My experience with Aquarium Systems "Natural Wave"

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd share my unfortunate experience with this product. I bought it about 9 months ago to use on my 6 gallon tank. Recently, the maxijet pumps that it was running started making that "click clack" noise like they weren't turning over all the way. I did a thorough cleaning of the pumps several times, made sure all the air was out of the impeller chamber, and repeated several times, all without any luck. I recently gave up and purchased two brand new maxijets to replace the old ones. Guess what? Same problem. All the pumps work just fine on regular outlets, but make the noise when on the wavemaking switching circuit. So now I have a very expensive surge protector with only 3 useable outlets....

ARGH!

I don't mean to diss this product in general. Prior to my experience, I've never heard anything bad about it. Does anyone know if there is a warranty past 6 months, or has anyone else had this problem? Is there any way to correct it?
Matt

 

[fishfanatic2]

I don't know, but I was looking at it and a wavemaker is 20 bucks? The one nezxt to it is well over 100. Granted, it is a little more sophisticated, but still...

Thanks for your experience, though. Don't feel stupid, cuz I wou'd've bought it. :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

I used mine for over a year and I plan on re-using it on my nano shortly.

No problems at all.
_________________
Mercedes W196

 

[Aquarist20]

Hi Matt. Sorry to hear of your bad luck with this product. As far as I know the warrenty is only 6 months but I would check with Aquarium Systems to be sure. I have 2 of these on seperate tanks that are 2+ yrs. old, I hope mine dont break any time soon.

 

[Expos Forever]

I get the clicking noise with all the powerheads I've tried except for Maxi-Jets.

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure what the clicking noise has to do with the wavemaker?!? Please explain, the wavemaker simply turns the pumps on and off, is it no longer doing that?

 

[Expos Forever]

The pump clicks/rattles every time it cycles back on. Like some do when they're just being first plugged in, after a power outage, or whatever.

 

[Anonymous]

That's normal, all wavemakers have that problem, they turn the pumps on and off.

The only ones that dont, are the tunze wavemakers specific to the dc pumps, they adjust the voltage, so the pumps never actually shut off, they just turn down the gph.

 

[Anonymous]

The clicking noise has everything to do with the wavemaker. The pumps don't even click when plugged into a normal outlet. Maxijets don't usually click, even on a wavemaker, and these didn't when I first got this thing. They continuously click or don't come on at all when plugged into the wavemaking outlets. I'm not exactly sure how the timing is accomplished on these outlets, but I'm guessing the electricity going to them is somehow getting interrupted or something.


If it wasn't a 6 gallon tank, I'd just get a surge device. Yet another reason to have one....

 

[Anonymous]

Umm

the wavemaker turns the power on and off to the pump

cant fault the wavemaker for a pump clicking, they all have the same problem, they all work the same way.


I use x10 lamp modules, modified with ssr relays, so they are silent and will run a pump.

Some of my maxijets click, some dont, regardess of the method of turning them on and off.

 

[Anonymous]

Dude, are you not understanding?
The pumps didn't used to click, now they do it the entire time, or they don't turn on at all. The brand new pumps do the same thing. This problem didn't exist when the wavemaker was new. I think this makes it pretty clear there is something wrong with my particular wavemaker.

I know that pumps will usually click for a couple seconds when turning on, and that this is normal. However, sometimes the pump won't even come on at all, and the times that it does it clicks the entire time and pumps a much lower flow than normal.

 

[Anonymous]

I dont think you understand AC current, and how pumps & wavemakers work.

It's either sending power to the pump, or it's not. AC current cannot be ramped up or down like DC, without quite a bit of equipment.

It's no different from unplugging the pump from the wall, and plugging it back in.

 

[Anonymous]

Admittedly, I don't know much about how wavemakers work. I do know how a pump works, it's just a motor, and I know how AC current is different than DC current. Do the tunze wavemakers have this extra equipment to ramp down AC current?

If it's not any different than unplugging/plugging it back in, why does the pump work just fine when I do this? If I plug it in to the wall, remove it, and plug it back in, it works fine. If I plug it in to one of the normal outlets on the wavemaker, and flip the on/off switch, it still works just fine. It's only when I plug it in to any of the three switching outlets that the pumps don't work properly.

This is kind of a silly argument, and I'm sorry if I sounded hostile. I really would just like to know if my wavemaker can be easily fixed.

 

[Anonymous]

I think it is a problem with the impellar. The on/off cycle breaks the tab that holds the impellar snugly to magnet. When it breaks, the magnet spins - sometimes the impellar goes with it, sometimes. The clicking is the impellar finding its place on the magnet.
I believe if you get replacement impellars, the clicking will stop. However, it may come back with time, as the tab breaks again due to the on/off cycle. I have had this problem before and new impellars did the trick.
I could be wrong.

Why it seems to work when you plug and unplug the unit is a mystery to me. Do you move the powerhead when you do this?

 

[Anonymous]

Righty,
I suspected this too, and that's why I cleaned the pumps and finally replaced them. The problem is that the brand new pumps do the same thing, and both impellers seem fine. The impellers seem fine on the old pumps as well. If the impeller was broken like you say then none of the pumps would work on *any* outlet, right?

When I manually plug/unplug it, the pump is in the same exact position. I'm simply moving the plug to a different outlet on the same wavemaker that is a regular type outlet. As of right now, the pumps are both operating continuously on the regular type outlets and seem to be running fine.

Another problem I suspected was that salt creep had somehow gotten into these outlets and that was *somehow* affecting them. They don't appear corroded though.

Mega,
Does a dimmer switch work by ramping down the AC current?

 

[Anonymous]

sorry, double post

 

[NaH2Ofreak]

I've been using that wavestip for about 2.5-3 years now. It works GREAT!!! Im still using the same Maxi-jet 1200 pumps also. They click a little every now and then but....no biggy. Not sure what the issue is with yours. Why dont you go to the manufacture's website and ask them if they have a warrenty?

Good Luck
Dennis

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm. If it were me, I would open the wavestrip up and make sure everthing was connected well, and if it didn't work, I would try to borrow one, or buy one that could be returned and give it a try. If the same thing happened I would buy a wavemaster instead!

 

[Anonymous]

Tunze are completely different animals.

Tunze pumps are DC, and do ramp the voltage up/down to control the pump, that's why their pumps & controller cost so much more.

 

[cdeakle]

Here is what you do:

Buy a new one, exact same model. Put the old one in the new box and send back for a refund. 8O :lol: :lol: