but canister cleanings are rare compared to media cleaning in an HOB...just saying....
I'm with you there Bob. I only clean my canisters once every three months.
And I'm not sure about the comments above about priming. I guess it depends on what kind of canister you have. I honestly can't remember the last time I primed mine.
As to cleaning, I can only speak for my Rena's, but you simply push a lever up to release the unit, a quick disconnect if you will. Take the filter over to the sink, rinse out mechanical media, and put it back in. Place the filter back in place, pull the lever down to reconnect, and turn it back it on. It takes me all of maybe fifteen minutes.
And I have replaced the seals, but never because of a failure. I only do because they have been running for so many years I figure it is a good idea. And I have never replaced the impellers. I do take them out and clean them from time to time, but only if I've got nothing else to do.
And I have nothing against HOB's, just saying IMO canister filters are pretty easy to maintain. The other consideration is how close the tank is to a wall. Mine is so close I can barely get my tubing behind it, let alone an HOB.