Washing Machine Hoses Can Cause Catastrophic Flood Damage

Behind your washing machine, out of sight and out of mind, are hoses that could be a flood disaster looking for a time to happen. With age, hoses lose their flexibility and these hose are under constant pressure changes due to the cycling of the washing machine. When the machine is filling the pressure is lowered, but when it reaches it’s full state, and shuts the water off, then the water pressure will surge and this surge will cause flexing of the hoses.  If you watch, you can actually see the hoses move as the water cycles. In time, the hoses will weaken. A slight enlargement in the rubber hose, near the termination crimp, is a sure sign of damage near to failure and a flooded house.  The industry standard is to change the hoses every 5 years. It is maintenance that is hard to remember, so a better practice may be to change the hoses every leap year (every 4 years).  That seems, to me, to be a better practice.  I recommend stainless steel braided hoses. Stainless steel braided hoses are less susceptible to burst and, though a little more costly, they are worth the extra cost. You can get stainless steel hoses at any hardware store or buy them online and the cost averages around $15 to $20. That cost is considerably cheaper than the cost to repair flood damage, so this is a washing machine repair that is well worth the time and money.