On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:21:34 GMT, "Toller" wrote:


"mm" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 20 Feb 2007 21:07:29 GMT, "Toller" wrote:

A neighbor woke up to an inch of water on their first floor from a burst
washing machine hose. Got me to worrying.

I replaced mine with braided steel hoses; even splurged and got the ones
that shut off in case of a leak.

I know the rubber ones are supposed to be replace every 5 years, or
something like that; do the steel ones every have to be routinely replace?
Nothing on the package about it.

As I see it, the rubber hoses swell before they split/burst and the
steel braid keeps the hose from swelling. So the entire layer of
rubber would have to disintegrate in some spot before they would leak.

Yes, that is how it seems to me; and that ought to take 25 years I should
think.

But I have no idea about your bigger question.

I'm going to go look for the ones that shut off in case of a leak,
especially if they are only 22 dollars. That's 44 for a pair or no?

No, $22 for the pair. They only shut off on big leaks, since they can't
tell small leaks from normal usage. But hey, it is the big leaks that are
most dangerous. 6' was only a dollar more.

Well I've had water in my basment from about 10 sources, a total of
maybe 15 times. On mos**t occasions, the only things damaged were the
boxes I kept things in. Usually they are totally replaceable unless
they are the original box that something came in, with a picture on
the outside. I like to use those, and don't like it when they are
ruined.

**On one or two occasions it made it to the finished room next to the
laundry room, where it loosened the asphalt? tile. I could put that
down, but part of it was broken apparently, and when the mastic
failed, they came apart. Maybe 5 tiles. I hope to retrieve matching
tiles from under the loft bed, where boxes are piled, and replace
those tiles with plain brown or something.

I put a piece of 1x2 in the doorway floor to prevent future floods
into that room.

None of the leaks have been big leaks, so I guess I will look at what
you mention below.

I could probably make one myself, with just the electric valves, but
that is probably the biggest part of the price anyhow. We'll see.

I was tempted by a shutoff valve connected to water supply that shuts the
water off if sensors by the washing machine, water heater, etc. see water.
But there is not enough room between my main shut off and the T to the
washer for it, and I didn't want to deal with moving the main shutoff.
Someday.