How often should you inspect your washer supply hoses?

Skipping it eventually leads to water damage or an expensive repair.

Staying on schedule matters beyond the repair bill: a consistent maintenance record is one of the factors in a home's Roots Home Health Score, and well-kept homes typically sell faster and closer to asking price.

How to do it

The two hoses feeding the washer are under household water pressure every hour of every day, and a burst one floods the room fast. Rubber hoses are the weak link and are a leading cause of home water damage.

1. Pull the washer out enough to see both hot and cold hoses and their connections.
2. Look and feel for bulges, cracks, blistering, or rust and dampness at the fittings.
3. Confirm the connections are snug but not overtightened.
4. Replace rubber hoses that are over about five years old, or any showing wear, with braided stainless-steel ones.

Alternatives & optional extras

• Braided stainless hoses resist bursting far better than rubber and are the standard upgrade.
• A single-lever washer shutoff, or simply closing the taps when away for a while, adds cheap insurance against a burst.

Time: 15 minutes · Typical cost: $10–$25 for a pair of braided hoses

What you'll need

• Braided stainless-steel washing machine hoses (pair)

If you skip it

A burst washer hose releases water at full house pressure and is one of the most common and damaging home flood claims.

Other washing machine maintenance

• Clean washer drum and door gasket — every 3 months
• Clean washer drain pump filter — every 6 months

Related systems to keep on schedule

• Refrigerator — start with: replace refrigerator water filter, every 6 months
• Dishwasher — start with: clean dishwasher filter, every 3 months
• Dryer — start with: clean dryer vent duct, every 6 months
• Range hood — start with: degrease range hood filter, every 3 months