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HEADS UP!!! -- You need to check on.....
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BadKosh
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Just west of DC.
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Aug 14, 2011, 06:33 AM
 
YOUR WASHING MACHINE SUPPLY HOSES!

The Last day of July, I arrived home to the entire main level in my home flooded. the WASHING MACHINE SUPPLY HOSE BURST.

I lost all the flooring on the main level, and all the drywall and baseboards around the bottom of every room from about a foot up all the way to the floor. I had to move 4000+ phonograph records, and about 100 science fiction collectibles, including the 4 foot Jupiter 2 to other places on the upper level, which is now taped up so the drywall dust won't cover the place. All my special model projects, video projects and such are on hold. My computer room is apart now, my audio system is in parts as well.


Service Master left me with 29 fans and 4 large dehumidifiers all over the main level. Next, a group of women came by and packed up everything but the guns, chemicals, valuables, and booze. Prolly gonna need the booze. All my non-wet clothes were packed, taken to a cleaners to be cleaned, dry-cleaned and folded and stored. Other people came for all my furniture. The kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets and such were removed so the tile floor could be chipped up too. It was discovered that my old AC unit was leaking, so THAT needs to be replaced to the tune of about $5500. The insurance people will pay for the drywall, baseboards, new bathroom sinks and flooring, a new shower stall, painting the place again, and new flooring. The flooring guy is a friend of mine and is getting nicer flooring than I had before.

I will be out of my house for 2 months while the place is rebuilt. I had to get the insurance co to give me $ for alternate living quarters. I hope I'm back in my place by Halloween.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
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Aug 14, 2011, 07:01 AM
 
Oh man, that sucks.

We turn off the tap when the machine is done. This minimizes risk.

Where did the hose burst? at the tap, or at the washing machine? or somewhere in between?

If it burst at the washing machine: there are hoses that will shut off automatically in case of sudden pressure loss - they're marketed in Germany as "Aqua-Stop" and are pretty much standard, here. A similar thing should exist over in Americania, I'll bet.

Won't help you if the hose busts off the tap, of course, and won't help your current situation...
     
ghporter
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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Aug 14, 2011, 07:36 AM
 
That happened to me once-or actually my son (about 14 at the time) who was home while my wife and I were out. He called frantically, and I was able to talk him through finding the valve and shutting off the water. I bought stainless steel sheathed hoses before coming home, and we used those hoses for the next 5 years, until we moved.

Now, I inspect the hoses every time I get ready to run the wash, and so does my wife. We think the hose burst because at that house the hookups were in the garage, and it gets really, really HOT here in San Antonio, but we aren't taking the hoses for granted at our new house, just because the washer is indoors. We replaced the washer about 6 years ago, so we're overdue to replace the hoses-and I still have those steel clad hoses on hand. I may just swap them out this week, now that I think about it.

Sorry to hear about the extent of the damage-ours was really minor because it was caught early and in the garage, but in January we had a pinhole leak in a pipe in the wall do in a whole room, so I really sympathize.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Railroader
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
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Aug 14, 2011, 03:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
Oh man, that sucks.

We turn off the tap when the machine is done. This minimizes risk.

Where did the hose burst? at the tap, or at the washing machine? or somewhere in between?

If it burst at the washing machine: there are hoses that will shut off automatically in case of sudden pressure loss - they're marketed in Germany as "Aqua-Stop" and are pretty much standard, here. A similar thing should exist over in Americania, I'll bet.

Won't help you if the hose busts off the tap, of course, and won't help your current situation...
A lot of townships are modifying their building code so that there is easy-shut-off valves on the washing machine taps.

I had one insurance company tell me that they don't cover that leak unless you change the washing machine hoses once a year.
     
Uncle Skeleton
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Aug 14, 2011, 03:29 PM
 
Sorry to hear about your troubles, BadKosh. And thanks for the warning.

I have a "heads up" item too, keep your fire extinguishers maintained and/or replaced frequently. I recently had a grease fire on the stove, and I tried to use my fire extinguisher, and nothing came out (!). Fortunately I ran out to the hallway outside my apartment, and the commercial extinguisher maintained by the building was working. I shudder to think what would have happened if I didn't have a building-wide fire strategy like that. Check the status, replace more often than you think you need to, and turn the extinguisher upside down periodically to prevent the chemical from settling to the bottom, where it won't work. (Also if you don't have a fire extinguisher, or don't know where it is, fix that)
     
iMOTOR
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Diego
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Aug 14, 2011, 05:46 PM
 
I’ve had two hoses go bad in the last fifteen years, the first one I caught right away. Everything in the laundry room was soaked but no damage. The second one about a year ago was a tiny pin hole on the hot water hose; the laundry room was just full of steam.

I had a friend that had about four feet of flooding on the first floor from a hose bursting and lost all of the furniture on the first floor and had live in a hotel for a while. Just last week, a neighbor across the street had three Servicemaster trucks in the driveway pumping water out of the house. Haven’t asked him what caused it yet.

So yeah, invest in the best quality hoses you can get, it’s worth it.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Aug 14, 2011, 06:43 PM
 
What the hell do they make those hoses out of in the states? Mine seem practically indestructible. Its not like they are under much pressure either, are they bursting because they freeze or something?
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Railroader
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Aug 14, 2011, 07:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
What the hell do they make those hoses out of in the states? Mine seem practically indestructible. Its not like they are under much pressure either, are they bursting because they freeze or something?
It is a very rare occurrence. I don't actually know of anyone this has ever happened to, only reading about it in DIY magazines or online forums. I can assure you that my parents have the original hoses on their washing machine from when they bought the house in 1997, even after replacing the washing machine.

The issue is that it is such a huge devastation when they do burst. Full pressure hoses bursting while no one is home can fill a house very quickly. Other plumbing leaks are quite minor, usually just a leaky connection or a drip at the faucet. Most American cities have pretty high pressure in their systems, I think ours is about 65psi.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Aug 14, 2011, 08:27 PM
 
I never really wondered about mains pressure before. Apparently its about the same here.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
BadKosh  (op)
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Aug 15, 2011, 08:15 AM
 
I bought the house 'used' and the former owner (must be a complete moron...) did more non-standard/non-code modifications than I care to mention. Plumbing, electrical, and drywall was always the quality of a beginner. No sanding to flat ANY of his drywall patches. the shelves were put up with non-matching screws. The sinks weren't attached to the cabinetry. UGH! They had a electric water pump thing that 'pumped' the water out of the air conditioner cooling coils drip pan to the drain. all the faucets were bottom line like the carpet (now gone) The insurance will pay to paint the doors and walls but not the ceiling. I get to re-paint the vaulted ceiling.
     
ShortcutToMoncton
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Aug 15, 2011, 08:27 AM
 
I've got previous-owner-installed washer in the basement along with previous-owner fire extinguisher, so now I'm going home after work and checking all his shit.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
     
   
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