Stop the water before anything else. Close both valves behind the washer, or the house's main shutoff if you can't reach them or they won't turn. A burst supply hose runs at full household pressure, so every minute counts.
Do this first
- Close the hot and cold valves behind the washer. Turn them clockwise until they stop. If the handles are hard to reach through the spray, go straight to the main.
- If needed, shut off the main water valve. In Frisco, for example, the city notes that valves are typically found in flowerbeds in older homes or in garages in newer homes (City of Frisco). Other DFW homes follow similar patterns, but check your own.
- Make the power safe. If water has reached the washer's outlet or the floor around it, switch off the washer's breaker before you unplug anything or step into the water. If the panel sits in the flooded area, stay out of the water and call an electrician.
- Move laundry, baskets and anything stored on the floor out of the water.
In the next few hours
- Get the standing water up. Use towels, a wet vacuum or a mop. In a second-floor laundry room, check the ceiling below for wet spots or sagging.
- Dry everything within 48 hours. A burst hose can soak drywall, baseboards and subfloor in minutes, and the EPA's guidance is to dry water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours so mold doesn't take hold (EPA). Run fans and a dehumidifier, and keep the air conditioning on.
- Pull the washer out carefully so you can dry behind and under it. Don't drag it across wet vinyl or wood.
- Check the wall cavity and baseboards. Drywall that's soaked at the bottom, or baseboards pulling away, may need a water-damage professional to open and dry.
- Photograph the hose, the damage and the valves before you throw anything out. Pictures help with an insurance claim and with the repair.
- Look at the other hose. If one hose burst from age, its twin is the same age.
Before the technician arrives
If the washer itself needs checking, for example because water got into the controls or motor, note:
- The model and serial number. On front-loaders it's usually around the door opening or on the back. On top-loaders, look under the lid or on the back.
- Which hose failed (hot or cold) and where: at the valve end, the washer end or the middle.
- How long the water ran and whether it reached the washer's base or electrical connections.
- Whether the washer was running when the hose burst.
What not to do:
- Don't run the washer again with the old hoses, even the one that didn't burst.
- Don't turn the water back on until new hoses are installed and tight.
- Don't plug the washer back in if water reached its base or controls until it has dried and been checked.
How to keep it from happening again
- Replace supply hoses on a schedule. GE recommends replacing washer inlet hoses every 5 years (GE Appliances). Write the install date on a piece of tape on the hose.
- Choose stainless steel braided hoses in a length that reaches without stretching or kinking.
- Leave about four inches between the back of the washer and the wall so the hoses don't kink at the valves.
- Exercise the shutoff valves a couple of times a year so they'll turn when you need them.
- Turn the valves off when you leave town. See what to do with your appliances before a long summer trip.
- Add a leak alarm or a washer pan with a drain, especially for a second-floor laundry room.
For a washer that took on water at its base or controls, our washer service page covers inspection and repair.
Sources
- City of Frisco: Cold Weather Tips (shutoff valve locations)
- EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
- GE Appliances: Washer inlet fill hoses
Keep in mind: A burst hose is a plumbing failure, but if water reached the washer's controls or motor, have the washer checked before using it again.
Call ProFix Dallas at (469) 886-1122 to have the washer inspected after a flood.