The Dirty Little Secret Behind Your Washing Machine | OKC Plumbing

We’ve all had those days when nothing goes right. You drive off, leaving your cell phone at home, or maybe you did that, but also you locked yourself out of your car, and now you can’t even call for help. Maybe you’re having one of the best days you’ve had in years, you arrive at work early because you made all the lights and beat all of the rush hour traffic, and when you get there, your boss gives you that promotion or raise you’ve been working so hard for. Then you get all your work done early, and since it’s a Friday, you can take off for the weekend. It’s a beautiful day – you’ve just had a major win, so you spend some time buying new work clothes and maybe call a friend to have a celebratory dinner. After catching up and saying goodbyes, you head home feeling like the wind is at your back. You turn into your driveway and hit the garage opener at the right time so you can pull into the garage. You put the car in park like it’s the bat cave. You didn’t notice the trail of water flowing under your garage door at just the right corner as you drove in. Not realizing what happened, you open the door and put your foot down in a pool of water so deep that it gets inside your shoe, and you can feel the heel of your foot get cold and wet. It becomes painfully apparent that your house is flooded, the water is still gushing out, and it may have been all day long. So, you grab your water meter key and quickly shut the water down. No matter what happens next, your day is probably ruined!

This is a scenario that gets played out time and time again. It always happens at the worst time and is almost always preventable. It’s your washing machine hoses; their failure is one of the most common sources of water damage to homes nationwide. But why did it happen now of all nights? Everything was fine this morning! Well, it’s not because your lucky T-shirt got washed on the first full moon of the year or because your son tried to wash four loads of clothes all at once. It’s because they’ve been in use since your wonderful son, who has just come home from college for spring break, had graduated from kindergarten.

The kitchen and the washing machine are one of the most frequently used plumbing in the house. Essentially all hoses (even the metal ones) are made from rubber, and as is so with all things, they wear out over time. Washing machines have quick closing valves, which will cause water hammer every time the valve opens or closes. This causes a shock wave to bounce back and forth (it’s the same reason sometimes pipes rattle). High water pressure and hard water will be another source of degradation. Since your hoses are not something you see much at all, you will miss minor signs. When they finally give out, you’ll know they’ve been the Dirty Little Secret Behind Your Washing Machine all along.

Here are three things you can do to ensure this never happens to you!

#1 Inspect all the water connections under your sinks and appliances at least once a year. #2 Replace the hoses every 3 to 5 years.

#3 Make sure the shut-off valves work well enough to use them when you are gone for several days and turn them off until you get home. (Another option would be to turn the water off to the house.) Once you have done all those things, you can head out and get the party started without worry.

Don’t set yourself up for a bad end to a good day or an even worse end to a bad day! Follow these steps, and you can count on never having to experience that!

Here at Lakeshore Plumbing Heating and Air, we offer top-tier service, the best materials, and the best warranty. Spring will sneak up on you, so call us to schedule an AC tune-up. We can check your plumbing, make any necessary repairs, and save some heartache at the same time. If you need plumbing repair in Oklahoma City, reach out to our team today! 

Please Call!

Don’t forget to ask for your $100 first-time customer

discount!!