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I have been in the plumbing business long enough to see forgetting the simplest of maintenance procedures can cause an overwhelming amount of damage; both financially and emotionally.
Pressure
 The best way to keep pressure off of your washing machine hoses is to shut off the water valves to the washing machine when you are not doing laundry. But if the pressure's going to be on at all times, it is best to have washing machine hoses that are specifically designed to handle the pressure. A failure at 70 pounds of pressure can disgorge up to 650 gallons of water per hour. The life of standard rubber hoses is greatly influenced by the chemical (chlorine) composition of the water, ambient pressure, and the specific installation - the greater the bend in the hose, the shorter the life expectancy. When the shut-off valves are left on, the constant water pressure can cause hose fatigue and bursting.
Repair
Yes, replacing your washing machine hoses is a fairly simple home repair task. Washing machine hoses can be purchased at most home repair centers, hardware stores and plumbing supply outlets. However, believe it or not I have seen some wacky installs by the Do it Yourself homeowner such as:
- "The Reversal" - Install the cold on the hot and the hot on the cold (causing their entire laundry coloured clothing to loose its entire colour) try washing coloured clothing in hot water - not fun.
- Not tightening the hose properly causing it to leak and cause water damage (when that's what they were trying to avoid in the first place)
- Connecting the hose to the wrong hose bib - no water to washing machine
Shut Off Valves
 Make sure everyone in your household knows where the water shutoff valves are and how to open and close them (regardless which valve). Some laundry valves come with only one lever to operate (picture shown) , which makes it all the easier to shut off the water with the flick of a wrist. You could shut off each of the water valve the builder provides every time you finish using the washing machine, but often the handles are difficult to reach.
Burst
 Appliance manufactures often supply cheaper rubber hoses with their appliances; these rubber hoses can deteriorate faster than normal due to the chlorine added to municipal water (that's another story altogether).
If there is a burst in the hose, the damage can be incredible when people are away from home and don't catch the problem until hours or even days after a hose has burst. A homeowner/client of ours had their second floor washing machine hoses burst and the water that ran down through the first floor ceilings and into the basement causing $40,000 in damages. Under constant water pressure, these hoses are prone to leaks or even bursting. That's why building codes say that the water supply should be shut off when the washer isn't in use-unless it's connected to no-burst hoses. No-burst hoses are encased in a woven metal sleeve that help prevents weak spots in the rubber from developing into leaks.
 Replace your standard rubber hose connections that are supplied with the washer with "No-Burst", stainless-steel-braid Washing Machine Hoses. Steel, so-called "no burst" hoses have been shown to have a longer lifespan than other models. If you delay too long, they may burst (usually when you're away) and an unlimited stream of water will flood everything until you discover it and turn off the water supply.
You can purchase these and install yourself or have us come and install them while we do a NO Obligation home plumbing planned maintenance. |
