# Turning off washing machine faucets when not in use?



## mgoblue

I recently read that the washing machine hot & cold faucets should be turned off whenever the machine is not in use.

I guess this sounds like a good idea, but I was just wondering how many people actually do it. I've never turned them off. Am I the exception or the rule?


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## markwo

I turn mine off every time I'm done with the washer. Saves me the chance a hose splits and dumps water all over my floor for untold hours until I discover the problem.


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## DUDE!

I turn them off, actually is one lever to push over to off. It only takes one busted hose to happen to cause a big expensive mess. I understand its a pain if the controls are not easily reached but its still safer to shut them off after use.


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## Yoyizit

I use those hoses with the metal braided sleeve.


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## Red Squirrel

Yoyizit said:


> I use those hoses with the metal braided sleeve.


Same here - with teflon tape, and I put them on pretty tight (by hand, not to overdo it). I originally bought the rubber hoses then I opened one and it was broken in the bag! I returned it for another, then as I was installing them I decided to just go buy the metal ones. I mean, if it broke in the bag, what is 100+ PSI of water going to do to it?  Was probably defective, but still scared me. 

Ended up using the rubber hose for my wash sink, so it still serves a purpose. The other one is on a shelf and I might hook it up to my dehumidifier some time. Need to add a garden hose tap to the tank.


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## chrisn

The braided ones can and will bust also. I turn mine off after use, safety first.


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## 47_47

chrisn said:


> The braided ones can and will bust also. I turn mine off after use, safety first.


Chrisn is right. The metal braid is just a covering over a rubber hose and they can burst. We turn ours off.


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## Yoyizit

47_47 said:


> Chrisn is right. The metal braid is just a covering over a rubber hose and they can burst. We turn ours off.


I thought the idea of the metal braid was to keep the hose from ballooning out and then bursting. No ballooning, no catastrophic failure?
I'd hope they can at least withstand pressure longer and fail more gracefully than a non-reinforced hose.

They must be good for something 'cause at the beginning there were 'counterfeit' hoses being offered. These things had plastic braid that looked like fine metal wires, except that the color was off.


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## LeviDIY

Wow... I love this site... I would have never thought to do this.


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## Ultrarunner2017

I turn the water supply to the washer off every time I am done with it, but never worry about flexible pipes under the kitchen sink<g>.
There are several under there for the water filter, but they're hard plastic, not hoses.

FW


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## diy'er on LI

I never knew those metal braided hoses could burst..... I think I'll start turning off my faucets after the wash.....


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## HarryHarley

Never turned off the water in 35 years. I would have to pull the washer away from the wall. I do change the hose every 5 years or so. Always used the braided ones.


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## user1007

You can buy an electronic valve that turns your water supplies to the washer on and off as you use them. I had a plumber do the installation for a client who traveled a lot and installed a second small laundry upstairs in a renovation and didn't want to risk new floors. I just called in the plumbing subcontractor I use so have no idea what is involved or what the thing cost but but suspect it might well be worth it? Compared to a washer fail on a third floor renovation? A flooded basement? Google for automatic washing machine cutoff valves. I don't know of this is the brand used or not but this link will give you an idea of the concept. 

http://www.keidel.com/mech/pvf/valve-laundry.htm

Supply lines are another one of those things I would not buy from a box store but from a plumbing supplier instead. They may be no different but it gives me false security having things handed to me and not in a packaged in China bag. Definitely replace them every few years and for sure turn them off between uses if you remember and have the patience. And always when you go on vacation!!! 

And one other tip? With an id of 1/2" or less? You can only flow water at x gallons per minute through the capacity no matter how you try to push it along. You achieve nothing but stressing out the tubin, like forgetting to turn a garden hose with a hose nozzle on the end overnight, with the valves all the way open and forcing the full psi your water supply probably has to offer at it. And remember, the valve on modern washer is likely plastic fantastic (and not even PVC) and pressure regulating and has a stress point too. It makes no sense to put 80psi or whatever your home water pressure is (and you should measure so you know) has against it 24/7/365?


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## Yoyizit

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...s=en&q=cpsc+"braided+hose"+test&aq=f&oq=&aqi=


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## paul100

They now have a braided metal hose with a valve in the water supply end that can sense when the hose has burst. It will shut the water flow off. I cant remember the name of them but they can be found at HD or Lowes.


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## Scuba_Dave

They have had problems with those bursting too
I would not buy one & trust it


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## user1007

paul100 said:


> They now have a braided metal hose with a valve in the water supply end that can sense when the hose has burst. It will shut the water flow off. I cant remember the name of them but they can be found at HD or Lowes.


Hugh?:no:


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## Scuba_Dave

paul100 said:


> They now have a braided metal hose with a valve in the water supply end that can sense when the hose has burst. It will shut the water flow off. I cant remember the name of them but they can be found at HD or Lowes.





sdsester said:


> Hugh?:no:


There are different brands
The inexpensive one he is talking about fails, just a pressure sensing device
They may have fixed the problem, but the connections were failing 

They also have electronic ones that monitor the pressure
Not sure how well they work
Watts Intelliflow - $150

http://www.keidel.com/mech/pvf/valve-laundry.htm


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## Scuba_Dave

Watts floodsafe is the cheap hose that has pressure sensing shutoff
Problem is the whole connector snaps off


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## user1007

Like I suggested, it seems to me the way to avoid problems is with an automatic cut-off valve situation. Rubber or whatever line to the washer cannot burst or cause problems if there is no water or water pressure in it when it is idle? :wink:


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## paul100

Scuba_Dave said:


> Watts floodsafe is the cheap hose that has pressure sensing shutoff
> Problem is the whole connector snaps off


Did that happen at your house? Did that break just from the pressure or was the hose under strain from being bent or pulled? I have that brand on my house. I might need to change them.


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## Scuba_Dave

Not my house, pic from another forum
$25k in damage, it snapped under normal pressure
2nd one this plumber personally saw that failed
Poor quality


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## user1007

paul100 said:


> They now have a braided metal hose with a valve in the water supply end that can sense when the hose has burst. It will shut the water flow off. I cant remember the name of them but they can be found at HD or Lowes.


Having a dumb moment I suspect but how does a hose sense it is in trouble and shut of the valve to which it is attached? If HD or Lowe's sells them they must be real?

See a post a few back where what I think you are talking about completely failed. 

Valves turn water on and off. Not hoses I have found so far.

Invest in automatic cut-off valves.


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## paul100

sdsester said:


> *Having a dumb moment I suspect but how does a hose sense it is in trouble and shut of the valve to which it is attached*? If HD or Lowe's sells them they must be real?
> 
> See a post a few back where what I think you are talking about completely failed.
> 
> Valves turn water on and off. Not hoses I have found so far.
> 
> Invest in automatic cut-off valves.


At the supply end of the hose ther eis a valve in it. It is a spring loaded disk or ball. Under normal use the water is not flowing at full volume and the spring can hold the ball open. If a break occurs then the water is flowing at a much greater volume and it pushes the ball down and shuts the flow off.


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## user1007

paul100 said:


> At the supply end of the hose ther eis a valve in it. It is a spring loaded disk or ball. Under normal use the water is not flowing at full volume and the spring can hold the ball open. If a break occurs then the water is flowing at a much greater volume and it pushes the ball down and shuts the flow off.


Got it now but I think I would really rather put faith in the valve? Trusting all this to the hose seems rather like stapling through condoms to the use instructions for them? If the hose is failed why would I not want the water supply to it shut down? Seems like this hose concept put a lot of faith in itself and still not the valve?


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## Jim F

I never realized it was the norm to shut these valves off. We never have and have never had a problem with the hose rupturing. The problem in my house is that the kids would forget to turn it off after use or forget to turn it on before use.

It may have prevented the problem I now have with a common type of brass double valve that does not want to shut off completely. 

Does anybody know of a fix to this problem that does not require replacing the whole thing?


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## Scuba_Dave

Another problem with the auto-sense shut off valves:

--some washers - possibly combined w/high water pressure ?
--were causing the auto-sense valve to shut down
--this then required the user to depressurize the hose before it would work again


MIL had a single handle shut-off installed & uses that
I plan on installing one


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