Do you know the cause of the No.1 preventable water insurance claim is nationally? Yup, you guessed it, your washing machine. The reason is simple, most homeowners and property managers forget about the hoses that provide hot and cold water to the washing machines. And those hoses have a recommended usage life of 5 years! Now, I know you are saying to yourself, “No way my hoses are way older then 5 years old” and my answer will be, keep my number handy.
I know we all read EVERY page on the owner’s manual when we buy a new appliance and yes ALL of the major appliance manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every 5 years. The good news is most homeowner and commercial insurance policies will cover the cost of professionally removing the water, drying and returning the premises to a pre-loss condition. The bad news is you have to pay your deductible, check with your insurance company for your deductible amount. Regardless of the exact amount of your deductible I am fairly sure it is more than $30, the typical cost of a new pair of hoses.
In a perfect world, you replace the hoses every 5 years and those hoses are connected to a washing machine shutoff valve that you turn off every time you finished your wash. By turning off the valve you remove all the water pressure from the hoses thus avoiding the possibility of the hoses bursting and soaking your home. I know what you are thinking, I will buy the silver branded hoses that should last longer, actually that is NOT true since the inside of the hoses is still rubber and still internally wears at the same rate as unbraided hoses and should also be replaced every 5 years. The braiding does protect the hoses from being nicked on the outside during normal use and installation thus preventing a weak area for a failure to occur.
The single large waste hose should be checked periodically and replaced when it starts to show signs of failing but what is more important is that the hose is properly fasten to the waste pipe to prevent it becoming dislodged during a waste cycle. Now replacing the hoses will not guarantee that you will never suffer from a burst hose but it will certainly minimize the chances of it happening. If you have any questions about this article please do not hesitate to contact me at 631-423-1734 or email me at angel@servproofnorthhuntington.com.
