Burst Flexi Hoses

PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM WATER DAMAGE

It mightn’t look like much but if left unattended a burst flexi hose can lead to serious water damage.

As the hose is always charged with water - even when your tap isn’t running - a burst flexi will continue to leak under the water mains are switched off.

A heavily rusted flexi hose

A sink mixer we replaced as both the flexis had burst near the top

So, what is a flexi anyway?

It’s plumbers’ talk for the flex hose that provides the water feed to your sink, basin, washing machine etc. Essentially, it’s a rubber hose with a flexible stainless steel braided surround to provide increased durability. The new hoses now feature a pex hose tube which has a longer warranty than the older style rubber tubes. A lot of the major hardware chains still sell the old hoses so we recommend getting your plumber to supply and install your flexi hoses if you’re getting one installed or replaced.

An example of a nut having snapped off the end of the flexi hose

An old mixer tap - the flexis had burst where they penetrate the benchtop

MINIMISING RISK

Some things you can try and do to catch them before they burst and leak every where:

- Get your head inside your cupboard (this should feel awkward and uncomfortable and involve pulling out that stash of old toothbrushes and toiletries you forgot you had) and inspect your flexi for any brown blemishes or bubbling. This is usually a good indication that a burst is imminent. Unfortunately, sometimes the burst will occur on the section of hose going through the bench top which will make it hard to identify until a burst occurs.

- Consider getting your flexi hose replaced if it is 10-15 years old. We recent replaced the flexis in a series of apartments from the same block that were build approximately 15 years ago. One flexi failed and then the rest followed suit.

- Check your basin for gaps where water could leak between the basin and bench top through to your cabinets below.

Examples of flexis with blemishes or “brown spots” indicating a burst is imminent

Close up of a brown spot on a damaged flexi hose

PREVENTION

We’ve had a client come back from holiday to find his kitchen flooded and had to have his entire timber floor replaced. As he was a frequent traveller, we later installed mini stops (small isolation valves) to each individual fixture and flexi throughout his house so he could isolate these points but leave the water on to his hot water system each time he went away.

OUR SERVICES

Replacing burst or damaged flexi hoses throughout Perth is part of our everyday repertoire at ProPlumbWA. We carry universal flexi hoses at all times to ensure works can be done as quickly and as cheaply as possible whilst also ensuring the job is done right, using high quality materials. We only supply pex hose tube flexi hoses which are more durable than older style hoses and come with a longer warranty to ensure you’re getting the most out of your money.