*Warning* Do not try this at home. Electrical components can shock or kill you if you don't know what you are doing or can be a fire hazard if not properly re-assembled (especially inside of a cloth shoulder bag). I'm not responsible if you decide to dismantle your pump to take a peek inside... although sharing pictures is encouraged...
Most of the posts I've read recently have to deal with pumps that the tubing directly connects to a motor-like unit. Keep in mind that every pump is made different and could be more or less of a risk than another for various reasons.
I was actually surprised how easy it was to take apart and asked myself why I had never had the curiosity to do it before.
Below are some quick shots of the pump so you can see - there is no physical evidence of mold (at least in my pump) that I can actually see.
Picture of the faceplate of my old PIS. Notice that the on/off switch is your only option? No speed controls available on this model...
Picture of the faceplate with the plastic "screws" popped out (I just used a flat headed screwdriver to remove).
Removed the electrical leads with pliers (I marked them so I knew which one was which).
I paid $300.00 for this? That's it?
No mold found yet by the way...
Ah ha! White fuzzy stuff. Mold? Probably not. Dried Milk? Probably not. Random dust that got in the bag between the velcro that holds the motor in? Probably...
Now with this particular pump, I don't see any way that milk can get in behind the "diaphragm". This may not be the case for some pumps that the tubing directly connects into a motor like device (like the Swing or possibly even the Freestyle). I can clean the diaphragm on my Pump In Styles all I want, but it still cannot be completely sterilized. Does that bother you enough to not buy a used pump? It does me - especially if I was buying from ebay or craigslist and didn't know the medical history of the person I was buying from. Would you buy used underwear on craigslist or ebay and just throw them in the wash and not get the heebie-jeebies wearing them? If I knew the person, maybe I wouldn't be so concerned about using their pump - but there is always that chance. Will it be a risk that you choose to take? If so, I just hope you had the chance to inform yourself to make the right decision for you and your family.
Well. That's it. Kudos to Medela on making a product that has worked this long, however I think this one is going to get retired or donated for demonstrations to a local IBCLC since I have 3 others that are newer. I hope you enjoyed the tour and I hope it answers your questions (about my pump at least). I can't guarantee yours will be the same, but I think for now my fears are a little more subsided after my adventures with tools tonight.
I do have 3 other pumps that I'm considering taking apart as well.. so check back.
If you are interested in why I decided to take apart my pump, check out these links below:
Does this change my stance on not buying a used pump?
Yes and no. I personally don't want to take a chance on buying a pump that was used by another person if I have the financial means to buy a new one. Used pumps do have the possibility of transferring HIV and CMV as well as other communicable diseases (yeast infections, etc... yuck). That scares me...
Does that mean that I don't support the use of *used* pumps entirely? If you absolutely cannot afford to purchase a new pump, then do what you can. Arm yourself with information about purchasing a used pump and what you can and cannot replace on it. Every pump is different, so there are some I would recommend more than others depending on how they are manufactured and how much of it can be cleaned (notice I didn't say sterlized - there is a difference).
What do I think? I think companies need to stop selling the open system models, and just come up with affordable closed system models - period. If there is a concern about safety so much that the FDA has warnings against re-using or re-selling single user pumps, then why not just eliminate the concern and stop making those kinds of pumps? In a perfect world...
