MIKE WILLIAMS

New hoses for washer good idea Are the furnishings and floor coverings in your home worth an extra $10 to $20? If so, invest that amount into new washing machine hoses. Hose leaks and rupture cause about $100 million in damage to homes in the U.S. and Canada each year. That’s money and frustration that could and should be saved. Don’t ignore hoses for year after year. Calendar in your own inspection about every two years and look for cracks and splits. If you find a bad hose, take care of it. Replacing hoses is a fairly simple home repair, a lot like hooking a garden hose to a water spigot. Just shut off the water supply to your washing machine. Usually there is a valve at the hose connection behind the washer. Unscrew the old hoses and hook up the new ones. It should only take a few minutes and can potentially prevent a costly mess. When you replace a hose, allow a minimum of four to five inches between the water connection and the back of your machine. This will help prevent kinks which can lead to a leak or rupture. Make sure all hose connections are secure. Some install a single-handed valve that makes it easy to turn off the water supply to the machine. The valve is simply turned off when the machine is not in use. It is a good idea to shut off the valve to the washer if you are going away for a few days. Remember, regular inspection. An ounce of prevention may be worth gallons.