Cleaning Pump

[dkode]

Hello,

I don't seem to be getting as much water flow back into my tank from my return pump, and I am starting to develop some slime algage I believe from the reduced flow. To combat this, I figured I should clean out my pump as it hasn't been cleaned as long as i have had it

The pump is original one that i got with the tank. It's been about a year and I'd like to take it apart and clean it out, the problem is that i suck at plumbing and the way its hooked up seems like it would drain all over the floor when I disconnect the pump. its external, heres some pics to show what i'm talking about:

http://www.full-fx.com/pics/pump1.JPG
http://www.full-fx.com/pics/pump2.JPG
http://www.full-fx.com/pics/pump3.JPG

The clear hose is the T that returns some of the water back into the wet/dry filter, with a ball valve attached, the white pvc is where the pump pulls from. The problem is that once I disconnect the pump, there is no ball valve so I can shut off the pvc pipe.

Maybe i'm just paranoid, but it seems to me like this would drain on the floor unless I empty out the whole wet/dry filter.

any guidance would be appreciated before I ruin my floor =) thanks!

[Iconz]

can you turn that down-facing pipe inside of your tank up? if so, this should keep the water out of it. the other option is to install a ball valve very quickly on the outside of your bulkhead after you unplug that pipe that's feeding the pump's intake.

[hummer]

icons has the right idea .... plug it some how on the fly...

[pass1over]

just fit an endcap on the pvc pipe in your sump and take it off when your done

[dkode]

brillant! I suck at plumbing, I should have thought of that.

thank you!

[Iconz]

haha, no prob. that's what we're all here for!

[dakar]

Isn't it amazing how the simplest solution is usually the first one to be overlooked :)

[dkode]

that is funny, I believe it is called Occams razor:

"All things being equal, the simplest solution is usually the correct one"