The unexpected...Water

Someone once told me that owning a house is nothing but expenses and work. Well, the work has been true, but once done, everything should be wonderful...right?

A couple months ago I picked up a dehumidifier for the basement, and instead of emptying the bucket everyday, this model has a hose attachment.

This feature makes the unit self contained and worry free. I ran a hose from the unit to the sump hole. Unfortunately the pump I had was there for the rare flood which may occur, as in March 30th a few years ago. The pump uses a floating ball switch on a cable, the problem being the pump doesn't turn on until the water has filled the sump-well and actually started filling the basement. Last weekend I bought an upright pump and inserted it in the hole.

In case you are curious about the sump well it is a Rubbermaid storage bucket. In 2009 I chopped a hole through the concrete, inserted the container then cemented it in place. I have since made a wooden cover for the hole.

Last night, after work, I went downstairs to make sure it was working, as I came down the stairs I noticed the basement floor was wet, on closer inspection I found the sump well was below pump level so it was working. Then...why the wet basement? Looking up I found that the water was dripping from two joints in the water piping. I don't do soldering so I called the plumber. 

As I type this, they just left, 

the leak, wasn't at the joints,

 it was in the wall behind the linen closet upstairs. 

So...

It looks like I am not working on the stairwell, I am rebuilding a wall and a closet.