
Here at Speed Services we deal with a lot of water leaks and the resulting damage from them. Having worked with insurance companies and the different claims involved with a homeowner’s policy we’re going to try and reduce the risk you take with the most common water leak that usually leads to major damage.
The washing machine supply hoses. Usually out of sight and out of mind, these two hoses can deteriorate to the point of failure. The most common hoses are the ones that come with a washing machine or are found in a cheap hardware store installation kit. These are usually a natural rubber type of hose that get brittle with age and tend to develop cracks where they bend to attach to the washer or the valves.
When a washing machine hose breaks or blows out from pressure, it’s always at the least opportune time. That’s just Murphy’s law. The leak is likely to go unnoticed until water is either flowing down the hallway or the spray is heard from the living room. When a crack or burst occurs on one of these hoses it can literally let 100’s of gallons of water flow out into the room or down into the basement in a matter of an hour or two.
There are ways to prevent this kind of damage. These hoses are only one of the things we check on our home plumbing inspection. If one of our valuable service techs is already in your home for a different service, be sure to have them do this inspection. It has the potential to save a lot of money in the future. Check the hoses yourself. If they look old, the probably are old. Look for stress marks, pinched areas or any signs of rubbing.
We recommend that these hoses get replaced every 5 years just to err on the safe side. All of our service trucks carry sets of hoses that feature a stainless steel braid on them. This braid prevents rubbing, kinking and bursting of the hose. If you run into one of our techs or give us a call we would be happy to supply hoses or come replace them for you. These high quality hoses can also be picked up at hardware and big box stores.
The bottom line is when in doubt just replace them. The cost of a new set of hoses pales in comparison to the damage they can cause if they fail.
Another way to prevent excess damage is a simple water alarm. Much like a smoke detector these small alarm units will sound off in the event that water comes in contact with them. By placing one of these behind the washer it can alert you right away if a leak occurs and the act of replacing the battery once a year will force you to take a look back there so you can inspect the hoses and maybe find that lost sock too.
Author: jonporter
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