electrical type question - dead waveboxes

[banditpowdercoat]

Is the light on the transformer that plugs directly into the wall? I'm unfamilliar with the Wavebox's components, but sounds like you may have a different issue here than the box's. If the power supply is dieing, then it may be a power issue with your house electricity? Do you seem to blow other electronic's? How long do regular incandescant lightbulbs last in your place? The power grid at my house is so full of harmonics, Incandescants only last 2 months Tops. Might be an issue there too??

Just sayin it seem's awefully strange that 2 wave boxes died the exact same way for you. And you havn't modded them, or exceeded their programming/design characteristics. So maybe something else is the common denominator???

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

Is the light on the transformer that plugs directly into the wall? I'm unfamilliar with the Wavebox's components, but sounds like you may have a different issue here than the box's. If the power supply is dieing, then it may be a power issue with your house electricity? Do you seem to blow other electronic's? How long do regular incandescant lightbulbs last in your place? The power grid at my house is so full of harmonics, Incandescants only last 2 months Tops. Might be an issue there too??

Just sayin it seem's awefully strange that 2 wave boxes died the exact same way for you. And you havn't modded them, or exceeded their programming/design characteristics. So maybe something else is the common denominator???

I don't know about the incandescent bulbs, we've only been in our place for 5 months or so so I have no idea how old the bulbs are to begin with. The waveboxes haven't been modified in any way.

Anyway, waveboxes have the pump on a very long powercord, at the end of this cord is a little box that has two connections to it, one going to the controller and the other going to power via a transformer (large black box). This little box also has an adjuster on it to work the "volume" of flow coming out of the pump.

I have the wavebox connected to my aquatronica powerbar and I turn it on and off via my controller. I'm starting to wonder if that isn't the common denominator. We haven't had any power outages, I've checked the plug on the powerbar as well as checking the wavebox on a completely different outlet. I think I'll have a go at the tunze forum, maybe they have some ideas on whats what.

[PoonTang]

Hey Christy, when you have finally given up and are ready to throw the pieces in the garbage I would like to have a go at tearing them apart to see if I can fix it. I would offer to try to fix it for you but most of the time I usually wind up making things worse. LOL

[Binare]

I gotta agree with Dan on this. Look at the common things between both boxes. What controller are you using? Most of our "reef" controllers use single pole relays, switching only the line, and not the id. Can cause in some instances voltage leaks, under and/or over voltage conditions etc. Electronics don't really like these sorta issues. You could have a bad connection on the id of your supply to the controller, or even in the powerbar for the controller causing the same issues. Anytime I use cheap (reef controller) electronics to control expensive electronics, I try to isolate with either another relay, or transformer, both items are much much cheaper then a new wavebox.

[christyf5]

Ok so common things:

both times it was hooked up to an aquatronica powerbar with aquatronica controller
both times it was hooked to the same socket on the powerbar


differences:

the first one died in a different house
the first one died on its own, it was working one minute, dead the next
the second one died after being off for approximately 20 minutes to do a tank waterchange
the first one died when plugged directly into the powerbar socket the second one was plugged into a three way socket thingy and then into the powerbar

I've looked into getting replacement bits for it, if it is just the powersupply it shouldn't be too pricey to fix, however if its the pump then I'm done, they're just too bloody expensive.

If I do get this fixed I won't be running it on my aquatronica controller anymore

[muck]

Did you get anything from the TUNZE forum yet?

[christyf5]

yeah they just refered me to Xenia, the canadian tunze people

[banditpowdercoat]

It just might be the powering up/down via the powerbar that is the thing? Some electronics just dont like the spikes/surges you can get when you plug in/unplug them all the time(which is what the powerbar was basically doing) Like modern TV's. If you were to shut off/turn on a PLasma TV by the plug, it surely wouldnt last to long I don;t think.

[StirCrazy]

are the tunze waveboxes ment to be on a controler? I thought they were not suposed to be switched on and off??

Steve

[christyf5]

Could very well be. I just find it interesting that with the new model it took 6 months of weekly off/on (waterchange every week) and the old model it took 2+ years.

So I guess the thing to do is to use the feeding button and change the water out faster? My new tank I won't have to worry about turning the wavebox off as all waterchanges will hopefully be done via the sump and not the main tank (hopefully less siphoning)