WASHER HOSES

[Anonymous]

Well, it finally happened to us.

My wife was washing a load of clothes. Sitting in the kitchen, we could hear the water running....and running. Hmmmm.... thats a long fill cycle.

Sure nuff... the hot-water fill hose had ruptured. What a mess ! ( Shop-Vac to the rescue )

After everything had been cleaned up, and the hoses replaced, we wondered; Are there any burst-proof hoses on the market ?

I'd hate to have that happen again at night, or when nobodys home. ( using the shutoff valve every time seems clunky )

????

[Joseph Meehan]

Nothing is bust proof. Some are better than others. High quality well reinforced seems to be the best bet. That is what I use and I replace mine every 10 years even if they don't need it. I really ought to do that every five years.

There are fittings available on the market that offer additional protection. One type is just a easy to use lever set that is attached to the pipes instead of the standard valves. One lever turns off both the hot and cold at the same time. This is good if you can reach them (you can make changes to the plumbing) and you remember to turn them off each time.

A second type has a remote battery operated timer. You press the button and it opens the valves for you and holds them open for a user specified time (like one hour). You are not likely to forget to use this one.

[JohnB]

I use stainless steel hoses from Improvments Catalog at $29.99 per pair of two hoses

[Roger]

Cheapest solution is to get the those shiny stainless steel jacketed hoses, available at Home Depot or the like. When we remodeled the utility room, we also installed an indented washer box in the wall, that has hose connections and drain built flush to the wall, at waist height. The connectors have little quarter-turn ball valves that shut off the supply at any time, and unlike conventional taps, they are easy to turn and don't leak, so can be shut off when the washer is not in use. Also very handy for vacations.

>

[William]

I use the stainless steel jacketed hoses on the theory that the jacket adds an extra margin against blow-out and, if a leak does occur, will prevent a solid stream of water from cutting into the wall (as happened to a neighbor).

You can get an automatic shut off valve (put it in the main line from the meter) which will respond to remote sensors placed in strategic locations (near the the washer, under sinks, behind commodes, etc.) Pricey, and it could fail to work, but if you are away from home a lot it could be comforting. (Of course, just shutting off the water on your way out works too :-) -Wm

[The Masked Marvel]

Highly recommend the SS braid jacketed hoses, the jacket protects against th etubing within from aneurizing and bursting (though nothing is certain but death and taxes . A quarter turn washer shutoff is also worth while as it relieves pressure on the hoses and removes a bit of wory when away from hope (especially for extended periods) if you remember to shut them off.

[jeff]

Hi,

A copy....

**A/washer rubber fill hose can for sure burst. Shut the water taps off when you are away on vacation and in between laundry days. If you want to help remove this trouble maker, install stainless steel hoses. They can be expensive, but will be much cheaper than mopping up the basement or laundry room.**

foot stainless steel water fill hose with washers.

machine fill hose, stainless steel, 5 ft. with washers.

- The new Floodstop automatic water shut-off system. Installs in five minutes. No special tools needed. Prevents water damage caused by broken washing machine water fill hoses or overfilling of washing machine due to defective water level switch.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Dan O.]

You can see one of those auto-shut off valves called FloodFtop at the following link. Not *that* pricy but kinda late now?? JFYI There's also braded stainless steel hoses shown there as well which are my preference over plain rubber hoses.

(should be on one line)

Dan O.

- Appliance411.com

=Ð~~~~~~

[Toller]

I recently read an advisory from an insurance company that said to replace washer hoses every 2 years, whether they are covered with steel or not.

If follows that rubber is better than steel because you might actually replace rubber every 2 years, but you know you won't with steel.

[Joseph Meehan]

I have seen similar advice. While the SS hoses do seem to be better, they also rely on rubber under the SS and that rubber is no better than on non SS quality hoses. The SS brad is not water proof.

[Mike Fritz]

Had it happen to the hose to the toilet in my parent's house.

--Mike

[ROBMURR]

When on vacation I turn my water heater to a low setting and turn the water off at the street. Any pipe can break at any time and this is cheap insurance.

[William]

Right, except the braid provides reinforcement which could keep a weakness in the rubber from bursting, as well as protecting it from abrasion. Additionally, having seen what the stream from a non- jacketed hose can do to a wall, I'd say the dispersion potential of the braid is well worth it. (Neighbor's "leak" cut through a wall, making the damage much worse than it should have been. Doesn't take long for hot water at 60+ psi to eat through wallboard.) -Wm

[Phisherman]

Yes. Good thing it did not happen during your vacation! Buy braided metal mesh hoses and install a lever shut off valve (the kind that turns both hot and cold ON/OFF with a flick of a lever). Actually you could buy the regular rubber hoses if you remember to replace them every 5 years.

[Todd]

As a major appliance technician, I always enjoy what motivates people to address appliance issues. For example, when Dear Abby says something about dryer venting, I get many people wanting their dryer cleaned out. But what does Abby know about dryers?

Why settle for folklore when you can make a real decision about your washer hoses. Hoses don't break spontaneously. They do so for a reason, and that reason is usually mistreatment, as in jamming your washer against a wall, or into a closet that is too small of a space to handle the unit. Your hoses will kink, forming a memory at that point, and that is where or it will eventaully burst. Or, hoses will burst where they are soft, but a bubble will show first.

Here a couple of tips:

1. Check for kinks in the rubber. Check for soft spots in the rubber, especially near the connections. Check for bubbles of water under the rubber. If you find any of these conditions, replace your hoses.

1. Don't be a tightwad and re-use your hoses when you buy a new washer. Buy new ones, and check them once a year. See #1 above.

Of all the things an insurance could warn you about, is this the most important? How about not locking the front door at night and filing the key somewhere in the kitchen? You will surely die looking for it if there is a fire. Or, how about a reminder to shovel your sidewalk when it snows...

[mwlogs]

I wonder how much you save by turning the water heater down when on vacation. I figure I'm already saving because there is no hot water use while I'm on vacation anyway, so is what is saved by setting to the 'vacation' setting really that much more when you consider the energy used to re-heat the water to normal once you return, unless you're gone a long time?

Just wondering.....