Forgotten Maintenance.

[spaulr]

So, my mag7 skimmer pump might have bit the dust after only 5 months of service. :evil: What gives? Took it apart and it had a ton of calcium buildup. I could not visibly see the magnet through the buildup. I was able to remove some of this, but the pump will still not spin at all. What do you think I should try? FYI - this pump has always behaved oddly. Shut off a few times for no reason. Unplugging/re-plugging and it started working again. My other mag 7 has been bullet proof. I'm bummed.

So, how often should you perform in-water pump maintenance? External pump maintenance? Plumbing maintenance?

 

[Christeon]

Vinegar dissolves the buildup, Taking the pump offline and running it in a vinegar solution every 2-3 months should take care of this problem.

 

[Anonymous]

how's the ceramic shaft that goes through the impeller? I've noticed that if it gets stuck then you usually can't start it up again.

 

[spaulr]

Not stuck. I was able to get the impeller out. Actually, I scraped it. There was so much mineral buildup that it was like 1mm thick. I couldn't believe my eyes 8O . I've only had a Ca reactor running for 1-2 months. Crazy.

Will soaking the pump help? It will not start at this point in time.

 

[Eboman]

The answer is..........maybe.

Go ahead and clean it up really good with vinegar (or I like to use Muriatic Acid...just be careful it you use the acid and be sure to dilute it a bit and do it outside since the fumes can be brutal).

Vinegar will take a bit longer, but is inherently much safer to use.

Not sure why you're getting such a large amount of calcium precipitating in your system. You may want to do a little reading about calcium/alk/blah..blah..blah and start testing with a couple of good test kits (I like Salifert). It's not necessarily a "bad" thing to have happen.....but, as you've discovered, it can put some wear and tear on your equipment.

Anyhow...get all of the calcium cleaned off (just soaking it should do the job nicely) and see what it does. My best guess is that it will work (unless the impeller is cracked or something). Mags are pretty tough pumps. If not, try to see if you can get a replacement impeller off the internet (much cheaper than buying another whole pump). If that doesn't work....well......they make a nice paperweight (and you'll have an extra impleller for the next one you buy).