do you clean pumps etc. with vinegar?

tetra9999

New member
its been 3 plus years, I think I need to clean my return pump and skimmer pump, should I use vinegar to clean them up?
 
Good idea. Just put them in pure white vinegar overnight and they'll be good to go. However, if you don't have a backup for the return pump in the interim, that's a problem. I have done an aggressive toothbrush/vinegar disassembly cleanup on a return pump in 6 hours and helped it a lot.
 
I soak them in vinegar and water solution for an hour or two, take them apart (or mostly apart- get to impeller) and scrub them clean with a wire cleaner brush and them rinse them off.
Super easy and keeps your pumps from locking up.
 
What Steve said and you can also get it at Lowes. It is cheaper to use than vinegar and it works about 20 times faster. good luck
 
what do you do to make sure the pumps dont have the acid on them when you put them back rinse them off with water etc? sounds dangerous to the tank?
 
Acid is water soluble, All you have to do is rinse it well.

It's not something to be afraid of, vinegar is an acid too.
It will lower your pH and eat some of your ALK if it gets back into the tank. If you are really worried test your parameters after you clean and hook everything back u, but odds are it might be out of whack anyways from the disturbance.

Recap - thorough rinsing and it's all good.
Beats the hell out of waiting for vinegar to break down the calcium deposits.

Remember always add acid to base.
Never pour water into your acid.
Pour your acid into your water.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14204045#post14204045 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Letmegrow
Home depot has it.

What is it sold under?
If I asked the dude at the front... what kind of stupid look will I get?
 
I get muratic acid from a pool supply place Leslie I believe out in Ballwin or Ellisville but any pool supply place will sell it by the gallon about $5
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14207250#post14207250 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drgabe
What is it sold under?
If I asked the dude at the front... what kind of stupid look will I get?

If you get it from Home Cheapo or Blows it will be in the paint department near paint thinners, floor etchers, and cleanup chemicals.
 
We have it at Sherwin-Williams also. No sales pitch intended. It's main purpose in the industry is to etch concrete floors to open up the pores for accepting floor epoxies.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14211961#post14211961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Byh20
We have it at Sherwin-Williams also. No sales pitch intended. It's main purpose in the industry is to etch concrete floors to open up the pores for accepting floor epoxies.

Booya ! Paint or concrete isle at the big box stores.
If it's not in one it's in the other.

I always guess the wrong isle, even on gut instinct and even when second guessing myself.
I think it's a game they play on me.
 
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