Maintaining Your Washing Machine Hoses

Burst washing machine hoses have to be one of the most common causes of catastrophic water damage in homes. When is the last time you checked yours? A good rule of thumb for replacing your washer machine hose is every 5 years. If you have trouble remembering that, make it a habit every leap year.


Leaks on the floor around your washer are generally due to one thing – a leaking hose. On the back of your washer are three hoses: two supply hoses, both hot and cold, near the top and a drain hose that attaches near the bottom. Check the connections, where the hoses attach to the back of the washer as well as to the supply lines emerging from the wall and to the sewer drainpipe. If the hoses fit snugly and securely, look for holes in the lines themselves. It’s always possible the hole will be too small to find without water flowing through it, but even a pinhole can lead to a rotting floor or mold. Replace visibly old, cracked, suspect-looking hoses. The hoses and clamps are self-explanatory to remove and replace and are very affordable. Turn the water off at the wall before performing the work, and test the results before putting the washer back in place.

Through this summer, majority of the jobs that we have responded to have been from customers having a faulty hose on the back of the washer. We pray that you'll never have to worry about these kind of disasters, but if you happen to have one, ServiceMASTER by Cornerstone is privileged to serve you.