"An Ounce of Prevention": As trite as this old adage is, there is so much wisdom in it, as we learned from a "waterfall" which greeted us as we returned to our months old house, after having been out for a few hours one evening. Water was literally cascading down the steps from the rear entry of the house. The source? One of the hoses from our washing machine had split and the water was rushing out all over the laundry room, breakfast room, kitchen and into the dining room.
Our move-in date had been delayed; we stored our household belongings in a transfer truck for about six weeks; and the hose had apparently dry-rotted--although there was no apparent sign of that and we had washed clothes for a couple of months with no problem. Lesson learned: The replacement hose packages state that the hoses need to be replaced periodically, never had noticed that before.
Also it is wise to turn off the water supply to the washer when it is not in use. When we built our retirement home, we had easy to reach turn off valves installed right where the connection is. I hope your readers will be able to prevent similar problems with this little tidbit information.
Many insurance companies send out reminders on maintenance of household items. BUT don't replace the hose with rubber again, get the flex hose suggested for water lines and washers. Thing is, the cost is very minimal and compare the damage cost if you DON'T, just buy it. My son just bought a 30 yr old house, the bank, insurance insisted that the washer have the flex hose besides all the CO Detector, smoke alarms and GFI outlets established prior to final signing of loans.
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
