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melev

10 days shy of 5 years, I have to announce a retirement...

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13 Comments
by
melev
, 05-06-2010 at 09:13 PM (2026 Views)
My return pump has chugged along for 1,815 days in a row, running 23.5 hours a day. Every night for about 30 minutes, the return pump is turned off while I feed the tank, then restarted once they've had their feasting period.

The Little Giant - OPGW-46, tired and wailing:


Over the past month, it didn't always want to restart. I tried spraying some silicone lubricant on the shaft, and chipped away at salt buildup in that same area. Last night, it started howling and I knew it was time to pull out my back-up return pump, a Sequence Dart that I bought a long time ago for this day.

Matter of fact, I've had to loan it out to a couple of people when their pumps were broken. So I'll be shopping for a new backup soon.



As you know, I like a little light math, and determined that the Little Giant has pushed over 149 million gallons in the past 5 years - 149,283,750 gallons to be exact. I'd have to say I got my monies' worth. At a mere 141 watts of power, I might add.

The new pump was identical is shape, style, and even the inlet / outlets matched. So a little swapping of some plumbing fittings, and about 45 minutes later the tank has flow. I'm still going to watch for any drips over the next couple of days.

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‎ Plumbing

Comments

  1. evoracer's Avatar
    RIP to a valiant warrior!
  2. Trido's Avatar
    Impressive.
  3. kileysmama's Avatar
    Are you going to bury it in the back yard like a pet? Sorry, I'm feeling a bit silly tonight....

    Does the dart flow as much as the little giant? Are you replacing with the same pump?
  4. smoothie's Avatar
    Great pump. Mine is going on 6yrs strong!
  5. melev's Avatar
    I think the Dart moves a little less water by comparison, but I'm not worried about that. All I want is consistency and reliability. This pump is WAY out of warranty since it was purchased years ago, but this is when it finally went into service.
  6. washingtond's Avatar
    You squeezed all the life out of the Little Giant and may it Rest In Peace.....
  7. ray356's Avatar
    You did get your moneys worth out of this pump - and having a replacement sitting on the bench waiting to be put in the game speaks to your planning. One of the many reasons your tank is such a good example to all
  8. maroun.c's Avatar
    Great way to say good bye to a great pump. 5 years is a great score.
    Must admit that for a second there I thought you were retiring from the hobby and that was scary...
  9. melev's Avatar
    I've been in the hobby more than 5 years.
  10. washingtond's Avatar
    The only bad thing about the Dart pumps are the seals will go out at some point. They will either develop a slow leak or get noisy. I have three of them, one online and two backups.
  11. melev's Avatar
    I have a spare seal on hand just in case. Even though Sequence offers to send them for free, I chose to pay $20 to have them here for when I need them. I don't want to have to wait on parts.
  12. gr8t1dini's Avatar
    I have a Dart online and a spare just incase. How long should the seal last anyhow?
  13. melev's Avatar
    It can last years.