Hydor Koralia Clacking Intermittently

[CMMorgan]

I have a Hydor Koralia wavemaker. I've had it for about 3 years +/-, It's always worked perfectly - maintained regularly. About two or three days ago, it started clacking. I took it out, cleaned it (again). There is no coralline build up, no snails, no obstructions. It happens every now and again. Just a brief, loud, clackety clack. Any ideas?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I've used koralias for many years and imo 2 or 3 years is all you can expect out of one. It may just be nearing the end

 

[CMMorgan]

I was afraid of that. I recall watching a BRS video on wavemakers and they said that the AC motor in the Koralia would outlast most people's tanks. I expected that was too good to be true. I guess I will just pull it out of the tank and throw it into my mixing station until it dies.
Thanks for the reply!

 

[homer1475]

I use cheap korralia's in my mixing station for years(they are just to cheap to pass up). They unfortunately only last a few years. Once they start making that clacking noise, they are destined for the trash bin.

 

[Reefelectric]

(I’m not an electrician- so excuse the nomenclature but:) I’ve heard that on starting up because they are DC the impeller can start either in reverse or forward, if they start in reverse there is designed stop which will stop the thing spinning (causing a clanking sound) and hopefully starting the impeller spinning the right way. Mine occasionally do this as they’re on a wave maker so sometimes clank as well. HTH

 

[homer1475]

Vice Vs.

AC motors do that, not DC. Hence why the korralias do it, they are AC motors.

But I know the clacking the OP is referring to, and it's not from the stop. I believe its the actual motor dieing, and not having enough power to spin the magnet. It just sits in the motor and shakes(clacking noise), then it will spin. Happens intermittently.

 

[HB AL]

I have a Hydor Koralia wavemaker. I've had it for about 3 years +/-, It's always worked perfectly - maintained regularly. About two or three days ago, it started clacking. I took it out, cleaned it (again). There is no coralline build up, no snails, no obstructions. It happens every now and again. Just a brief, loud, clackety clack. Any ideas?

Throw it away, I had one that decided to leach electricity, after seeing corals suffering and running every water test possible, I hadn't put my hands in the tank in a couple weeks atleast I reached in to iodine dip an acro colony as the acros were the ones suffering the most I got a really strong zap. I then grabbed my volt meter and had my wife unplug one thing at a time and it was the 3 year old Hydor, threw it out and almost instantly the corals started to recover.

 

[CMMorgan]

Throw it away, I had one that decided to leach electricity, after seeing corals suffering and running every water test possible, I hadn't put my hands in the tank in a couple weeks atleast I reached in to iodine dip an acro colony as the acros were the ones suffering the most I got a really strong zap. I then grabbed my volt meter and had my wife unplug one thing at a time and it was the 3 year old Hydor, threw it out and almost instantly the corals started to recover.

You may have just solved a mystery for me - and possibly saved someone's life from electrocution. Many thanks. I have been zapped a few times over the last few months. I had originally suspected the skimmer pump because the black wire covering was pulled back to expose the white and black inner wires. I figured that was no bueno and replaced it. Since then, I have had a few occasions where I have thought I felt a shock but kept second guessing myself. After all, I had found the culprit... or so I thought. I am actually skittish about putting my fingers in the tank at this point. I was starting to wonder if my slippers were putting off static electricity or something.
What was your process of elimination? Did you stick the probes of the volt meter IN the water and systematically unplug and replug equiptment? Again... thank you very much. I would never have made that connection.

 

[HB AL]

You need 2 people one to unplug items while you watch the voltmeter and the other holding the probe in the water. All you do is put the black probe into the ground in the wall outlet or if it doesn't reach plug an extension cord into it and put the ground probe into the ground in the extension cord. Then while holding the meter put the red probe into the water. Now have your helper unplug 1 item at a time till you see a significant drop in voltage and you have the culprit. There are videos on the net that you can watch. Good luck and be careful until you find the electrical source, don't be barefoot when sticking your hand in the tank until the problem is solved. Let us know what you find.

 

[CMMorgan]

Funny - that was why I've been wearing the slippers. I will definitely be checking with a volt meter this weekend.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

You may have just solved a mystery for me - and possibly saved someone's life from electrocution. Many thanks. I have been zapped a few times over the last few months. I had originally suspected the skimmer pump because the black wire covering was pulled back to expose the white and black inner wires. I figured that was no bueno and replaced it. Since then, I have had a few occasions where I have thought I felt a shock but kept second guessing myself. After all, I had found the culprit... or so I thought. I am actually skittish about putting my fingers in the tank at this point. I was starting to wonder if my slippers were putting off static electricity or something.
What was your process of elimination? Did you stick the probes of the volt meter IN the water and systematically unplug and replug equiptment? Again... thank you very much. I would never have made that connection.

Definately get the volt meter out. I replaced a 2yr old koralia a few weeks ago that was working perfectly but was putting 72 volts into the water. Also I'd get your tank onto a gfci outlet (or gfci power strip) and stick a ground probe in

 

[HB AL]

Funny - that was why I've been wearing the slippers. I will definitely be checking with a volt meter this weekend.

If your feeling a shock everytime you put your hands in the tank then its 100% certain you have a substantial amount of current leaking into it. Try to stay out of it till you find the culprit. Electricity especially in water is no joke.

 

[CMMorgan]

Well... this was interesting. I hooked up the multimeter and systematically plugged / unplugged... I even replaced the power strip that runs everything inside the house. (my return and sump are in the garage.)
Here is what I found:
Return pump - 9 years old +/- leaking up to 1.6 watts (essentially a AA battery)
Brand new Sicce pump on Reef Octopus protein Skimmer - intermittently leaking .2 watts Not sure if that is a concern or not???
2 day old Sicce SDC wifi DC wavemaker - leaking .6 -.9 watts?!! Is that right? Does it register a false positive because it is DC or is this fresh out of the box wavemaker leaking current already?

Based off of the earlier conversations in this thread, I pulled that Hydor Koralia two days ago and put in the new Sicce. Now, I wonder if that was a mistake.

I've attached pictures - the "blues" are the return and the protein skimmer after I had already tested and ruled the lights out. The "white" pictures are absolutely everything unplugged except the new Sicce SDC Wifi wavemaker.

 

[StlSalt]

I won't own a Hydor product. I've been zapped twice, both times by Hydor Koralia. My voltage was considerably higher than what you're seeing.

 

[CMMorgan]

I won't own a Hydor product. I've been zapped twice, both times by Hydor Koralia. My voltage was considerably higher than what you're seeing.

The Hydor is in the trash now. Everything plugged in, return, wavemakers, skimmer, etc ...I'm averaging 2 watts +/-. It's about the same as licking a battery. (Which I would not do.)
I'm going to reach out to BRS. The new return pump is also a Sicce. If all of their products leak current, I'm afraid to hook it up!

 

[StlSalt]

The Hydor is in the trash now. Everything plugged in, return, wavemakers, skimmer, etc ...I'm averaging 2 watts +/-. It's about the same as licking a battery. (Which I would not do.)
I'm going to reach out to BRS. The new return pump is also a Sicce. If all of their products leak current, I'm afraid to hook it up!

That still seems a little high. I just tested my tank and it's reading .01 volts or less, and I have 2 powerheads, MP10s and 2 siccee pumps for my GFO and UV Sterilizer.

 

[shred5]

I do not think higher voltage means anything. Testing it this way only lets you know if there is voltage leaking.

How much is leaking would be in current or amps correct.

 

[StlSalt]

I do not think higher voltage means anything. Testing it this way only lets you know if there is voltage leaking.

How much is leaking would be in current or amps correct.

I'm no electrical expert so I'll take your word for it. This all happened a while ago. I thought my voltage was up to 40 volts or something. Whatever I was measuring it went away when the hydors were unplugged. 2 different powerheads in 2 different tanks within a week or two of each other going zappy was enough to turn me off of the brand.

 

[CMMorgan]

I stand corrected... I said watts... the unit of measure is volts. My smart power strip measures in watts. Honestly, I'm not sure how to measure for amps. I am far from an electrician.

 

[HB AL]

Good to hear, glad you found the issue.