Koralia Evolution running backwards?

[therman]

I contacted customer support about it already, but wanted to see if anyone else had this issue yet.

I just bought 6 Koralia evolution pumps to replace all my old Koralias and put them on wavemakers. After a week one of them (a 750) is running backwards most of the time. It's running on a Natural Wave strip.

Hopefully it's just an isolated incident, and I've been very happy with Hydor products and service in the past so I don't want to dissuade anyone from purchasing them. Did anyone else have this issue yet?

-Tim

 

[reefrick.M]

As I posted in another thread I've already had one of the 1400's lock up on me in 3 days of running.Glad I only bought 2 instead of the 4 I wanted to buy.These may not be any better on wave makers.

 

[jdm18honda]

same problem mine runs backwards all the time it is no a wavemaker it run backwards more than it rn fowards i like the powerhead just the little problem

 

[NYCBOB]

my 1050 is running backward too on a wavemaker. whereas the 1400 is ok so far.

 

[johnnyblaze313]

One of the 1050's i got has been running backwards also on a natural wave strip, pulled it out and cleaned it yesterday and now its running fine...

 

[NYCBOB]

let me try to clean it then. only had it for 3 weeks.

 

[Jade]

I have a 1050 running backwards on my RKL wavemaker. Took it off the wavemaker just so it will stay running forward. Very disappointed.

 

[reefrick.M]

It would appear in my case that the propeller is popping off the shaft. Twice now I've caught it no longer spinning. It has a couple notches that seem to keep it on the shaft at the base and mine is sliding forward until it no longer catches on the shaft, it appears that the shaft is spinning but not the propeller.

 

[nebraskareef]

I was under the impression these pumps do not contain a shaft, and it's a "floating" design. Are you saying there is a small shaft in the motor block, which does not extend to the end of the housing?

Pretty discouraged to hear this about the new evo's, I was looking forward to using them!

 

[reefrick.M]

The magnet has a one piece plastic shaft protruding out the front that the propeller slides on to.

 

[NYCBOB]

i hv my 1050 running constant now. i washed it, but it would still spin backward. should hv bought the vortech to begin with.

 

[Garage1217]

I did not pay attention when I set my 1400 gph units up. One was in fact running backwards! I did not notice it until I saw a little string of something being sucked inwards instead of blowing outwards. I turned it off and flipped it back on and it started the right way.

I flipped it on / off 15 more times and it only started backwards again 1 time out of 15.
Interesting.

 

[bluelair]

I have a SunSun 2-prop wave maker I bought from Ebay that does this sometimes. It's similar to a Koralia. These pumps are not ideal for wavemakers rapid off-on cycles. they're much better to run continuously. I've found that the eco-modded MaxiJet is far more reliable with a wavemaker setup.

The mechanical reason why it runs backward is due to how it starts. The electric motor can start in either direction at random, Koralias are designed with a little directional notch cut in the front of the prop right where it meets the shaft, and a plastic "tooth" on the prop guard housing. If it starts up in the wrong direction, the prop slides forward on the shaft, bangs into the "tooth", the notch grabs it, and that force spins the prop in the other direction, which sends it flying back spinning in the right direction. That's why your Koralias props seem to slide forward an inch and may chatter when they start.

The duty life of this little notch-tooth assembly is NOT designed for the rapid start stops of a wavemaker, so have a look at your koralia, you likely have worn down that directional notch or nicked the tooth off the housing, that's why it's starting in the wrong direction.

How do I know this? B/C troubleshooting my pumps, I sat there and studied the thing in slow motion to see how it behaved. Yes, I have no life.

 

[NYCBOB]

that sux. i spent $150 on the redsea wavemaker to run these these new powerheads. thats one reason whe people should wait b4 buying new products. guess i learned the hard way.

 

[tufacody]

yep. I will never buy another aquarium product that hasn't been tested by others for at least a year. Learned this the hard way.

 

[Reefposer]

Same problem here, one 1050 runs forward every time on the wavemaker. The other ran backwards most of the time for 3 days... now it doesn't work at all.

 

[saltn07]

Well sorry and disappointed to hear this, but very glad I read this before I replaced my K4s. Hopefully theyll get the kinks worked out!

 

[therman]

Dang, not happy to hear about all this. Hopefully they figure out a retro/recall to address this. If nothing else they are at least more efficient than the old ones, but I did just buy 2 wavemakers to run them. Maybe I'll have to dump the cash to go with Tunzes in the new tank They did seem too good to be true...

 

[Garage1217]

Has everyone determined how many times they go in reverse vs forward? I am just curious. And if they bounce in reverse every now and again, then they really are random flow haha.

 

[therman]

And if they bounce in reverse every now and again, then they really are random flow haha.

Hah! I had that exact same thought...

So far I've only noticed one of now 5 pumps that I've been running go backwards at all. I'll take it apart and see if there is something preventing the impeller from sliding forward. Bluelair was exactly right in his description of the mechanics of these things. The Koralia Evolutions have a rubber damper on the "tooth" to soften the impact, as well as the vibration reducing base.