Maintenance for external pump

[duke62]

My reeflo barracuda has been running now for about a year and thinking it needs to be cleaned. Since this is my first external pump what do I need to do as far as maintenance for the pump and how do I clean it? Thinking of doing it tomorrow

 

[Aquageek]

I use vinegar. I run mine in warm water and vinegar 50:50 for about 30 mins. Seems to work. .... But there are aquarium pump specific cleaning agents....

 

[Aquageek]

Read manufacturers label for cleaning instructions. Some pumps may get ruined with vinegar

 

[edd]

i take the pump housing apart to clean the inside and the impeller. if the motor fan looks dusty i take off the cover and blow it out.

 

[Reefinny]

+1 on the fan - if you are going to take the impeller apart - get a new seal kit - they are cheap and your asking for trouble putting it back together with the old one.

 

[MIKE NY]

James I've been running Reeflos for years(darts) and I take them off line every 6 months for cleaning. Hot water and an old toothbrush work great. Take the housing apart and clean the housing and impeller. You'll need a long thin brush to get into the chanels of the impeller. I also clean the seal springs so they keep good tension to extend the life of the seals. Also clean as mentioned the fan. Re tighten the housing bolts back to spec and you notice a big difference in flow when running again.

 

[cdamiano]

I Have the same pump. I had not done any maintenance on it for 5 years. I noticed a very slow leak on it recently, which was due to the seal needing to be replaced so I swapped it with a spare that I have while I replace the seal. These pumps are real workhorses.

 

[duke62]

Chris it's making a tick noise from the fan so I was going to open it up anyway. Figured while I look at the fan to clean it out