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Last Updated: , Created: Sunday, January 14th, 2001

Avoiding flooding from clothes washing machines

The rubber hoses that bring water to a clothes washer, particularly the hot water one, will age, swell, and eventually burst, usually right where they bend coming out of the faucet. The official instructions with all clothes washers are to turn these faucets on and off every time you use the machine. I did meet one person once in my life who actually did that. The rest of us just hope that the washing machine dies before the hoses do.

You can buy better hoses, with a flexible metal sleeve that is less likely to burst, or you can check out a special washing machine wall box that has a really nifty single-lever double water valve that just opens and closes both faucets with the flick of a lever, made by Oatey. There is even a place in the wall box for the drain stand pipe. Now THAT I might actually do between loads of clothes.  Just Google: "Single lever washing machine shut-off valve"

 

You may want to install a flood alarm behind the washing machine just in case anything starts leaking onto the floor.  This could be especially important if there is a finished celing below.

 


Keywords: Alarms, Washing Machine, Flood, Hose, Water, Plumbing, Valves

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