Maintenance schedule for pumps?

Is there a maintenance schedule you need to follow for skimmer/return pumps? I just finished a routine cleaning of my tank/water change and my Sedra KSP-3500 pump didn’t want to turn on, kind of scary as I know my LFS doesn’t always carry them in stock. I unplugged it, cleaned it up a bit and it restarted. Is there an average life span to expect? After a year should I consider having a back-up just for that day?

 

The development/accumulation of gunk will be different for most, depending on a few variables. You can expect to see a buildup of sludge, and on warm surfaces, the buildup of calcium deposits (scale), such as on heaters, and on motor/powerhead impellers. Your water quality will dictate the rate at which sludge will develop. For starters, I'd recommend inspecting the pump every 90 days or so. When it comes time to clean, just run the motor in a bucket of water and vinegar. Many say that having a backup on hand is always a good idea, but IMO it's safe to simply cut the pump out of the equasion for the 24 hours or so you'll use for maintenance when the time comes.

HTH.

 

Great suggestion – I did that to my Koralia pumps and it worked fantastic, good thing I don’t have anybody around to thunk me in the head for not putting one and one together in this case (wife went out, she’d have enjoyed that), I’ll add that to the calendar. Thanks again

 

I also take external pumps and change the seals out every two years even if they are running fine. Rather spend $25 on some seals then a few hundred on cleaning carpet when they leak.