[slief]

I assume you are the customer that Premium Aquatics reached out to us about today regarding a replacement pump? If so, it was my recommendation to them that you just replace the motor and run what you have. The skimmers have changed a bunch since 2009 and you’d have to raise your sump level a bit to run the RD3 on that skimmer. More over, given the changes in the skimmer design, the RD2000 that your skimmer came with is in my opinion the best pump for that body. Especially since these skimmers are designed around the pump and that body was designed around thef low characteristics of the RD2000 that the skimmer came with. Plus, you will save a small fortune by just buying just the block. The pictures I saw indicated that everything was in great order and well taken care of which led me to the conclusion that a motorblock swap was all you needed to get that thing back up and running. As you have experienced already, that pump will last a LONG time with proper maintenance and the skimmer performs great with that pump. As such, no reason to mess with a great recipe and spend extra money with little to no upside on that skimmer.

If you really want to switch to the RD3, then the RD3 60 would be my suggestion for that skimmer. It has higher flow/air output than the RD3 50 that comes with the newer SM250’s and would be better suited for your older body. You’d likely need to run that pump between 42 and 48 watts (compared to 28-42 watts on the newer bodies) with your skimmer to get best results. Still, if it were me, I’d just get the new block and call it day. That or get a new block, clean up and sell the old skimmer and buy a new one if you really want an upgrade.