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Washing Machine Hose Failure

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WASHING MACHINE HOSE FAILURES

Clothes washer hose failures are consistently ranked by most major insurance companies as a leading cause of water loss claims in homes – resulting in an estimated $200 million in losses.  The true figure is probably even higher, because the amount shown only includes those reported claims.  In addition, the “true figure” does not include the anguish, the inconvenience, items lost that cannot be replaced and the loss of use of some portion of the home while the water is extracted, the home dried and the damage repaired.  Homes built with second floor laundry rooms pose an even larger threat – because of the damage caused on lower floors by water cascading down through the ceiling of lower floors and in some cases, into the ceilings of finished basements.

 

Fortunately, there are some simple, quick and inexpensive steps that homeowners can take to eliminate or at least lessen the potential problem.

 

A failed washer hose with an average water pressure of 70 pounds will spew out almost 11 gallons per minute!  This means that if the hose failure is undetected for just an hour 650 gallons of unwanted water will enter your home.  If undetected for 5 or 6 hours while you are away – some 3,500 gallons of water can enter your home.  Contrary to popular perception – washer hoses do not simply burst due to high water pressure.

 

Rather than simply bursting, washer hoses fail in a very specific place – the coupling.  Standard hose couplings are rolled and stamped from a thin sheet of copper alloy.  In time, water flow hones them to a fine edge.  When the hose bends at the coupling, this sharp edge is forced into the exterior wall and slices it open.  This is called “razoring.”

 

Unfortunately, most people assume that installing a braided stainless steel hose (steel braided hose) will solve the problem.  Even worse, many so-called “experts” believe this to be true.  If you do an Internet or newspaper search, virtually everyone passes this on as gospel.  Marketing people take advantage of consumer ignorance by marketing them as “burst-proof.”

 

Metal washer hoses, like most rubber hoses, are built to fail.  In order to secure the rubber tube and steel braid to the swivel, manufacturers use an aggressive crimp and a relatively thin inner tube.  When the hoses are bent and flexed, they fail at the crimp point.  In fact, the crimp pushes the steel braiding directly into the single, un-reinforced rubber tube.  Since the steel braided hoses are porous, once the rubber tube is severed there is nothing to prevent the water from pouring out.

 

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PREVENT WASHER HOSE FAILURES:

1.  Regularly inspect your washing machine hoses.

2.  Make sure there are at least 4 inches of clearance between the water connection and the back of the washing    machine.  This space will help reduce the chances that the hose will kink.

3.  Make sure the connections are secure and do not loosen over time with the motion of the washing machine.

4.  Buy high quality hoses – the Floodchek® brand is made with rounded brass inserts.

5.  Ideally, the hoses should be shut off when not in use.  This can be done manually each time which is a bother or one can install an automatic washing machine shutoff valve – such as the Watts Intelliflow®.

6.  Never leave your washer running when you are asleep or out of the home.


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