This sounds terribly inappropriate but...

[aleggett321]

...I'm not sure how to phrase this clearly to be understood. Has anyone had a powerhead suddenly suck instead of blowing?

I had the pumps off while I did a water change. I didn't notice anything wrong when i started everything up again. Then I found my rabbit fish sucked up against what would normally be the outflow of the powerhead ( a simple Koralia). I turned it off immediately and gently pulled him free. He had dents all over his side and died shortly thereafter. There was some serious suction being generated, enough to pull at my skin when my hand was near it. When I turned it back on, it was back to normal. Can an impeller just suddenly change direction? I've never heard of this or I would have been checking every time I had my pumps off and on. I feel terrible for the poor fish. Anyone else had this problem?

 

[gone fishin]

yes Koralias are known to spin backwards on occasion.

 

[jdezek]

Mine do the same thing except mine don't have that much suction when in reverse.

 

[power boat jim]

yes Koralias are known to spin backwards on occasion.

This is true, the shaft and bushings seem to wear on some models that cause them start in reverse when power is is reapplied. It happend to mine. The models that can run on wave makers dont have this problem.

 

[SushiGirl]

Usually it happens when the rubber bumper inside the detachable front part comes out.

 

[hreef]

The impeller spins opposite on my Tunzes. I have to unplug the plug again until the impeller starts to blow the right direction again. This occasionally happens.

 

[DanaC]

Like MegaMaid but in reverse?

 

[shonc182]

Usually it happens when the rubber bumper inside the detachable front part comes out.

If you contact the manufacturer they will send you replacement shrouds for free. I had them send me 4 the other day - it took a little less than a week to arrive in Oregon.

 

[ReeferKimberly]

Wow, that is ridiculous, they SHOULD send ya a replacement fish too!

 

[SushiGirl]

I couldn't find any place on their site to order replacement parts, only via phone call to another country. We bought 2 more when both magnets cracked & just interchange parts instead.

 

[Khemul]

Wow, that is ridiculous, they SHOULD send ya a replacement fish too!

A healthy fish should still be able to get away from a powerhead in reverse. The main difference in reverse is the flow is more direct and the grating is bigger. So the threat is more of sucking in fish that can fit through the front (who couldn't fit through the sides), not a fish getting stuck to the front.

 

[Eric45]

Sounds like a polarity reversal problem

 

[mcgyvr]

Its 100% normal for a powerhead to start in reverse.. BUT they have/should have a built in bumper to cause it to fix itself when it does happen. There is a 50% chance when its started that it will turn backwards.
Your bumper is simply broken/missing or its just a crappy pump that never had one in the first place.
It has NOTHING to do with reverse polarity or anything else.

 

[vitodog]

I have a Evo 1500 on a shelf in my garage. I have replaced the bushings and the rubber bumper twice. The pump would still start in reverse. I just gave up on this pump.