Submersible pump intake screens are typically quite small and can be blocked with just a little debris. The solution is to put the pump into a filter bag. Place your submersible pump, its power cord and outlet hose right in the bag, tie the top closed and you have a large surface area, long-life inlet strainer.

Bag diameter should be larger than your pump, with a mesh opening smaller than the pump's inlet strainer but not so fine that the bag requires frequent cleaning.

This heavyweight bag handle up to 12" in diameter and offer about 6 sq.ft. of surface area. The bag use a stiff, semi rigid, polyethylene mesh for flows to 60 gpm (3600 gph) and use a tie-wrap closure.