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Thread Number: 55705
Water Faucet Shutoff After Each Use - Is It Necessary? |
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Post# 780918 , Reply# 1 9/2/2014 at 16:44 (3,513 days old) by DADoES  (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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 Can't say how necessary is it, but it is a very good idea considering what can happen if a hose fails or the machine's inlet valve goes wonky. That being said, none of my immediate family (parents, sisters, even aunts/uncles far as I know) shut off the faucets between uses and no one has (yet) had a catastrophe. Well, correction on that ... I have a couple washers connected to the tub faucet in my master bathroom and I do turn it off after use. The above also being said: Checking the washer at one of RJ's rental houses a couple years ago, one of the inlet hoses was worn and had a slight drip at the end fitting. I grabbed a spare I had lying around instead of buying new hoses, which spare was approx 10 years old from a relative's washer that had been given to me. Going back to the rental house again about a year later, that swapped-out hose had developed a large swelling. | ||
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Post# 780921 , Reply# 2 9/2/2014 at 17:01 (3,513 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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My washer is on the 2nd floor and I live in a condo. During the past 20 years that we have lived here at least 4 of our neighbors have either had a hose burst or the drain hose come out of the drain, causing extensive damage. Because of this I always turn off the valves after each wash. I have replaced the valves once over the past 20 years due to worn washers and I couldn't get the valve stem out, so replaced the valves instead. We tried flood safe hoses for a while, but they are a hassle. Every time the main water supply is shut off you have to reset the hose saftey valve by unscrewing them from the faucet and attaching them back again. I even put a note above the faucets to remind me to turn them off when I'm finished with the laundry. I personally think an ounce of prevention is woeth a pound of cure.
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| Post# 780925 , Reply# 3 9/2/2014 at 17:16 (3,513 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA) | ||
Not Me. | ||
| Post# 780926 , Reply# 4 9/2/2014 at 17:17 (3,513 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
 I used not to turn the faucets off but one time, just a few minutes after I arrived at home, I heard some noise like if someone else was using water but I was alone... So I went to to check where that was coming from and when I opened the door of the bathroom (where the washer and dryer are located), there was water everywhere. One of the hoses to the washer had split just a few inches away from the faucet and was spilling water all across the room. The hoses were just 5-6 years old as they were replaced with the washer. It took no more than two minutes before I had the time to close the faucets and there was a lot of water dripping in a closet in the basement after that. When I saw the mess that it caused in just on or two minutes, I imagined how bad it would have been if this had happened a few hours before when there was nobody home! I guess the basement would have been flooded and there would have been a lot of damage!
A friend of mine had a problem with the water line for the ice maker that a plumber had recently installed in his girlfriend's condo a few months after he moved with his fridge that was equipped with an ice maker. The water that dripped from the tiny tube (under the sink) was enough to cause $25,000 worth of damage in their condo and about the same amount of damage to the unit downstairs as there was nobody home when this happened. The insurance paid for the damage to both units but it they had to be relocated to a hotel for a while. It's a good thing he had paid a plumber to install it because he might have been into trouble otherwise! | ||
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Post# 780956 , Reply# 6 9/2/2014 at 19:15 (3,513 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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Post# 780962 , Reply# 7 9/2/2014 at 19:54 (3,513 days old) by cleanteamofny ((Monroe, New York) |
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 Leave it on. Turning them off is a royal pain if they are not accessable and if not done correctly, they will cause more strees on the hoses because of constant consistant on/off pressure witthout pressure release. For those who turn off the valve after washday should run 5 second warm fill cycle to take pressure off hoses to prevent premature hose/valve failure. A hose is like a ballon or an air plane, each on/off cycle will put stress on the rubber until a weak spot is formed and you know the rest of the story...... Something to think about! | ||
| Post# 781008 , Reply# 8 9/2/2014 at 22:12 (3,513 days old) by DigAPony () | ||
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How about installing a shut off valve downstream of the valve, such as 1/4" turn ball valve or even garden hose splitters capped on one end? Check out the plumbing section at Home Depot, I'm sure something can be put together. | ||
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Post# 781010 , Reply# 9 9/2/2014 at 22:17 (3,513 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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Post# 781034 , Reply# 11 9/2/2014 at 23:50 (3,513 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN) |
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 To think my girlfriend laughs at how paranoid I am for turning off the main water valve in the house when its empty for a few days! But personally I have never considered valving off the laundry supply when its not being used. Buy good hoses, inspect them once and again and replace them every 10-15 years or so.
If my laundry was upstairs and not in an unfinished basement with a floor drain perhaps I'd think differently. If that were the case one of those dual supply valves with the shared lever would make the shut off operation simple at least. | ||
| Post# 781043 , Reply# 12 9/3/2014 at 01:48 (3,513 days old) by Maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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Only when I am going to be away for ore than 8 hours at a time. Overnight, maybe. More than a full day, definitely. As I see it, occupants of multi-family buildings have more responsibility. I have a lever-type valve, and it's so easy. Lawrence/Maytagbear | ||
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Post# 781055 , Reply# 14 9/3/2014 at 03:17 (3,513 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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 Cheapest. Insurance. Ever. | ||
| Post# 781085 , Reply# 15 9/3/2014 at 08:08 (3,512 days old) by GeorgeCT (Fairfield, CT) | ||
It's not "Necessary"...unless you have a flood.
We've always shut off the water valves to our washer...because you just never know.
Why chance it? Just make it a habit. And for safety sake only run the washer and or dryer ONLY when you are home. If you have to leave your home, pause or stop the machines until your return. If there's a fire or flooding situation, at least you'll be home to react quickly and intervene accordingly. | ||
| Post# 781110 , Reply# 16 9/3/2014 at 12:23 (3,512 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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And if a hose does burst, your water company will charge you for the extra water too! Our neighbor at our last house had a hose burst while she was at work. The water was running all day long. It completely flooded her house. We use those braided SS hoses, but don't turn off the water valves because it's such a PITA. | ||
| Post# 781217 , Reply# 17 9/3/2014 at 22:25 (3,512 days old) by murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US) | ||
I too only shut off water for vacations and the like. I do leave the cold water valve on though, because our CatGenie's inlet hose is attached to the same faucet as the washer with a T-valve. T'would be quite a stink to come home to if the thing couldn't wash while we were gone haha.
I discovered shortly after we moved into our new house that the "hose" the contractors used to connect the dishwasher was actually rigid refrigerator supply tubing, rated for no more than 90F degrees. It also explained why there was an annoying thud against the inside of the cabinets when the inlet valve kicked on or off. I was quite agitated about that. I replaced it with high-quality steel braided hose, and it's silent now, as well as having no risk of spontaneously melting and flooding the house. | ||
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Post# 781332 , Reply# 18 9/4/2014 at 10:30 (3,511 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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All good points, and everything well-taken... But, I'm afraid, if I don't leave everything on I'll wonder why there's no water going into my washer or dishwasher and burn the motors for 'em out...
I have two valves that permit water for all our plumbing--a main and secondary, that are hard enough for me to understand the operation of and coordinate without trusting my wife to, if we were to make any of these precautions a regular routine... Hopefully I'll get enough warning if the inlet hoses of my washer ever go bad and that I can quickly (though probably not as cheaply, either way, really) replace them if ever the need... I just want the shower faucet knob turned off! When I turn the bath tub on to give our daughter a bath, I feel obligated to have to take my clothes off and jump in the shower water that my wife (and brother-in-law was sponging showers off of,for a while, here) leaves on that I get hit with, 'cause she (and he!) won't turn that extra knob... -- Dave | ||
| Post# 781869 , Reply# 22 9/6/2014 at 12:19 (3,509 days old) by DigAPony () | ||
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Undecided Still? I think you are over-thinking this. The shut off valves I mentioned are a simple 1/4 turn ball valve that couldn't be easier to install and use. Ace hardware, Home Depot or any hardware store for that matter should have them. | ||
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Post# 781895 , Reply# 24 9/6/2014 at 13:23 (3,509 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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well, until you have a flood, of any type, maybe then, or not even, you MIGHT change your mind....and consider turning them off.....
IT ONLY HAS TO HAPPEN ONCE!!!....or don't, and you can tell us all about the damage and clean-up ordeal when it does.... our only reply, "told you so!" some of us have been there, were fast learners, it becomes second nature to remind oneself, to never let that happen again..... try it this way....take a 5 gallon bucket of water, and dump it on your kitchen floor, or better yet, the living room carpet.....see how much fun it is to pick up a contained amount of water...... use your garden hose to fill that bucket, and time how fast it takes to fill it, it will give you an idea of how many minutes it can dump 50 gallons onto your floor....and if you happen to be gone for a few hours?.... better yet, I had a 40 gallon fish tank break open and flood the carpet once, called in a floor service to pickup the water, and leave dehumidifiers and fans here for 2 days......$1000.00 charge..... another thing to think about, if your a renter.....DO you have renter's insurance to cover damages to your stuff if that hose leaks, how about damage to the apartment, and tenants below.....this all falls on YOU!....seriously, better think now!...an ounce of prevention! | ||
| Post# 781927 , Reply# 25 9/6/2014 at 15:27 (3,509 days old) by frontloaderfan (Merrimac valley, MA) | ||
I guess I'm just one of these types that thinks prevention is better than cure. I have always shut off the water to my washer everywhere I have lived as well as using the braided stainless hoses for extra protection simply because those simple, inexpensive steps are much easier than cleaning up thousands of gallons of water and fixing somebody else's property.
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Post# 781935 , Reply# 26 9/6/2014 at 16:25 (3,509 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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Post# 782089 , Reply# 29 9/7/2014 at 08:29 (3,508 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey) |
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what you want is something simple like this.....preferable in all brass, especially for the hot water.....
doesn't hurt to add a new washer with a screen as well.... if this is too complicated, you may have to call a plummer....depends on your skill level... www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Metal-... CLICK HERE TO GO TO Yogitunes's LINK | ||
| Post# 782359 , Reply# 32 9/8/2014 at 13:42 (3,507 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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I use small compression ball valves with a hose connection to shut off the water to my washers. Just a quarter of a turn and it's done.
Something similar to that:
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PhilR's LINK | ||
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Post# 782476 , Reply# 34 9/8/2014 at 22:27 (3,507 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN) |
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If I were going to shut off the water after each use I think I'd want something damn simple, like one of these single lever valves from Watts. Granted you have to be a bit handy to install it unlike the simple screw on valves with the Garden Hose fittings. With the shutoff operation being as simple as flipping a lever, I could almost see doing it with one of these.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO kb0nes's LINK
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| Post# 782488 , Reply# 35 9/9/2014 at 00:36 (3,507 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
The hoses | ||
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Post# 783164 , Reply# 40 9/12/2014 at 05:22 (3,503 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Toilet Trouble I had a situation some years ago with the fill tube inside the tank splitting below the float. Theoretically (although probably not at full line-pressure) the overflow outlet would have handled it ... but the split was spraying up toward the tank lid so the pressure was flooding water out under the lid. Another luck situation. I had walked past the bathroom moments before the split occurred, on my way out to work. Heard water running so backtracked and found the problem happening. It could have been much worse. | ||
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