A burst washing machine hose is one of the worst disasters that can befall your home. Unlike a leaky pipe or even a broken sump pump, a washing machine hose burst is sudden and causes damage very quickly. A burst hose can expel up to 650 gallons of water per hour, flooding your basement within minutes and causing serious water damage.
Despite the danger, most people don’t take adequate measures to prevent this catastrophe. Burst washing machine hoses are one of the top five causes of home insurance claims, and our Minneapolis plumbers have seen many a flooded basement that could have been avoided had the homeowner taken few preventive steps. The clincher is that preventing a burst washing machine is easy—most people just don’t think about it until it’s too late.
Prevent a burst washing machine hose by following these easy steps:
Make sure your machine is at least four inches from the wall so that the hose doesn’t have to kink or bend.
Inspect your hose once a month, looking for loose connections, cracks, blisters, and worn patches of tubing. Tighten any loose connections—that’s where the hose is most likely to fail!
Replace your hose every 3-5 years even if it doesn’t appear worn. Sometimes the hose deteriorates from the inside out.
Never run a load of laundry while you’re away from home or asleep. If your hose bursts, even a few minutes can make a difference in terms of how much damage is caused.
Turn off your hot and cold water supply valves if you’re going to be away from home for more than a couple days.
Most washing machine hoses are made out of rubber, but stainless steel braided hoses are more durable and resistant to bursting. Consider making the switch—the stainless steel hoses cost slightly more, but are still an inexpensive investment, especially when compared to the cost of water damage if your hose bursts.
Replacing and maintaining your washing machine hoses is simple and inexpensive, so don’t let it slip to the wayside and get forgotten when it comes to your home maintenance routine.