The tube heating and haze output operates cyclically, so the pulsed pump operation every few seconds is correct. The tube heats up, then on the cooling phase fluid is pumped.
The ticking of the pump is a higher/louder pitch when its trying to pump air, and then lowers significantly once fluid is through and its fully primed. The MVS hazer doesn't operate like regular smoke machines because the fluid isn't heavily watered down, so to prime the pump using regular operating settings can take an age, you can manually prime by putting into DMX mode (without DMX plugged in), then holding Select and Haze, this'll tick the pump continuously but also piss fluid out the tube and make a mess.