Or does everyone just wait until they break?
The guy on Ask This Old House says every five years, minimum. He also recommends these things.
It’s not just the washing machine hoses:
- Toilet hoses
- Ice Maker
We had an improperly installed toilet hose fail and cause a lot of damage. Insurance covered most of it, but we replaced the others with longer, looping hoses. I recommend everyone who reads this to take a look at yours - if they are bent, they are too short - replace with longer ones that can loop.
Funny that should come up today. I was sleeping a couple of hours ago, and the apartment handyman came knocking on my door to notify me that I had a leak in my back yard. At first I thought the hot water heater had blown a valve, but when I looked out back, I saw that a water hose on the washer had sprung a leak. I let the handyman in, and he tried to shut off the valve, but the handle snapped off in his hand, so he had to go for a pipe wrench to turn the valve.
I guess the moral is that if the hoses are subjected to direct sunlight on a constant basis, maybe more frequently than the manufacturer recommends.
And exercise the valve once a month or so.
Customer reviews don’t look so good. 
Noooo!
But my washing machine is on the second floor. I pull the machine out every quarter or so to clean behind it, and give the hoses a quick squeeze (why are you snickering?).
If your machine is in a basement with a good drain, and a low water table, and very little stuff stored at floor level, your approach might work. But I would recommend inspecting the hoses every year when you have the HVAC system serviced.
You DO have the boiler serviced yearly, don’t you?
This was actually part of our wedding vows.
I thought these newfangled stainless steel mesh ones were pretty much impervious.
That’s what I use.
So the This Old House franchise has deteriorated to the point of schilling for devices of dubious quality/necessity. It used to be “here’s how you can fix that problem”, then “watch the professionals jack up a house and build a new foundation under it”. Yeah, that’s something I’ve been meaning to do to this place…
I bought new W/D in 1982. Sold the place, with them in it, in 2008. Never replaced a hose. I didn’t do more than 2 loads a week, ymmv.
Boiler? Where do you live/what kind of heat do you use which has a boiler?
I don’t think the bursting is related to the number of loads done each week. The problem as I understand it is that the hoses are under pressure all the time, even when the machine is not running. That’s the reason that automatic washing machine shut off valves are suggested.
Even relatively new hoses sometimes fail. Cheap construction is to blame.
Pay a few bucks extra for a better washing machine hose. It’s worth it not to have to deal with repairs and clean up.
Hydronic baseboard heat requires a boiler, as do systems with radiators. They’re common in many areas.
As a pet sitter I ask ALL my clients to please turn off the water to their washers before they go on vacation.
It may not sound like a lot (and probably isn’t), but in 15 years I’ve dealt with at least 3 flooded basements because of washing machine hoses breaking, 2 for clogged up air conditioner hoses, i busted hot water heater, and twice because it got cold and the client didn’t turn off the outside faucet.
Imagine the mess they would have come home to if I hadn’t been there to track down the source and fix it for them.
Check your hoses and if you are going away turn off the water to the washer.
Our washer dates from the 70s. AFAIK the hoses have never been changed. It was just my mother and me, though, so we each did a load once a week. Now it’s just my husband and me, and we do maybe maximum 3 loads a week?
So, yeah, YMMV.
Yeah, we have burst free hoses as well, although the mesh is embedded in the hose, so they aren’t shiny like those.
We had one similar to that installed. It works perfectly. When the washer shuts off, the water shuts off. If the lead sitting in the overflow pan senses that there is water there, the valves close and the washer shuts off.
Thanks for the link.
I had a washing machine hose break while out of town for two weeks. $40,000 damage. It’s the weakest link in the plumbing system. I think I’ll replace mine at least every 10 years.
Mine are just rubber and I probably should switch them over to mesh ones, but I have a floor drain nearby and the water should run pretty much straight over to it. Even if it doesn’t there’s not much that the water can ruin. My basement is set up to take on about an inch of water and do minimal damage, it’ll survive a burst washing machine hose.
Now, a few things that always bug me.
1)A lot of people talk about those hoses that will shut off if they break. You have to remember they only work in the event of a catastrophic break. If they spring a leak that doesn’t let out near full pressure, it’s not going to stop.
2)You have plenty of other hoses in your house. Go look under your sinks, dishwasher, fridge and toilets, some of them may have copper all the way to the faucets, but I’ll bet plenty of them have braided or rubber hoses for that last foot or two. No one ever suggests replacing those. Why is that?
Now, if I get home and find out my washing machine hose has burst, I’m blaming this thread.