Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Hi,
A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Aaron Fude wrote:
Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
"Aaron Fude" wrote in message ... Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron If the hoses are not rated for the pressure they must not be very good hoses. I am sure there are millions of homes with the hoses that never get cut off. There are some valves you can install to cut the water off when the washer is not in use or will detect a big leak and cut off the water. If I was going on vacation I would cut off the water going to them or to the hole house. I did have a hose to develope a leak while I was out of town one day. I now cut off the well pump (did not have that option at the other house) if I go off overnight or longer. The gas line is only under a couple of pounds of presure. Much less than 10 pounds so you do not have to worry about that line breaking. |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 2, 12:01*pm, Aaron Fude wrote:
Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. My mother was visiting us in Arizona 7 or 8 years ago. We were sitting in the family room talking, and she started obsessing over whether she should have turned off the water in her house before she left. As I was telling her not to worry, we heard the sound of running water, and saw a widening circle of water creeping across the floor from the laundry room. The hot water hose on the washer had split. Of course, this did nothing to improve her frame of mind. I replaced those hoses with the braided metallic armored kind (available in the home centers), and got in the habit of turning off the water to the washer when we were going to be away for a while. Probably a good idea to change to new hoses each time you replace the washing machine. Fancy armored hoses can be more expensive than the other kind, but they are a lot cheaper than repairing the water damage from a leak that's been running all day while you were at work. So, yes, those hoses can break. On the other hand, who knows what is worse for those washer supply hoses - constant pressure, or the pressure surge every time you turn the supply back on? I can remember seeing an episode of "Ask This Old House" where the plumber guy installed one of those leak-detector shutoff valves on the laundry water lines - you might be able to find it on their website. Another opportunity for leaks is the water supply line to the toilet. I had one let go at about 2AM, luckily in the bathroom right next to our bedroom, so I heard the water running right away. It wasn't actually the metal flex supply line - the plastic nut connecting to the bottom of the toilet cracked and split at the joint between the round and hex parts of the nut. Have since had 5 or 6 other people tell me the same thing happened to them. Many recent homes here in AZ have the water supply split at the entry to the house. You can leave the water on to your lawn sprinkler system so your lawn doesn't turn brown when you're gone for 3 weeks in the summer - but you can shut off the main feed to the rest of the house. I have been been tempted to use that shutoff several times on vacations, but never have. If it's a concern, you might consider a bit of minor replumbing to install an easily accessible whole-house shutoff. Kind of makes you want to go check your homeowners insurance for water damage coverage doesn't it? ;- Jerry |
#5
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
"Aaron Fude" wrote in message ... Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron Why not? Hoses fail regardless of their rating. Ever hear of water hammer? Every time you turn off your faucet there is some transient pressure spike in your system. At some point in time there is always the potential of a hose failure after it has been subjected to (weakened by) these high pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Gas line is under low pressure but what's the harm in shutting off the supply to the dryer/ I have a ball type valve in the line right next to the dryer. MLD |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 2, 2:58*pm, "MLD" wrote:
pressure pulses. *Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry |
#7
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 2, 3:01 pm, Aaron Fude wrote:
A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? If the hoses are old then turning the water off each time is a good idea. Replacing the hoses is even better. |
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 2, 7:06�pm, Blattus Slafaly
wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron Get some better hoses (they do make them) and be done with it. Gas line no problem. -- Blattus Slafaly �? 3 � � �7/8 anything can break at any time, messing with valves constantly can lead to them failing too. your water heater can start lkeaking too at any time |
#9
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Aaron wrote:
Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron Yes, it is a good idea. The metal braided lines will last longer than the rubber hoses. I installed a one-lever shut off valve, about $20. The gas line should have a shut off value nearby, but it is not necessary to close off this (low-pressure) valve. |
#10
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Aaron Fude wrote:
Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron Hi, There may be some truth in it. But in my whole life I never did that and never experienced bursted hose. Anyway our washer is located in the basement right next to floor drain if it ever bursts. If you think about gas dryer, how about gas fire place, gas range, gas furnace, list goes on. |
#11
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
They make metal-braided hoses that have a built-in valve that shuts
down if it detects a broken hose (I assume it works by having a flow- limiter on the far end and if the flow through a broken hose is more than that, a valve at the near end shuts down). They do take a little longer to fill the washing machine (the flow is slightly less) but it's worth the extra couple of minutes it takes for the wash to finish for peace-of-mind. By the way, if you do use these, you're defeating the purpose of them if you turn the water off. They're not expensive-- got mine at HD. Shaun Eli www.BrainChampagne.com |
#12
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
HeyBub wrote:
Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). Hi, One thought, if you keep turing water on/off wouldn't it cause premature failure of hose by repeated expanding/shrinking cycles? |
#13
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Tony Hwang wrote:
HeyBub wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). Hi, One thought, if you keep turing water on/off wouldn't it cause premature failure of hose by repeated expanding/shrinking cycles? Don't think so. The water in the hose will retain the pressure - unless it leaks, then you have a different problem. |
#14
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 20:29:46 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote: Tony Hwang wrote: HeyBub wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). Hi, One thought, if you keep turing water on/off wouldn't it cause premature failure of hose by repeated expanding/shrinking cycles? Don't think so. The water in the hose will retain the pressure - unless it leaks, then you have a different problem. Even with titanium hoses equipped with laser carved diamond fittings, you still have to consider that the inner plumbing and valves of the washer itself can fail. Shut the water off. Really. |
#16
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
wrote in message ... On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:33:45 -0400, wrote: On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 20:29:46 -0500, "HeyBub" wrote: Tony Hwang wrote: HeyBub wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). Hi, One thought, if you keep turing water on/off wouldn't it cause premature failure of hose by repeated expanding/shrinking cycles? Don't think so. The water in the hose will retain the pressure - unless it leaks, then you have a different problem. Even with titanium hoses equipped with laser carved diamond fittings, you still have to consider that the inner plumbing and valves of the washer itself can fail. Shut the water off. Really. Do you turn off the water to your ice maker after the tray fills too? Dumb----Ask yourself one question--am I better off with the water shut OFF or ON. The machine shutoff valves are nickel and dime parts--Closure is made with a small plunger pushed by a spring that's probably exerts a force comparable to a ball point pen spring. Sure it works but to say that they never fail----Consider a small piece of contamination on the shutoff valve seat that starts out as a small leak that grows into a very big leak while you're off on vacation somewhere. MLD |
#17
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Jerry wrote:
Another opportunity for leaks is the water supply line to the toilet. I had one let go at about 2AM, luckily in the bathroom right next to our bedroom, so I heard the water running right away. It wasn't actually the metal flex supply line - the plastic nut connecting to the bottom of the toilet cracked and split at the joint between the round and hex parts of the nut. Have since had 5 or 6 other people tell me the same thing happened to them. My house was vacant for a while (we tried to sell it, but with the housing market the way it is, that didn't happen). The day after we decided to move back in, the toilet supply line in the master bath failed in exactly the manner described above. A neighbor noticed water flowing out of the house and called us. We have no way of knowing how long the water had been spraying out of that crack in the plastic nut, but all rooms were flooded but the two front bedrooms. All the carpeting and all of the MDF baseboards in the flooded rooms were ruined. The company that came out that evening drilled 1" holes in the drywall everywhere and installed 5 industrial-sized dehumifiers and about 20 high-power fans to dry everything out. It took a week. All the flooring had to be replaced except the ceramic tile, and all the flooded rooms were repainted. The total insurance settlement was about $25K. All of this was caused by the failure of a part that costs less than $5 at Home Depot. For under $7 you can get one with a safety shut-off valve. Guess which one I bought. I replaced the toilet supply line in the other bathroom as well because the plastic nut on that one was cracked too, but hadn't started to leak yet. Suggestion: inspect those things often! --Steve |
#18
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:28:48 -0400, Blattus Slafaly
wrote: Shaun Eli wrote: They make metal-braided hoses that have a built-in valve that shuts down if it detects a broken hose (I assume it works by having a flow- limiter on the far end and if the flow through a broken hose is more than that, a valve at the near end shuts down). They do take a little longer to fill the washing machine (the flow is slightly less) but it's worth the extra couple of minutes it takes for the wash to finish for peace-of-mind. By the way, if you do use these, you're defeating the purpose of them if you turn the water off. They're not expensive-- got mine at HD. Shaun Eli www.BrainChampagne.com I have the old cheap hoses on my washer. Never had one break, don't care if it does since it's in the basement. By the time you return after a weeks vacation the water will be up to the first floor. By then it will have done a few other things you may not appreciate. Oil tank in your basement? Well, it got floated off the floor, breaking the fuel line to the boiler. Now you have diesel mixed in with that water. You can't just pump that out with a sump pump. The EPA is gonna charge you a few hundred thou to deal with it correctly. Then the water flooded your burner, ruining it. Oh, yeah, the diesel fumes have now permeated the entire house. That smell will be there until the day you tear the house down. Now the water has risen up to the breaker box. zzzzzzzt! Uh-oh! Now the diesel fumes have ignited with a big WHOOMP as the water continues to climb the basement stairs. etc, etc, etc. Yeah, a broken washer hose in the basement is nothing to worry about... |
#19
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 2, 2:01*pm, Aaron Fude wrote:
Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? Many thanks in advance! Aaron Thanks for the reminder, its time to replace my 11 year old hoses. A good stainless steel hose under 5 years old should not require the hassle of getting under the laundry tub to turn a valve every time you want to do the laundry. But watch out when they get old. |
#20
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:30:29 -0400, Blattus Slafaly
wrote: People like you always assume you know it all. Like I said, I never had washer hoses break in 50 years. Never shut them off. You just pegged my irony meter so hard it bent the needle. |
#21
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Blattus Slafaly wrote:
wrote: On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:28:48 -0400, Blattus Slafaly wrote: Shaun Eli wrote: They make metal-braided hoses that have a built-in valve that shuts down if it detects a broken hose (I assume it works by having a flow- limiter on the far end and if the flow through a broken hose is more than that, a valve at the near end shuts down). They do take a little longer to fill the washing machine (the flow is slightly less) but it's worth the extra couple of minutes it takes for the wash to finish for peace-of-mind. By the way, if you do use these, you're defeating the purpose of them if you turn the water off. They're not expensive-- got mine at HD. Shaun Eli www.BrainChampagne.com I have the old cheap hoses on my washer. Never had one break, don't care if it does since it's in the basement. By the time you return after a weeks vacation the water will be up to the first floor. By then it will have done a few other things you may not appreciate. Oil tank in your basement? Well, it got floated off the floor, breaking the fuel line to the boiler. Now you have diesel mixed in with that water. You can't just pump that out with a sump pump. The EPA is gonna charge you a few hundred thou to deal with it correctly. Then the water flooded your burner, ruining it. Oh, yeah, the diesel fumes have now permeated the entire house. That smell will be there until the day you tear the house down. Now the water has risen up to the breaker box. zzzzzzzt! Uh-oh! Now the diesel fumes have ignited with a big WHOOMP as the water continues to climb the basement stairs. etc, etc, etc. Yeah, a broken washer hose in the basement is nothing to worry about... Never heard of a cellar drain? Mine drains out under the drive way down a banking into a little stream bed. Never heard of a sump pump? If you don't have a cellar drain you really should get one so you DON"T get floating oil barrels and flooded oil burners. People like you always assume you know it all. Actually they are just calling attention to something that has been known to happen. I remember it happening to a neighbor in our old neighborhood. They were away and the washing machine hose burst and even though there was a floor drain the basement filled up and flipped the oil tank just as described. They later found that the floor drain had become blocked with debris. It doesn't take much. I was washing down the siding and a pad under the deck which goes into the basement. There is a standard floor drain in the pad and the pad is pitched to flow into the drain. After a while I noticed there was a puddle. The drain had blocked when a mix of a little dirt and some broken leaves accumulated on the strainer surface. When I was a kid the supply hose burst on my parent's washer. Fortunately someone was home and heard the noise and was able to turn the water off. Like I said, I never had washer hoses break in 50 years. Never shut them off. But a statistical sample size of one is virtually meaningless. One could come to numerous invalid conclusions with that sample size such as but certainly not limited to these examples: I clean my hands with solvent everyday and I didn't get cancer. I use gasoline to light the BBQ and have never had a problem. I never check the tire pressure or even look at the tires on my car and have never had a problem. |
#22
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
Jerry wrote:
On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. |
#23
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:34:17 -0400, George
wrote: Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. I've got mine! |
#24
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
"George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. A real cheap solution- All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. |
#25
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:58:58 -0700, Steve
wrote: Jerry wrote: Another opportunity for leaks is the water supply line to the toilet. I had one let go at about 2AM, luckily in the bathroom right next to our bedroom, so I heard the water running right away. It wasn't actually the metal flex supply line - the plastic nut connecting to the bottom of the toilet cracked and split at the joint between the round and hex parts of the nut. Have since had 5 or 6 other people tell me the same thing happened to them. My house was vacant for a while (we tried to sell it, but with the housing market the way it is, that didn't happen). The day after we decided to move back in, the toilet supply line in the master bath failed in exactly the manner described above. A neighbor noticed water flowing out of the house and called us. We have no way of knowing how long the water had been spraying out of that crack in the plastic nut, but all rooms were flooded but the two front bedrooms. All the carpeting and all of the MDF baseboards in the flooded rooms were ruined. The company that came out that evening drilled 1" holes in the drywall everywhere and installed 5 industrial-sized dehumifiers and about 20 high-power fans to dry everything out. It took a week. All the flooring had to be replaced except the ceramic tile, and all the flooded rooms were repainted. The total insurance settlement was about $25K. All of this was caused by the failure of a part that costs less than $5 at Home Depot. For under $7 you can get one with a safety shut-off valve. Guess which one I bought. I replaced the toilet supply line in the other bathroom as well because the plastic nut on that one was cracked too, but hadn't started to leak yet. Suggestion: inspect those things often! --Steve The neighbor across the street went on a 3-week vacation to come back to an ice-maker line burst. Ruined the carpeting, flooring, and basement ceiling, total $16K back in 1996. Insurance covered most of the cost, but nobody needs the hassle. Some folks turn off the main water supply before leaving for vacation. |
#26
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
Phisherman wrote:
On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:58:58 -0700, Steve wrote: Jerry wrote: All of this was caused by the failure of a part that costs less than $5 at Home Depot. For under $7 you can get one with a safety shut-off valve. Guess which one I bought. I replaced the toilet supply line in the other bathroom as well because the plastic nut on that one was cracked too, but hadn't started to leak yet. Suggestion: inspect those things often! --Steve The neighbor across the street went on a 3-week vacation to come back to an ice-maker line burst. Ruined the carpeting, flooring, and basement ceiling, total $16K back in 1996. Insurance covered most of the cost, but nobody needs the hassle. Some folks turn off the main water supply before leaving for vacation. Back in the 70's the ruptured toilet line happened to my boss while he was on vacation - in that case the repair cost was under $4K. In our case the insurance co. paid the company that did the cleanup about $8K, then paid another company $3K or $4K to do some of the work I couldn't handle, and paid me another $14.5K to settle the claim. We used the money to upgrade to engineered hardwood flooring to replace carpeting in the bedrooms, living room, back hall and family room, and ceramic tile to replace vinyl in the bathrooms. We did all the installation and painting ourselves. --Steve |
#27
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
along with your water heater and furnace?
s "Blattus Slafaly" wrote in message ... I have the old cheap hoses on my washer. Never had one break, don't care if it does since it's in the basement. -- Blattus Slafaly ? 3 7/8 |
#28
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
"Steve" wrote in message est... Phisherman wrote: On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:58:58 -0700, Steve wrote: Jerry wrote: All of this was caused by the failure of a part that costs less than $5 at Home Depot. For under $7 you can get one with a safety shut-off valve. Guess which one I bought. I replaced the toilet supply line in the other bathroom as well because the plastic nut on that one was cracked too, but hadn't started to leak yet. Suggestion: inspect those things often! --Steve The neighbor across the street went on a 3-week vacation to come back to an ice-maker line burst. Ruined the carpeting, flooring, and basement ceiling, total $16K back in 1996. Insurance covered most of the cost, but nobody needs the hassle. Some folks turn off the main water supply before leaving for vacation. Back in the 70's the ruptured toilet line happened to my boss while he was on vacation - in that case the repair cost was under $4K. In our case the insurance co. paid the company that did the cleanup about $8K, then paid another company $3K or $4K to do some of the work I couldn't handle, and paid me another $14.5K to settle the claim. We used the money to upgrade to engineered hardwood flooring to replace carpeting in the bedrooms, living room, back hall and family room, and ceramic tile to replace vinyl in the bathrooms. We did all the installation and painting ourselves. --Steve A couple of years ago went on a 3 day vacation. Opened the front door and was greeted to the sound of running water. Toilet flapper had a small leak and when the water got low enough it refilled. One time the shutoff valve (float) stuck and the water never stopped running. Most was handled by the overflow tube and the rest came out the flush handle. Result--Two full bathrooms completely wiped out (one below the other), the bottom one right down to the bare studs including the tile floor. Total cost: $25,000, I paid $200 deductable. Now, even for overnight, I shut off the water supply--just the simple flip of a ball valve where the water enters the house. For almost 4 months--washed in the kitchen sink, showered in the up bathroom (tub) and used the toilet in the down bath. Never say Never! MLD |
#29
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
You will. Unless you're replacing those junky rubber hoses often. You
will. s "Blattus Slafaly" wrote in message ... Like I said, I never had washer hoses break in 50 years. Never shut them off. -- Blattus Slafaly ? 3 7/8 |
#30
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
The smart ones of us turn it off any time we leave the house.
s "Phisherman" wrote in message news Some folks turn off the main water supply before leaving for vacation. |
#31
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
In article , "MLD" wrote:
"George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. A real cheap solution- All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it? |
#32
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 3, 7:46�pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. �Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. �A real cheap solution- �All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - ahh somone might run their vehicle into your home, dont laugh it happened to a realtive electrical sort in wall from say a picture being hung on wall might cause house fire and destroy home. never go away from your home for more than a few hours, furnace might malfunction, house freeze, tons of damage. commercial airliner might crash into your home....... do you want to be there at the time of impact? theres endless possible disasters, your better off having insurance, taking care of routine maintence and not stress to much lest worrying causes heart attack and death. life is too short to spend it all fretting possibilties....... |
#33
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:32:55 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote: On Sep 3, 7:46?pm, Smitty Two wrote: In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. ?Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. ?A real cheap solution- ?All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - ahh somone might run their vehicle into your home, dont laugh it happened to a realtive electrical sort in wall from say a picture being hung on wall might cause house fire and destroy home. never go away from your home for more than a few hours, furnace might malfunction, house freeze, tons of damage. commercial airliner might crash into your home....... do you want to be there at the time of impact? theres endless possible disasters, your better off having insurance, taking care of routine maintence and not stress to much lest worrying causes heart attack and death. life is too short to spend it all fretting possibilties....... An intelligent person removes any risks that are easy to mitigate. My home has never been burglarized, and I've never had my car stolen. I still lock both of them when I leave them. Washer hose disasters are pretty common (ask any insurance company) and VERY easy to avoid. I also recommend stopping for red traffic lights, and cooking pork thoroughly. |
#34
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Sep 4, 6:28�am, wrote:
On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:32:55 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: On Sep 3, 7:46?pm, Smitty Two wrote: In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. ?Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. ?A real cheap solution- ?All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - ahh somone might run their vehicle into your home, dont laugh it happened to a realtive electrical sort in wall from say a picture being hung on wall might cause house fire and destroy home. never go away from your home for more than a few hours, �furnace might malfunction, house freeze, tons of damage. commercial airliner might crash into your home....... do you want to be there at the time of impact? theres endless possible disasters, your better off having insurance, taking care of routine maintence and not stress to much lest worrying causes heart attack and death. life is too short to spend it all fretting possibilties....... An intelligent person removes any risks that are easy to mitigate. My home has never been burglarized, and I've never had my car stolen. I still lock both of them when I leave them. Washer hose disasters are pretty common (ask any insurance company) and VERY easy to avoid. I also recommend stopping for red traffic lights, and cooking pork thoroughly.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - yeah but one could turn leaving your home for a few hours into a production, of turn off water, turn off most breakers, set burglar alarm, lock gate, etc etc etc. where most people just go out the door and dont give it a second thought. meanwhile the careful person is causing excess wear on valves switches etc. too many breakers on and off may cause no trip when you need it the most I had a braided metal hot water line to bathroom sink start leaking pretty bad once, so those lines arent perfect. my dads water filter split in two while he was on vacation, flooded home. thanks to insurance it looks better than ever. anyone leave any electrical stuff plugged in while not home? did you know a major cause of home fires is the simple can opener? they short somehow, and home fires are way worse than water leaks. how about dishwashers? powered on constantly with water always on thats a hazard too oh asnd heres a sad one, good friends had 140K in home fire damage after their cat knocked over a lamp, in their bedroom they were underinsured, no coverage for possesions or living expenses, the 140 thousand was just structural damage best get rid of all pets............ err barking dog in middle of nite alerted foiks to next doors home on fire......... geez maintain your home as best you can and have insurance.... beyond that chiull, too much stress makes people ill. give me a flatened home before a heart attack or cancer. wonder if the people worried about a washer leaking smoke? if they do they are at so much personal health risk why concern themselves with anything? |
#35
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:30:57 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote: On Sep 4, 6:28?am, wrote: On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:32:55 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: On Sep 3, 7:46?pm, Smitty Two wrote: In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. ?Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. ?A real cheap solution- ?All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - ahh somone might run their vehicle into your home, dont laugh it happened to a realtive electrical sort in wall from say a picture being hung on wall might cause house fire and destroy home. never go away from your home for more than a few hours, ?furnace might malfunction, house freeze, tons of damage. commercial airliner might crash into your home....... do you want to be there at the time of impact? theres endless possible disasters, your better off having insurance, taking care of routine maintence and not stress to much lest worrying causes heart attack and death. life is too short to spend it all fretting possibilties....... An intelligent person removes any risks that are easy to mitigate. My home has never been burglarized, and I've never had my car stolen. I still lock both of them when I leave them. Washer hose disasters are pretty common (ask any insurance company) and VERY easy to avoid. I also recommend stopping for red traffic lights, and cooking pork thoroughly.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - yeah but one could turn leaving your home for a few hours into a production, of turn off water, turn off most breakers, set burglar alarm, lock gate, etc etc etc. where most people just go out the door and dont give it a second thought. meanwhile the careful person is causing excess wear on valves switches etc. too many breakers on and off may cause no trip when you need it the most I had a braided metal hot water line to bathroom sink start leaking pretty bad once, so those lines arent perfect. my dads water filter split in two while he was on vacation, flooded home. thanks to insurance it looks better than ever. anyone leave any electrical stuff plugged in while not home? did you know a major cause of home fires is the simple can opener? they short somehow, and home fires are way worse than water leaks. how about dishwashers? powered on constantly with water always on thats a hazard too oh asnd heres a sad one, good friends had 140K in home fire damage after their cat knocked over a lamp, in their bedroom they were underinsured, no coverage for possesions or living expenses, the 140 thousand was just structural damage best get rid of all pets............ err barking dog in middle of nite alerted foiks to next doors home on fire......... geez maintain your home as best you can and have insurance.... beyond that chiull, too much stress makes people ill. give me a flatened home before a heart attack or cancer. wonder if the people worried about a washer leaking smoke? if they do they are at so much personal health risk why concern themselves with anything? I guess you read my post and now realize that you don't qualify as "intelligent". You also sound pretty stressed out. See ya. |
#36
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
Smitty Two wrote:
In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. A real cheap solution- All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it? The common version isn't threaded and is made to solder directly to your 1/2" tubing. They are simple to install and no unions etc are needed. You remove the valve body to protect it from heat (two screws) and clean/flux the fittings and do the same with the tubing. Sweat and put the valve body back on. |
#37
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
"George" wrote in message . .. Smitty Two wrote: In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. A real cheap solution- All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it? The common version isn't threaded and is made to solder directly to your 1/2" tubing. They are simple to install and no unions etc are needed. You remove the valve body to protect it from heat (two screws) and clean/flux the fittings and do the same with the tubing. Sweat and put the valve body back on. That's the way but be honest, it's not quite that simple. Requires a bit more work since the hot and cold lines must align with the valve etc. BTW, if ever they leak you don't have to replace the whole valve. Get a new one and just replace the innards using the old valve's body MLD |
#38
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
-google_groups- Shut off water when washer not in use?
wrote in message ... On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 05:30:57 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: On Sep 4, 6:28?am, wrote: On Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:32:55 -0700 (PDT), " wrote: On Sep 3, 7:46?pm, Smitty Two wrote: In article , "MLD" wrote: "George" wrote in message ... Jerry wrote: On Sep 2, 2:58 pm, "MLD" wrote: pressure pulses. ?Get yourself a single lever Watts valve. Like this? http://www.pexsupply.com/Categories....D=610&brandid= First I heard of this. Interesting. Convenient. Cheap insurance. Jerry Exactly, if you're handy you can put it in yourself. As noted below--a one finger flip and both the hot and cold water are shutoff. ?A real cheap solution- ?All these guys who say "Never" are going to eat their words one day. MLD They are exactly what you described and also inexpensive. One quick motion and the water is off. Those valves have become really common in the past maybe 15 years or so. I don't think I have ever seen new construction or remodeling where they weren't used. The local real supply house has them in the area right behind the counter with the other commonly sold stuff. All right, I'm an idiot. How do you install the thing, assuming you get the threaded variety? Unions above it?- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - ahh somone might run their vehicle into your home, dont laugh it happened to a realtive electrical sort in wall from say a picture being hung on wall might cause house fire and destroy home. never go away from your home for more than a few hours, ?furnace might malfunction, house freeze, tons of damage. commercial airliner might crash into your home....... do you want to be there at the time of impact? theres endless possible disasters, your better off having insurance, taking care of routine maintence and not stress to much lest worrying causes heart attack and death. life is too short to spend it all fretting possibilties....... An intelligent person removes any risks that are easy to mitigate. My home has never been burglarized, and I've never had my car stolen. I still lock both of them when I leave them. Washer hose disasters are pretty common (ask any insurance company) and VERY easy to avoid. I also recommend stopping for red traffic lights, and cooking pork thoroughly.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - yeah but one could turn leaving your home for a few hours into a production, of turn off water, turn off most breakers, set burglar alarm, lock gate, etc etc etc. where most people just go out the door and dont give it a second thought. meanwhile the careful person is causing excess wear on valves switches etc. too many breakers on and off may cause no trip when you need it the most I had a braided metal hot water line to bathroom sink start leaking pretty bad once, so those lines arent perfect. my dads water filter split in two while he was on vacation, flooded home. thanks to insurance it looks better than ever. anyone leave any electrical stuff plugged in while not home? did you know a major cause of home fires is the simple can opener? they short somehow, and home fires are way worse than water leaks. how about dishwashers? powered on constantly with water always on thats a hazard too oh asnd heres a sad one, good friends had 140K in home fire damage after their cat knocked over a lamp, in their bedroom they were underinsured, no coverage for possesions or living expenses, the 140 thousand was just structural damage best get rid of all pets............ err barking dog in middle of nite alerted foiks to next doors home on fire......... geez maintain your home as best you can and have insurance.... beyond that chiull, too much stress makes people ill. give me a flatened home before a heart attack or cancer. wonder if the people worried about a washer leaking smoke? if they do they are at so much personal health risk why concern themselves with anything? I guess you read my post and now realize that you don't qualify as "intelligent". You also sound pretty stressed out. See ya. This is a guy you never want to work with--an idiot who thinks that he's playing with you and in actuality has an IQ about the same as his hat size. MLD |
#39
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
wrote in message ... On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:13:52 -0400, wrote: On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:33:45 -0400, wrote: On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 20:29:46 -0500, "HeyBub" wrote: Tony Hwang wrote: HeyBub wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). Hi, One thought, if you keep turing water on/off wouldn't it cause premature failure of hose by repeated expanding/shrinking cycles? Don't think so. The water in the hose will retain the pressure - unless it leaks, then you have a different problem. Even with titanium hoses equipped with laser carved diamond fittings, you still have to consider that the inner plumbing and valves of the washer itself can fail. Shut the water off. Really. Do you turn off the water to your ice maker after the tray fills too? If I had an icemaker, the answer would be no. Of course, if you were intellectually honest, you would have admitted that there is a bit of a difference between the very tiny line to the icemaker, and the two large diameter hoses leading to the washer. I can tell you an icemaker story. A neighbor had GE service her refrigerator and right after they were done left town for 2 weeks. When she came back the house was flooded because the ice maker line had been damaged when the refrigerator was pushed back into position. The good part of the story is GE gave no arguement and paid to have her house repaired.... which was quite extensive. |
#40
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Shut off water when washer not in use?
On Thu, 4 Sep 2008 20:37:51 -0400, "Art"
wrote: wrote in message .. . On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:13:52 -0400, wrote: On Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:33:45 -0400, wrote: On Tue, 2 Sep 2008 20:29:46 -0500, "HeyBub" wrote: Tony Hwang wrote: HeyBub wrote: Aaron Fude wrote: Hi, A plumber told me that it's a good idea to shut off water from the washer when it's not in use because the flexible lines aren't rated to continuous pressure. Well, they ARE rated for continuous pressure, but do break. So shutting off the water is a fail-safe idea. Special valves are available for just that purpose - to make it easy to turn off the water. A. Is that true? B. Does the same apply to the gas line for the dryer? It does NOT apply to the dryer's gas line (unless you're using the push-on rubber hoses that have been outlawed since about 1950). Hi, One thought, if you keep turing water on/off wouldn't it cause premature failure of hose by repeated expanding/shrinking cycles? Don't think so. The water in the hose will retain the pressure - unless it leaks, then you have a different problem. Even with titanium hoses equipped with laser carved diamond fittings, you still have to consider that the inner plumbing and valves of the washer itself can fail. Shut the water off. Really. Do you turn off the water to your ice maker after the tray fills too? If I had an icemaker, the answer would be no. Of course, if you were intellectually honest, you would have admitted that there is a bit of a difference between the very tiny line to the icemaker, and the two large diameter hoses leading to the washer. I can tell you an icemaker story. A neighbor had GE service her refrigerator and right after they were done left town for 2 weeks. When she came back the house was flooded because the ice maker line had been damaged when the refrigerator was pushed back into position. The good part of the story is GE gave no arguement and paid to have her house repaired.... which was quite extensive. I don't doubt it. None the less, the icemaker line normally presents a far smaller risk than the two 1/2 inch washer hoses and the washing machines internal plumbing. |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Leaky shut-off handle - replace washer or use teflon valve packing string? | Home Repair | |||
Water shut off | UK diy | |||
How can I shut off electricity to hot water heater when water stops flowing thru it? | Home Ownership | |||
How can I shut off electricity to hot water heater when water stops flowing thru it? | Home Ownership |