electrical type question - dead waveboxes
 

So my second wavebox just packed it in yesterday. I have no idea what the problem is, I turned it off to do a waterchange and when I turned it on there was no power to it at all :confused: I took it apart and cleaned it but still no go.

Anyway, these things are made up of quite a few bits and pieces, the pumps themselves have some sort of little square thingy on the end of the power cord that the controller and the transformer both plug into. How do I go about checking to see if it is the pump itself or the transformer??

I managed to check the controller (even though there is a light on the transformer that usually indicates power) on another powerhead and it works (actually both of the wavebox controllers work). Currently I've jerry rigged the wavebox using the wavebox controller and a tunze 6100 (with the impeller housing of the old wavebox pump as the 6100 has a larger outlet that doesn't fit the wavebox housing). And it seems to be working out pretty well.

Anyway, I have two pumps, two transformers (one the black box and the other the large hockey puck looking thing) and one silver driver box and don't know whats dead or not. Granted I could just cut the ends off the pump cords (one has a plug thingy and the other has some sort of strange white computer type plug) and try to put some regular plugs on them.

I'm going to stop now or I'll just keep coming up with odd ideas/confuse everyone more :razz:

Any help would be appreciated!! :biggrin:

Are they less than a year old? If that's the case I would try and go through warranty and let tunzee fix em for you. I had the same mentality with my xbox 360 and long story short after melting my xbox with a hairdryer, cracking it apart with a hammer and wrapping it in a blanket for the loving approach I voided my warranty because I tried to handyman it.
Levi

No, one was purchased in 2006 and the other was purchased in 2008 and the receipt is lost. So no warranty for either as far as I know. I guess I could head over to the Tunze forum at RC and see but I would imagine they'll either 1. tell me no go or 2. tell me to send it in, fix it and send me a bill. With this being my second dead one in only a couple of years, I have zero interest in putting any serious money into fixing these or buying a new one.

I was really interested in a wave box for the new tank (A tunzee at that) but after hearing this I might try vortek out. Who sold you the second one? It might be benificial to go back to them, tell them you purchased it less than a year ago and that its dead and see if they can point you in the right direction.

nah the second one was used as I couldn't afford new. Only the first one was new and the warranty ran out long ago on that one.

Hey Christy, have you tried wiggling the feeding button (then wait 8 minutes for the feeding mode to disengage). I have thought mine was broken when the feeding button was actually stuck down even though it didn't look like it, and didn't feel like it either when I wiggled it, but it worked afterwards.

Hmm never tried that, but the wavebox worked prior to turning it off using my controller, not the feeding button. Worth a try though, the 6100 sucks as a DIY wavebox :razz:

I didn't know I had hit the feeding button either of the times I did that. I never use that button. It's worth a try! I have my fingers crossed for you!! :D

Nope that wasn't it. I tried both of the wavebox controllers when I set up the 6100 (swapped out the "single controller" that came with the 6100 for the wavebox one so it would actually turn on and off).

Besides, there is a light that is normally on with the transformer and it ain't on.

Ohhhh, ya no lights on the controller = bad. Dangit, I was hoping it would be a quick fix like that. If I were you I would try emailing Tunze. They are a pretty good company, I wouldn't be surprised if they hooked you up with a new or refurbished controller.