Wavebox alarm going off

[Wryknow]

Roger,

I read your post on how to clean a Tunze pump but I'm not sure how applicable it is to my new wavebox pump. It has the new impeller shaft that is all one piece. A couple of days ago the alarm went off and I disassembled the pump (took off the cover and removed the impeller blade) and soaked them all in a viegar/water sollution for 24 hours and brushed off any calcium deposits that I could see. I put everything back together and the pump worked great for about three hours, when the alarm started going off again. What else do I need to do with the new impeller assembly?
My wavebox is only a couple of months old and the calcium level is around 380. Thanks in advance!

Jason

 

[rvitko]

Check the upper bearing, the main reason I made that thread was to point that out to people, sand, calcium, any debris, can glue the magent to the bearing, it should spin freely on it. It sounds like that is what is going on as it ran for a while and then stopped.

 

[Wryknow]

OK. I've been soaking it and I'll give it another scrub and reinstall it.

 

[rvitko]

Usually you have to actually pry it off once they are stuck, the vinegar won't penetrate and dissolve the lime, pry it off and then soak it.

 

[DrHarryLopez]

1. Are there any maintaince with the wavebox?
2. Life expectancy of the wavebox or any of its parts?
3. What is the warranty time?

 

[rvitko]

1) About every 6 months it needs to be taken apart and cleaned, possibly more often in high calcium or KH environments.
2) Like any mechanical object it will need repairs and service, with proper care I would expect 10 years or so but that doesn't mean you won't need any spare parts in this time.
3) 2 Years

 

[Wryknow]

Roger,

I'm still having problems with the wavebox. After the 10/30 cleaning it ran for about 4 days and the alarm went off again. After talking to Roger at Aquatek I used a dilute muriatic acid solution to clean the impeller instead of vinegar and it worked well for about 10 days and the alarm went off again this morning. I took a water sample right when the alarm went off and I'll test the calcium level tonight but my calcium levels are typically in the 370-390 range. Roger was of the opinion that I may have a bad sensor if the muriatic acid solution did not solve the problem. Can I bring this by the Tunze office for a check out?

Regards,

Jason

Thanks!

 

[rvitko]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/787Drive_Unit.jpg

Check that the piece with the oring is not stuck to the magnet. This is the usual cause of what you describe, a bad sensor is very rare and generally shows up from day one with intermittent alarms, it isn't something that happens over time. Often the black plastic disk with the oring on it is fused to the magnet and this piece is a bearing the magnet spins on, if it sticks it has to drag it and this will trip an alarm.

BTW, I am Roger, you must have spoke to Bruce or Aaron. I would not recommend using Muriatic Acid, even if it is dilute, it is very electronegative and can cause the plastic to swell due to hydrogen bonds. Brief exposure to dilute acid is likely to be OK, but for the future, stick to vinegar.

 

[Wryknow]

Sorry about that Roger. You are correct, I spoke to Bruce and I got the names mixed up in my head. I will take another look at it tonight but the piece that I am getting out of my wavebox does not look like the impeller that is in your photo. I'm pretty certain that I have the new, one piece impeller based on the photo in your cleaning a Tunze thread.

Jason

P.S. I will go back to using vinegar and mention this to Bruce next time that I see him if you do not beat me to it.

 

[rvitko]

Even the new ones still have the upper bearing.

 

[Wryknow]

Roger,

The small piece with the o-ring (I believe that you called it the upper bearing) pulled right out of the shaft with no problem. There was no noticeable build-up or debris. Everything will get a 24 hour vinegar and water soak and I'll put it back together again and reinstall it in the tank. If this thing wakes up my 6 month pregnant wife in the middle of the night again after running for 3-4 days though I'm really going to be less than happy. I've never had so much trouble with a pump before.


Jason

 

[rvitko]

Double check the hole in the center of the magnet for any obstructions, you are welcome to bring it by here, I am not meaning to cause you any trouble but the alarm generally has a simple cause and I was just trying to spare you time. Bruce mentioned the possibility of a bad sensor but this is extremely rare and the sensor is not bad per se, it is installed incorrectly at an angle and such a problem shows up very quickly, it can run at most 2-3 days like this and isn't something that takes this long to present itself. Such a defect I have seen only a few times in the 7 years I have sold Tunze products.