SlimJim said:
Its not that hard to do and it does have a filter on the end of the pump that does need to be replace from time to time. So sooner or later you will need to change that filter. Some change it every 100 hours and some every 300 hours. If you are not having any problems I would look it over every few years or 300 hours. It can be a pain if you are not careful.
The vst issue is overplayed in my opinion. Usually a blocked VST filter shows itself as a loss of power at higher RPMs. In other words, you get a warning but can still run at a reasonable speed back home.
I just took a lokk at mine, after 3 years and the tank was perfectly clean and the filter looked new. I was also lucky that the rubber ring gasket reinstalled without a hitch. Heck, it $40 for the gasket alone.