C & E wrote:


One of the biggest sources of insurance claims is ruptured washing machine
hoses. All you need to do there is turn off the valves and then turn the
machine on for just a couple seconds to relieve the pressure on the lines.

Ha! About 10 years ago, my mom was visiting us in Phoenix from
Illinois. We were sitting in the family room talking, and she started
worrying about whether she should have shut off the water before she
left. As we were talking, I gradually became aware of the sound of
running water, looked around, and noticed water creeping toward the
family room from the laundry room. Ran in there, shut off the burst
hose, and managed to suck up the water on the tile floor before it got
anywhere where it could do some damage. Replaced the washer hoses with
the ones that have the braided armor, and now I always turn off the
water to the washer when we go away for more than a day. Of course,
this didn't do any good for my mother's peace of mind - she worried
about her water until she got back home.

Jerry