Tips for taps: flexi hose maintenance

RACQ18/10/2024

While they may look quite innocuous, flexi hoses can inflict a lot of damage.

If they burst, your home can flood within a matter of minutes leading to destroyed belongings cabinetry, walls, flooring and mould damage, which, in some extreme cases, can make your home uninhabitable.

RACQ is urging Queenslanders to regularly inspect their flexi hoses after the Club’s latest research revealed 43% of Queenslanders have never checked the condition of these hoses within their home. The survey results also found 41% are not sure how often flexi hoses need to be replaced.

These cheap, widely used hoses should ultimately be checked bi-annually and experts suggest they should be replaced every 10 years.

However, before you check the condition, it’s important to know what warning signs to look for as well as the steps you can take to prevent an unwanted deluge in your home.

What are flexi hoses?

According to RACQ’s research, one in four Queenslanders aren’t sure if they have a flexi hose in their home.

Used to connect household taps to the water supply, these rubber pipes covered by braided lengths of stainless steel can be found under kitchen or bathroom sinks, toilets, washing machines, plumbed fridges and dishwashers around the home.

Flexi hoses have a limited lifecycle and their risk of bursting and flooding a home increase drastically after a decade.

As is so often the case with flexi hoses, they burst due to rust and corrosion or the effects of being twisted or stretched to fit in tight spaces.

What can you do?

Look for signs of ageing: Warning signs for faulty flexi hoses include rust spots, bulging sections on the metal exterior and fraying or kinking.
Warranty checks: Ensure all new flexi hoses come with an extended warranty period. If it’s a pre-existing hose, check for the expiry date on the collar of the hose.
Check its surroundings: If you store chemicals under your sink, you could be putting your hose at risk of damage before the expiry date.
Installation: If you have flexi hoses or are installing new ones, ensure they are checked and fitted by a professional plumber.
Maintenance: Make sure to do regular checks of your flexi hoses and feel along the outer casing for any signs of damage. If you suspect a fault, contact a plumber immediately.

Protect your property with RACQ Home Insurance.

The information in this article has been prepared for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice or specific advice to any particular person. Any advice contained in the document is general advice, not intended as legal advice or professional advice and does not take into account any person’s particular circumstances. Before acting on anything based on this advice you should consider its appropriateness to you, having regard to your objectives and needs.

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