Decided to restore this old thing from out in the shed. It was in the weather for a couple of years, and I think it’s 20+ years old.

Replaced the pump with a USB powered 5 watt silent one.

Replaced the halogen lamp with an LED one.

Cleaned as much as I could.

Seems to be working well. How long the $12 ebay pump lasts remains to be seen.

More pics at https://photos.app.goo.gl/HDmVb2K1MeUQTfuG8

  • breadsmasher@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Ah the bubbling flashing fish tube thing. Young children seem to love these. They are really cool.

    how long the 12$ pump will last

    Ive been around a few of these, your new pump is likely vastly better quality than stock

    • I_Miss_Daniel@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 months ago

      Thanks for your feedback.

      The rubber boots on the end of the original pumps tended to crack eventually and the hum could get annoying. The rotary one is near silent but might be a little under powered for the height of the column.

      Funny that you don’t seem to see things like this around any more. Maybe smart phones etc have taken their place, but there’s something organic about this type of thing.