Busted hose!!

[Cromag]

This is more of a warning than a question. I had a connecter hose underneith my sink bust and spray scolding hot water allover the place. Fortunatly, my wife was at home and on the phone with me at the time when it happened. I told her over the phone where the main water valve was and she ran down in the basement and turned it off. Point is two fold - one, know where the shut off valve is in case of an emergency. And two - replace all of the crappy rubber hoses with stailess steel braided hoses!!!! Like under the sink, for the dishwasher and for the cloths washer, even the ice maker! It could have been a disaster had we both been at work or worse, on vacation! It just so happened that she was on the phone talking to me about what we were going to have for dinner and bam the hose broke. I guess those prayers for God to keep watch over our house actually work! Do yourself a favor and install the stailess steel braided hoses before those crappy rubber hoses cost you big bucks.

Paul

[deathwish2]

Nice save!

I've thought I had the washing machine hose go . . . I was pretty glad I had updated to a GFCI for the washer (it did trip as a result of the 'moisture') . . . but I didn't even go in the room until I shut off the breaker to the dryer (electric, 220v, not gas) for fear of deep frying my feet and the water (it was January and that water was c*o*l*d anyways). As it turned out, it was the pipe, right at the valve that had blown through.

Last year I was at a local supply outlet ( http://www.buildingsuppliesoutlet.com they get a lot of odd-lot and cancelled special orders, but also have a very reasonable custom door shop in house, and a HUGE selection of windows and prefab doors, gotta be near 30,000 sq ft and racked two high) for their annual clear out sale and got a pair of stainless braided washing machine hoses for $1.00 each . . . such a deal! Now I don't worry so much, as I've gone along, all the old copper has been replaced, all the feeds are either stainless braided, or the solid compression tube style now . . . no more vinyl/rubber hoses for me!

Anyhow, great tip/reminder! It's worth the extra couple bucks . . . no sense in spending an extra $50 or more for a better quality faucet that won't ever drip or lose it's luster, only to cheap out on the feed and have a gusher down under when you least expect it.

--Deathwish

When it comes to
woodworking and buying
tools, I always think back to
my grandfathers advice on
golf . . . "it's not the arrows,
it's the indian.''

[Grandad]

>God to keep watch over our house actually work! Do yourself
>a favor and install the stailess steel braided hoses before
>those crappy rubber hoses cost you big bucks.

Just be aware that those do not meet code in a lot of places. Personally I think they are great, assuming you get the American made ones. I used to work for someone who sold the imports, and they were worse than running water through a sock.

I believe, but am not sure, that the hard metal ones meet code everywhere, and are actually the least likely to fail. They are just harder to install.

[TDHofstetter]

I've seen those rigid chrome-plated copper ones fail, too. Not an argument, just an FYI.

-- Tim --


Each of us
Is ultimately
Completely responsible
For our own interaction
With the world around us.

[Cromag]

I got a plumber/appliance buddy who recommended them to me. he says hes never seen one fail, but seen alot of plain old rubber hoses fail. Ive never been exposed to this until now. We shall see...

Paul

[PastorPaul]

Cromag,

Allow me to add a point three: Have a shut-off valve at every fixture that uses water. Think of the time saved and damaged avoided if you could just reach under the sink and shut off just the supply that is leaking.

I learned this the semi-hard way, when we still lived in the parsonage. We had to have a plumber come in and replace the faucet and shower assembly for the bathroom. When he opened the access panel to the pipes, there was no shutoff, so he asked us to shut off the water at the main.

I changed the job order and had him install shutoff valves before he completed the rest of the plumbing. That way we were without water in the house for only about 15 or 20 minutes. Since the access panel was in an under-the-steps closet (right below the lowest steps), it tooks hours to complete the job. Imagine being without water all tha time.

Pastor Paul
http://webpages.charter.net/chalosi/usaC.gif http://webpages.charter.net/chalosi/usaC.gif

"If they don't have woodworking in heaven, I ain't going!!!"

[Cromag]

Pastor Paul - My sink does have those shut off valves, but unfortunatly the "hot" water hose broke. There would be no way to turn that valve off locally if there is a bad water leak.

Paul

[PastorPaul]

Cromag,

Now you have me confused. Where was the hose coming from and to? I assumed you were talking about the hot water hose to a dishwasher. When the appliance repairman installed our dishwasher, I had him put a shut-off valve between the hot water line he tapped and the dishwasher hose.

Pastor Paul
http://webpages.charter.net/chalosi/usaC.gif http://webpages.charter.net/chalosi/usaC.gif

"If they don't have woodworking in heaven, I ain't going!!!"

[deathwish2]

Me thinks he would have been burned . . . hot water leak and all . . .

--Deathwish

When it comes to
woodworking and buying
tools, I always think back to
my grandfathers advice on
golf . . . "it's not the arrows,
it's the indian.''

[Cromag]

PP> here are pictures - the hose from the hot water shut off valve (left side) to the faucet busted. As you can see, if hot water was gushing out of that hose, turning it off would be a hazard! :)

UNDER KITCHEN SINK
http://santaslittlehelper.roadclosed.com:81/paul/valve.jpg

OLD HOSE
http://santaslittlehelper.roadclosed.com:81/paul/hose.jpg

NEW HOSE
http://santaslittlehelper.roadclosed.com:81/paul/hose2.jpg

Paul

[Grandad]

>I've seen those rigid chrome-plated copper ones fail, too.
>Not an argument, just an FYI.
>
>-- Tim --

And if you look at the picture of how his sink is connected, the hard metal ones would fail BEFORE anything else would! Nothing like a poorly designed plumbing system.

Forunately in a lot of new homes the plumber is putting the shut off valves low enough that you can have a straight shot to the faucet, yet not so low that you can't get a long enough pipe.

[PastorPaul]

OK, I think I've got it now. It wasn't that shutting off the valve wouldn't stop the water. It was that the hot water was spraying right where you would have to put your hand to shut it off. Now it makes sense.

Pastor Paul
http://webpages.charter.net/chalosi/usaC.gif http://webpages.charter.net/chalosi/usaC.gif

"If they don't have woodworking in heaven, I ain't going!!!"

[TheWoodMan]

FYI, There is a device for washer machines that are normally closed. It only opens the water when the washer machine is running. So having a leak from a hose problem is reduced greatly. :)


http://www.plumbingworld.com/washingmachineshutoffvalve.html