1. How often does water arrive now?
If you already have a pump, think about how often it runs at the worst time of year.
2. Basement footprint
3. Where is the property?
4. What is downstairs?
Five Things That Decide Whether a Sump System Actually Works
Sizing for the peak, not the average
A rapid March melt on ground already saturated and still partly frozen delivers water at a rate no June thunderstorm matches. The pump is bought for that week.
Battery backup
The events that make a sump necessary cause the outages. Without backup, the pump is reliable until precisely the moment it matters. This is the single most skipped component and the most consequential.
Where the discharge actually goes
A line ending six feet from the foundation returns water to the ground you just pumped it out of, and the pump cycles forever. Get it genuinely away, and downhill if the site allows.
Freeze resistance
A discharge line that freezes shut in February turns the pump into an expensive noise. Proper fall on the line, and a freeze-relief fitting where conditions warrant it.
An alarm
Inexpensive, and the difference between a wet evening you dealt with and a flood you discovered later. On seasonal property, one that reaches your phone is worth every penny.