Cleaning Powerheads

The Saltwater Kid · #1 02/08/2007, 10:14 AM

How do you clean your powerheads and how often? I clean mine about every couple of months or so and I usually take them out, disassemble them and soak them overnight in a 50/50 water/vinegar solution, take them out and scrub any residual algae with a toothbrush and put them back in a container with pure water (no vinegar this time) and let them soak for the rest of the day, take them out and dry the parts off, reassemble stick them back in the tank and atsrt them up. This process has worked well for me but I was wondering if there's a way to clean them that takes less time and works just as well as my process (trying to cut down on the time)?

turbo2oh · #2 02/08/2007, 10:46 AM

I clean them when they look dirty

I just pull them out disassemble them and rinse them off and scrub them with a toothbrush, reassemble and put them back in. I don't have a lot of calcium buildup on mine though.

u418936 · #3 02/08/2007, 10:57 AM

Every six months, I put all my pumps and powerheads in a huge bucket of vinegar and run them for three hours. After that, I take them apart and scrub them.

I stopped dripping kalkwasser into my sump because it gunked up my pumps way too fast. Now, I dose B-ionic directly into my aquarium, and my pumps can go longer without cleaning.

If there's an easier way to do it, I'd like to hear about it. I heard it goes much faster with hydrochloric acid, but I don't want to mess around with that stuff.

ErikS · #4 02/08/2007, 11:39 AM

Two tips -

Dillute muratic acid will work faster, but is it needed?

No need to run them in the "clean water". Vinegar, especially in small amount is fine. Just clean, rinse, dry, and return to tank.

The Saltwater Kid · #5 02/08/2007, 12:29 PM

I've heard some people say they take them out and let them run in a bucket of vinegar for 30 minutes, scrub them clean, rinse them off and put them back in the tank...is this a good method?

ErikS · #6 02/08/2007, 12:45 PM

Wouldn't know, I'm vying for the title "Mr. Lazy Reefer". I take them out , put the impellers in solution (your choice), fill the hole with said solution........wait a bit.....scrub them out & brush the outside for big hunks = return to tank. Don't much care what the outside looks like, long as the impeller/mag is clean.

The Saltwater Kid · #7 02/08/2007, 03:08 PM

would you use straight vinegar or dilute it?

AZDesertRat · #8 02/08/2007, 05:02 PM

Straight white vinegar. Its safe to stick your hands in and won't burn holes in your clothes if you splash it on you or burn your eyes out! Acid can be diluted but its a real pain and who wants to keep it around if vinegar is only $1 a gallon and can be reused over and over.

The Saltwater Kid · #9 02/08/2007, 11:14 PM

azdesertrat how do you clean yours, let them run for a specific amount of time in a bucket of straight vinegar?

AZDesertRat · #10 02/09/2007, 10:55 AM

I disassemble them completely so the vinegar can get into the areas where calcium builds up. I found on some of the powerheads/pumps calcium really builds up at the base of the magnet, inside the magnet between it and the shaft and inside the motor housing where the shaft stick in. This is normally a low pressure area or even a vacuum area in a centrifugal pump so stuff tends to collect there and needs to be cleaned well. Soaking assembled or even running in vinegar doesn't seem to get it as clean as taking it apart.

The Saltwater Kid · #11 02/09/2007, 11:19 AM

AZDR how long do you soak the disassembled parts after scrubbing them clean?

AZDesertRat · #12 02/09/2007, 11:22 AM

Usually a couple of hours in straight vinegar is sufficient. I pull them out and scrape any visible stuff off a few times and if possible I run a small bristle brush through the shaft hole in the magnet or at least a similar sized drill bit to get all the build up out from inside. All they need is a quick rinse after that as vinegar doesn't bother the tank.