A few months ago I was having problem with my pump strainer getting clogged while it was laying on the bottom of the pond. In addition to the strainer screen getting clogged every week, the check valve failed to work properly. Either the waterfall would not work or my 55 gallon barrel would empty back into the pond when the timer shutoff the pump. I solved these problems by adding a plastic container (with many drilled holes) to the end of the pump suction hose with a tennis ball inside to help float it off the bottom of the pond. This has worked wonders for me.
