That is a problem with these units. The pumps they use are not piston pumps but rather diaphragm pumps. The diaphragms generally don't last long, especially when exposed to the ozone such as the ozone in the air that gets sucked in to the pump. The good news though is that the diaphragms are easy to replace. Take the old diaphragm with you to an aquarium store since you will need to match up the diaphragm for that pump. Otherwise it is just as easy to take the pump out and use an external pump or small compressor set to a low pressure.