Skimmer Cleaning Methods

[Spiffy]

My skimmer is not performing as well as it should, so it goes without say that it is time to break it down and clean it. But the issue is that I am looking for a more efficient way to clean this thing out, because the nooks and crannies are a little hard to get to. I am thinking about removing the whole thing from the sump, filling my kitchen sink about half way full with a vinegar and water solution and letting the skimmer run for about a little under a day while leaving it in the sink, and wiping the insides out afterwards to remove any remains. My skimmer is exposed to light due to the design of my ghetto sump, so there is coralline algae on the inside, and the solution takes good care of coralline. Does anyone else have a method that they would like to share or any recommendations?

[slief]

I think you are on the right track. Vinegar and water is your best solution. Make sure you completely disassemble the pump afterwards so you can clean the inside of it and the impeller well. Just running the pump in vinegar is not a great way to clean the pump. It needs to be disassembled to and rinsed well remove any debris and calcium that will turn to mush inside it.

[d2mini]

That's what I do, except I have a large enough bucket I can fit mine in.