Washing machines connect to the house through two fill hoses that are under full water pressure all the time the valves are open. Plain rubber hoses age, crack and bulge, and when one bursts it can release several gallons a minute until someone closes the valve. Because laundry rooms are often in basements, a burst hose while nobody is home can soak a whole lower level.

Coming home to it

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

Illustrative example. A homeowner in a 1950s Englewood ranch house with a partly finished basement gets home at six and hears water running. The hot-water hose on the washer has split near the fitting. Water covers the unfinished laundry area and has run under a door into a carpeted family room.

  1. They close both washer valves. The hot valve is stiff, so they also shut off the main valve at the meter.
  2. The water heater and furnace sit in the same room; the water is below their controls, but they keep the power off to the basement outlets anyway.
  3. They take photos and a short video before moving anything, including the split hose.
  4. They keep the split hose and note its age from the purchase receipt.
  5. They call their insurer, who asks about how long the water ran and what was damaged.

The carpet and pad in the family room were removed because water had sat for hours. The concrete floor in the laundry area dried with fans and a dehumidifier. The homeowner replaced both hoses with braided stainless ones and added a leak alarm on the floor.

Deciding what to keep

  • IfWater only touched sealed concrete and metal appliancesThenClean, dry and run a dehumidifier. Check under the washer and around the water heater base.
  • IfCarpet and pad sat in water for more than a dayThenThe pad usually has to go. Carpet may be saved if dried quickly by professionals, but often is not after a long soak.
  • IfDrywall wicked water up from the floorThenMeasure how high the moisture went. Removing the bottom strip often dries the wall faster than leaving it.
  • IfBoxes or papers sat on the floorThenSeparate what can be dried from what is ruined. Photograph both before discarding.

Common questions

Does insurance cover a burst washer hose?

Many policies cover sudden accidental discharge from an appliance, but not gradual leaks or the hose itself. The insurer reviews the cause and timing.

General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.