How often do you clean your pumps?

[Tomoko Schum]

Hi y'all,

I am curious to know how often you guys clean your return pump, skimmer pump, and power heads.

I am thinking about cleaning my skimmer pump soon since my skimmer is behaving very strangely lately (overflowing the collection cup suddenly in the wee hours of the morning for no apparent reason.)

While I'm at it, I am going to clean all other pumps. I have to clean my powerheads relatively often since it gets a lot of junk on them. This is rather annoying but I guess that it's the necessary chores of reef keeping.

 

[hershell]

You're supposed to clean these? :hmm3:


I clean mine about every 3 months or every 3 or 4 water changes. I don't have power heads so I don't have to worry about those.

 

[JR's Reef]

I clean my return pump maybe 2 times a yr and skimmer when it locks up lol sorry buts its a pain to get out and get the pump off. Powerheads about every 3 months

 

[The0wn4g3]

I clean my whenever they look/act like they need cleaning. I can't schedule pump cleanings as they never fit into my schedule...

 

[poolkeeper1]

Your pumps will last much longer If cleaned on a regular basis, That being said I do vinegar baths every three months and clean the shrouds and Impellers once a month on my Tunzes. My skimmer pump Reeflo Dart needs to have the Venturi cleaned quite often or It will build up salt creep and start to overflow, I clean the whole skimmer two or three times a year. Same on my return pump Reeflo dart. Well that's all the pumps I have luckily.
Bill, Hello Tomoko

 

[gnoles]

I need to learn how to clean my Tunzes.... but then again, I have no corraline or buildup yet.

I clean my return when I clean the sump and the skimmer is cleaned when I empty the cup. The pump gets it when the return pump gets it.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Wow, you guys clean skimmer bodies regularly? I clean my skimmer cup regularly, but not the body.

I do clean my pumps regularly, though. I believe in preventative maintenance. When a pump gets dirty or has calcium build up, its flow rate slows down and the laboring pump draws more current. It can seize up and break, too. So it's a good idea to keep them clean. I just don't want to clean them every months or two if I don't have to. Every three months does not sound too bad.

 

[joejoe1055]

i clean my main pump 1-2 times a year, powerheads every month, skimmer pump 2 months

 

[BLEEDSALT]

You're supposed to clean these?
LMAO same here, I just recently cleaned the skimmer body after almost a year. I do like you and clean the cup when needed. I am getting use to and liking the natural see weed build up in the tank.

 

[ensignpc]

You clean them?


Yea, I do mine twice a year. I'm sure that's not enough.....