can be solenoid or servo controlled, but it's an extra gadget.

Here in the UK a lot of folk use Festo ball valves. These are actually designed for air, but as they're made from high grade non corroding materials, they work very well with water too. They're modified to fit on top of a servo, and the servo has to be tweaked to rotate through 180 degrees to provide effective operation. You can pump into a bag (some people use urine bags) or a baffled tank. The system works very well, and allows fine control of the ballast.

A peristaltic pump is self sealing, so doesn't require this at all. All you need is a two way switcher or speed controller. But as Dave pointed out- low flow.

[Slats]

As i eluded to the in the "RCABS I'm over it post" Jim Russell is testing this weekend a new geared pump setup. This specific pump in combination with a check valve is showing great promise.....Ok so why do I think the Gas/snort is so superior - (BTW not sucking up or kiss arse David - just observational) -well in the last 12 years I have gone through various impeller and geared pump setups to non-vented tanks. All have been finicky, all have wanted specific voltages, all have had longevity issues, all have worked very well.

Gas to some is complicated in its plumbing, but the system just works.
I see the benefits of the non-vented tank pump setup as its been the mainstay of my fleet for more than a decade, and to this end its also fun to keep on testing new variations on a theme that works, BUT as I find time shorter to get stick time, I find time shorter to build. The off the shelf product via Gas/ Gas saver and Snort is great.