Is your return pump included in your regular maintenance?

Hey all just thought I'd share this experience I just got done cleaning up...

I ASSUMED that since my submersible pump sat in 'clean' water inside the return area of my sump there wouldn't be a reason to really ever clean it out. I was very much wrong..
While working in my basement a bit ago it began to rain through the drop ceiling. It was coming from an area that is located under my tank so I knew that was the problem. When I got up to it everything seemed fine, dt and fuge not overflowing, no cracks or leaking silicone seams. Even the flow down the ATS looked normal. Then I opened the cabinet and saw that my sump was overflowing.
Long story short I've never taken the pump out and cleaned it. It was still moving water but not fast enough to keep up with the overflow from the tank. After I got the pump out and took it apart I cleaned out a colony of pineapple sponges and a bunch of slimey algae that had grown on the magnet and it's housing.
Now it's back to normal and will be cleaned biweekly with the skimmer pump that is also in the sump. Just have to figuire a way to tell the boss, a.k.a my wife, that for the 3rd time I've destroyed ceiling tile.

 

I wish you the best with the mea culpa on the ceiling. Thanks for the reminder.

 

we live and learn right....

YES you want to make that a regularly cleaned item. In my case I take all the powerheads out of my tank and pumps and soak them while disassembled and run them after putting them back together in a vinegar based solution. Cleans up all the organics. Then i run them through RO/DI water to clean the vinegar and then I let them dry. After being dry I soak them in new ro/di water again just to be sure, and throw them back into my tank. I do this once a month.

 

Just curious why it would cause your sump to overflow? Since water should only flow to your sump as fast as your pump returns it. So what happens if your pump is off? Sounds like you may have a bigger issue if your return pump being dirty caused your sump to overflow?

 

water flows to a remote fuge before being returned to dt. Theres 14g flowing through the fuge and the sump is a 10g aquarium because that's all that would fit in the cabinet. Not only footprint but height wise as well. I really wanted a 20xh or at least a 20h in there.
the sump came after the fuge and I took the opportunity to get one more pump out of my display. (the one pumping water to my fuge) I knew there was no fail safe without the extra room if the sump pump ever quit and if I hadn't been lazy or ignorant and had included the pump in my maint. routine this flood wouldn't have happened.

 

Got it.. Hope it never overflows and starts a fire.

 

Sorry and good luck with the boss, BTW have you considered water-proof tile?