Water pump DIY nativity scene: maintenance and replacement

The water effects such as fountains, rivers or waterfalls make the DIY nativity scene special. But what to do if the water pump stops working? Two ways: clean the pump of limescale and debris or replace the pump.

For Christmas lovers, it is never too early to dedicate themselves to the DIY nativity scene. There are those who create large nativity scenes, rich in effects and characters, carefully choosing the backdrop, the effects and the control units to be inserted in the crib, the accessories and the huts. There are those who, more simply, recover the statues and the moss of last year and reassemble the nativity scene by adding some changes. But if there is something that can make a small domestic crib as special as a large display crib, it is the effects of water. Who doesn’t want to have a river, a water mill or a fountain in their DIY nativity scene?

If you are passionate about the water effect for cribs, you will certainly have something to do with immersion pumps. Each movement of water is in fact obtained thanks to the action of a pump which, through a very simple mechanism, sucks the water from the tank in which it is immersed and makes it flow in a continuous flow.

We have already talked about how to choose the crib pump that’s right for you, looking at the flow rate and prevalence characteristics. Now instead we come to the critical question of this article: what if the pump stops working?

The malfunction can be caused by limestone, remains of moss, gravel or sand that are deposited inside the mechanism. In this case, the pump can be cleaned with simple maintenance.

If the pump does not work even after cleaning, it is likely that the motor is burned out and needs to be replaced.

Read on to learn the simple maintenance and replacement procedures for the crib pump.

Maintenance of the crib water pump

Here is what you need to do maintenance on the crib pump:

• Warm water
• White wine vinegar
• A basin (or another container)
• Screwdriver
• Brush

First, remove the pump from the tank in which it is located. If it is fixed with glue, you can heat it with a hair dryer to loosen the grip and detach the pump from the tray.

Create a solution by mixing the water with the white wine vinegar in the bowl, immerse the pump and leave it under water for at least 30 minutes. The vinegar will dissolve the limestone.

Then remove the pump from the water and vinegar solution and with the help of a screwdriver open the cover that closes the impeller inside the pump. With a brush remove any residues of limestone, sand, gravel, or moss.

Finally, rinse the pump with clean water.

For even more thorough cleaning, remove the impeller. The attachment is magnetic so it is very simple to both remove and reposition. Clean the impeller separately and insert it back into the pump.

At this point, the pump can be repositioned in the tray and fixed thanks to the suction cup feet or with hot glue, and your water effect will return to amaze as before.

Replacing the crib pump

The pump may continue to fail even after cleaning the limescale. The most likely reason is that the moped has burned out. As we explained to you in the article on choosing the crib pump, this can be easily avoided by using the pump always completely immersed in water: the motor is cooled and any risk of overheating is avoided.

In case you find yourself in the situation of having a non-functioning pump, you will have to choose a new pump to replace the broken one.

Buy Now:

Water pumps

Water pumps and gear motors for nativity scene.

There are two things to watch out for:

1. The new pump must have the same power as the pump to be replaced
2. The diameter of the outlet nozzle of the new pump must be suitable for the tube used with the pump to be replaced

Once you have purchased a suitable crib pump, you can proceed with the replacement.

First, disconnect the hose to which the broken pump is connected; then, with the help of a hair dryer if it is fixed with glue, remove it from the tray.

Attach the hose to the new pump and place it in the bowl. To fix the hose to the pump and the pump to the tank you can use hot glue.

The water effect will be ready again to make your nativity scene special!