Did you know that you can check the total number of hours you’ve pumped on your Spectra? This is fun if you’re curious to see how much time you’ve spent pumping! Here’s how to do it.

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How to Check the Hours on Your Spectra
First, a quick note that this method was originally documented by Spectra Baby Australia on social media and their website, but they seem to have removed references to it, and Spectra doesn’t appear to officially endorse it. So this should be considered just for fun, rather than an official measure.
To check the number of hours that your Spectra S1 or S2 has been used, try doing the following, in this order:
- Power On
- Massage
- Cycle +
- Vacuum –
- Cycle –
- Vacuum +
- Massage

Then something like the following should be displayed on your Spectra.

How to Read the Results
The numbers listed in the middle are the hours. Don’t pay any attention to the numbers above Cycle and Vacuum. So in the above example, it’s 278 hours.
Here’s another example with 616 hours:

Hopefully that helps you check the hours on your Spectra! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments, or check out additional Spectra tips and tricks here.
Helpful Spectra Products

Thinking about weaning from the pump? No idea where to start? Worried that you’ll get a clogged duct or mastitis when you stop pumping? Grab my one-of-a-kind guide here.
Comments & Chitchat
Hello,
Now many hours is this?
Do you know how this can be done on the new
Dual S Spectra pump?
Hi Selina! I don’t know how, I’m sorry. It might not be possible.
I noticed other people asking what the backwards F stands for. My spectra has this, so I was curious about what it means. Please I would like to be clear. Thank you.
Hi! My pump is reading at 18.71 but I only purchased the pump in March 2021 however I have exclusively pumped.
Did you keep it on the charger often?
Mine has me marked at 720 hours but I’ve been EP for 20 months pumping every 3 hours for 12 months, every 6 hours for 5 months and now once day for 2 months. 720 hours seems far to little?
I don’t know how to read my pump as it states cycle 03 then 43:73 vacuum 200. My daughter is 15 months old and I nurse and pump both about 50%.
Hi Wendy! That should be 4,373 hours, which is definitely not right. Sorry I can’t be helpful here! It might be including charging time.
Does it work one Spectra s1+? I tried and it didnt seem to show the number of hours pumped.
It should, but Spectra might be phasing this functionality out. Sorry!
I have one number that looks like a backwards F?
I just got one and she said she used it 1 time, the time read 00:20. She said she only used it for 20 minutes and didn’t like it.
I’m curious what my results mean.
Cycle: 03
Middle number: 1:79
Vacuum: 200
There’s a small 40 over the middle number.
I’ve had supply issues and I’m a pumping machine. I’d love to add it up!
Thanks for your help.
Megan
I thin kthat’s 179 hours!
I had a small number over mine as well. It read 474 with a small 34 over top, I then pumped for 20 minutes and it read 474 and a small 54 over top. So I pumped an additional six minutes to confirm the small number is minutes. After six minutes I checked again and the small number disappeared and the new hour number was 475. Hope this helps!
Do we know about how many hours the spectra 1 should go before it stops working?
I don’t think it has a defined limit! It’s covered under warranty for two years, I believe.
The cycle number or vacuum number have to mean something. My son is 6 mo old. It’s telling me I’ve only pumped 0415 hrs. I’m an exclusive pumper so that doesn’t add up. At one point I checked and I was over a thousand hours.. now it’s a lower number. So the other numbers have to mean something
1500 hours lifespan of spectra s series
The center of mine looks like a backwards F followed by 0:17
I’ve exclusively pumped for almost a year now. Should be a ton but I’m confused by the read.
Can you send me a picture Jess? amanda@exclusivepumping.com. Thanks!
Mine says 288 in the middle. I leave my pump plugged in all the time but
My baby is 4 months old and
I pump every 3-5 hours. I’ll have to go back and look but I believe this number is about the same as when I was a month and a half in. Help interpreting!
I found one that says 00:45 is that hours or minutes?
45 hours!
What does 01:38 mean for hours?
138 hours of pumping!
Mine says 27:56 it says 200 on the vacuume and 40 next to the battery. I bought mine used, the previous owner pumped for 7 months and I used it for 8 months. What do the other numbers mean?
That would mean 2,756 hours, which might include the time it was plugged in. You can ignore the other numbers!
Yeah that would be 6 hours a day so pretty sure it’s including charging time.
My Spectra S1 says 12:98. My baby is 11 weeks old, so I’m not sure that I have actually pumped 1298 hours. Can this be incorrect?
It definitely can – that’s why Spectra doesn’t officially endorse it. It might include charging time. Do you generally leave it plugged in?
What do all the other numbers mean?
Nothing! You can just ignore them.
What does the battery mean?
I think you can ignore it. Or can you send me a picture?
Mine shows
4:65 and 17 above next to the battery
I don understand..
Can you email me a picture and I will interpret it? 🙂
What does knowing how many hours matter? Will it not work properly after so many hours? I ask because I think mine may not be suctioning as well as It used to. When should you replace parts and or pump? I pump at least 5 times a day and this is second baby using this pump.
It’s just for fun to know how many hours you’ve spent pumping! I’ll send you some info on replacing pump parts:
https://exclusivepumping.com/when-to-replace-breast-pump-parts/
I have the S1 and it reads different. I believe that mine says 10:10 and I haven’t pumped for 1,000 hours. But if you break it down by the first 10 being days and the second 10 being hours. That equals the same hours I’ve pumped. So 10:10 would equal 250 hours
Mine is showing up as cycle 3 2:32 200 vacuum… doesn’t seem right?
That means 232 hours. Does that not seem right?
Mine came up with 66!!! Sounds about right since starting back at school!
Mine is different in the cycle it says 01 in the middle it says 10:04 then 200 and before the battery symbol it says 48. I pump every 3 hours for the last 4 months so 10 hours definitely isn’t right.
That means 1,004! 🙂
Makes sense! I wonder what the 48 by the battery means.
Emily, that’s probably 1,004 hours!
Can the number of hours be reset?? I just bought a used S2 and it says
cycle 38, 00:00, L01
the lady that I got it from said it was given to her but never used it…still had a box but no accessories so she claims she doesn’t know if it was new..I got it for $15:)