Prevent Flooding, Improve Reliability
New appliances can cost lots of money. Speaking as a homeowner who recently bought a new washing machine and dryer and one who will probably have to buy a new dishwasher before the end of the year, I can tell you this from personal experience. But speaking as a representative of the world’s largest plumbing repair service, I can also tell you that you should make a few improvements on new appliances before you hook them up in your home. Our plumbers see lots of water damage and much of it is caused by cheap, unreliable water supply lines and valves.
Most of today’s appliances are super reliable and technologically sophisticated. As a result, most folks can’t handle their own appliance repairs by themselves. But there are some things that the average person can do and should do at the time of installation. I can sum it all up in four words: braided stainless steel hoses. You can buy braided stainless steel water supply hoses for your washing machine, your dishwasher and your refrigerator’s water supply line. Yes, they definitely cost a little more than the plastic or rubber lines and hoses that come with your appliance but they are worth every penny. Steel hoses will outlast plastic and rubber by many years and they’re far less likely to spring a leak and flood your home. An appliance flood could easily cost you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs to your home. The hoses will only cost you a few extra bucks.
There is no substitute for reliability and if you want long-term peace of mind, disconnect the cheap water lines that the manufacturer included with the appliance and go immediately to your local home or hardware store and buy braided steel hoses of the same length with the same connection ends. Be sure they’re actually steel hoses because I’ve seen braided plastic lines that look like steel but aren’t as good aren’t as reliable.
If you have to replace your water heater, unscrew the plastic drain valve at the bottom before you hook up the water heater. Take the drain valve to the hardware store and buy a high-quality brass drain valve of the same size and type. Wrap the threads with Teflon tape then thread the valve onto the water heater tank. I can’t tell you how many times those cheap plastic valves break apart or go bad within a few short years.
FOUR TIPS TO KEEP NEW APPLIANCES LEAK-FREE
Whether it’s a shiny, stainless steel dishwasher, efficient new water heater, or that awesome washer/dryer set you so desperately needed, you likely shelled out a pretty penny for those new appliances. But all that glitters isn’t gold! While the appliances themselves may feature state-of-the-art, reliable technology, our plumbers see lots of water damage caused by the cheap water supply lines and valves that often come with them. Here are some ways to deal with those issues, as well as a few other tips for keeping your appliances leak free for years to come:
- Upgrade your hoses. Head to your local home improvement store and buy braided stainless steel water supply hoses for your washing machine, your dishwasher and your refrigerator’s water supply line. They cost more but they’re well worth it, since steel hoses are less likely to spring a leak and flood your home.
- Swap out the cheap drain valve on the bottom of your new water heater before you hook it up. Take the valve to the hardware store and buy a high-quality brass drain valve of the same size and type. Wrap the threads with Teflon tape then thread the valve onto the water heater tank. Cheap plastic valves often break apart or go bad within just a few years.
- New washing machine for your upstairs laundry room? If so, be sure to place it in a drain pan. That way, if it overflows for any reason, instead of water flooding the second floor, it would go down the sides of the machine into the drain pan, which is attached to a pipe that drains the water away.
- Check your home’s water pressure! Sometimes, the hidden killer of appliances like water softeners is pressure that’s too high. Water pressure in your home above 60 pounds per square inch is harmful to your entire plumbing system and will cause excessive water usage and even burst pipes. Contact your local water authority to find out what the water pressure is on your street. If it exceeds 60 pounds, consider installing a pressure reducing valve (PRV), which costs about $80, to limit the water pressure within your home."
An appliance flood could easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. But all of the tips above are easy fixes that cost a small amount of money.