As others have already said, there’s a few factors that influence washer hoses, notably hot water is hard on soft rubber and plastic. Metal braid can resist the heat better and maintain integrity at much higher temperatures than plastic. I think another problem people don’t consider is many washers and dryers are situated against an outside wall to facilitate the dryer vent. This means if the water lines in the wall aren’t thoroughly insulated in cold climates they can get cold enough to risk freezing and bursting. Ice in the wall pipe pushing against the incompressible water in the hose can raise the pressure far higher than static system pressure and cause the hose to fail. It’s this incompressability that also causes water hammer when the washer valves shut. It’s helpful to have air chambers or hammer arrestors on washer lines to cushion the blow.
Lastly, if you’re anxious about your hoses failing there are special fittings you can get called Excess Flow Adapters that are designed to allow water flow at the normal rate that a washing machine uses water but will shut if a high amount of water tries to flow past, like when a hose bursts. It won’t stop a damaged hose from leaking but it will stop a catastrophic leak.
I would probably buy metal braided hoses, given the choice. However, my 13 years in water damage mitigation has shown me that even these can burst. I’ve seen dozens of them fail regardless of the appliance or fixture they connected to (washing machine, toilet, etc.). Most interestingly, one had burst right next to the sticker tag which described the product as “burst proof.”
My recommendation is inspect them regularly and replace any that appear pinched or show any signs of rust on the metal braiding. Sometimes the rust is on a portion of the hose not immediately visible.
As the fellow who started this thread, I am seriously impressed with the replies.
I do have the “1/4-turn ball valve type of shutoff” with the near and far side both visible. So I’ve got the best set-up for turning off every time. But maybe the stress to the whole set-up isn’t worth it even for me. After all, we don’t due it for the toilet (although I suppose that should be lower risk due to cold water intake only).
As for the OP question, it sounds like it could be vibration, and could be water hammer, and could be both. I suppose this isn’t a priorty for fluid dynamics research, if that is even the correct discipline.
This has already been addressed, but I’ll just add that after having had some initial doubts about it, I’m fully on board with PEX. Professional builders frequently use it in new construction and recommend it, and it has a solid reputation. There is a type for cold water only, and a type for hot or cold. PEX is designed to be extremely durable and is not particularly flexible except over long runs; it’s entirely different from washing machine hoses. My house is plumbed with PEX and I’ve never had any issue with it. I don’t know what this business of small hoses connecting toilets or dishwashers to the main plumbing possibly bursting is all about; in my house, these permanent short connections between the PEX main feed and the appliance are solid metal pipes, usually copper.
Side note- with all my rental houses on the walk through after they signed the lease I point out the labeled main water shut off in the house, the main electrical breaker in the electrical box, and the shut off valve on the gas meter outside. I even have a cheap adjustable wrench that I tack welded to the size of the gas on/off valve so it isn’t good for anything else. I tell them if they smell gas INSIDE the house and if they feel comfortable doing it, but not required, to shut the valve off outside and call 911.
Thankfully I have only had the tenants need to do this once with water when somehow they busted the outside water faucet off and started spraying water everywhere. They got the water valve I showed them shut off and not much damaged except for some wet rugs.
Every person in a single family house, or even a duplex, should know where the utility’s shut off are in case of an emergency.
Hoo boy, something else to worry about as a new homeowner. I have no idea of the history of any of the appliances or connections in this place. What’s my best approach to the “every five years” thing? Is changing these things out something I, a first time homeowner with less than average physical strength, can handle myself? (I’m assuming the shutoff posted above is, since it’s titled “how to,” but I’ll have to check it out.)
Yes, as a homeowner, you are required to be able to do these things for yourself. Otherwise, please return your homeowner card, pronto!
When in doubt, change it out. Changing these hoses does not require much strength, but you will need a crescent wrench or something similar. If you are going to replace toilet hoses, I strongly recommend getting metal/braided ones - the longer the better, so when you install them, they loop instead of bend (see my post above regarding the plastic/nylon nut splitting due to side stress from a bent toilet hose - yes, I am still traumatized).
If replacing washer hoses, same suggestion regarding material, and when you push the washer back into place, be sure not to pinch or bend the new hose between the machine and the wall.
The valves on washing machines close fast. That produces a sudden increase in pressure in repeated cycles that adds to all the other reasons the hoses degrade over time. The valves are an interesting type that uses the water pressure itself to open and close the valve with a small solenoid to trigger the action.
We had a small addition put on our house designed specifically to house the laundry. As part of the installation, they put in auto-shutoff valves. These are valves specifically designed for washing machines. They only activate when the washer calls for water, and then shut off when there is no demand, or when a leak is sensed. It also came with a flood sensor: the washer sits in a plastic pan and the sensor sits in the pan, connected to the valve shutoff by a wire. Pretty slick setup and total peace of mind.
I’ve never seen one burst. Ever. There is no more than normal house water pressure in them. What generally happens is that they start to leak at the fittings from all the dancing around the washer does when it is unbalanced. Takes no time to replace the hoses either.
