Burst Flexi Hose Dangers:How to Safeguard Your Brisbane Home

Brisbane is no stranger to floods. Unfortunately, many homeowners are also all-to-familiar with the stress and heartache caused by water leaks.

We understand that protecting your home is a top priority and want to help shine a light on one of the most significant risks we see as plumbers – burst flexi hoses.

Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australia’s largest insurer, reported that faulty flexible hoses are the leading cause of household water damage, accounting for 22% of water damage claims in Australian households.

Do not fear – we’re here to tell you it’s not all doom and gloom. With simple checks and preventative maintenance, you can prevent leaks and mitigate the risk of damage in your home.

What are Flexi hoses, and why should I know about them?

Flexi hoses are commonly used to connect plumbing fixtures such as toilets, mixer taps and bathroom sinks. The outside coating is a braided stainless-steel hose that protects an internal rubber or plastic composite pipe.

While Flexi hoses are a helpful product for plumbers to connect taps and toilets, they can also be a source of anguish and create significant property damage if they are not periodically checked and replaced.

Chances are, your property has flexible hoses that you may not know about. We recommend looking under your kitchen sink, laundry cupboards and around your bathroom – you may be surprised just how many you find!

When should a flexible connection be replaced?

Flexible hoses are perishable and should be replaced preventatively. Unfortunately, most homeowners are unaware of this until it is too late.

Based on the advice from manufacturers and insurers alike, flexible connections should be checked regularly and, as a general rule, replaced every 5-10 Years. The risk of damage significantly increases after this.

When checking your home, look for damaged hoses which may include damage similar to these images. Look for signs of wear or damage, including bulging, cracks, fraying, leaks or corrosion.

Why do Flexi hoses burst?

Several factors can impact the life of flexi hoses, including:

• The water pressure at your property
• If the hoses are connected to hot or cold water
• How the hoses have been installed.
• The material of the inside of the pipe.

Different hoses have different ratings and warranty periods. Older-style “rubber’ hoses typically have a five-year warranty. Newer-style “pex’ or ‘polymide’ hoses usually have a 10-15 year warranty.

We only use trusted products such as Abby polyamide flexible water connections when replacing flexible hoses. This product has a 15-year rust resistance warranty and is fully watermarked and tested to Australian standards.

Does insurance cover you?

Many home and contents insurance policies cover loss or damage caused by water leaks. Still, checking your policy documents and Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to understand limits, exclusions, payable excess, and your current sum insured levels is essential. We recommend contacting your home and contents insurance provider with any questions. Even if your insurance policy covers the damage or loss, you will still be left to cover the cost of the insurance premium. Water leaks also have a huge emotional cost and inconvenience, which you should be able to avoid with simple planning and checks.

How much damage can a Flexi Hose cause?

The most common damage caused by leaking flexible hoses is to carpet, walls, floors, ceilings, and cabinetry. In a best-case scenario, this can be remedied with carpet cleaning and water extraction. In the worst-case scenario, this can cause significant damage and require major remedial works to your house or unit and potentially to units below.

In 2021, RACQ spokeswoman Kirsty Clinton said the average cost of damage caused by a burst Flexi hose was $14,145.

Since 2021, there has been a significant increase in construction costs, and we estimate the current average cost could be $15,000 – $20,000.

A burst flexi hose caused all this damage!

What can I do to prevent this from happening to me?

The good news is that there are things you can do to help prevent this from happening to you. RACQ recommend checking your flexible hoses bi-annually. We have also put together a quick checklist for the tell-tale signs to look out for, including:

• Are there any signs of rust on the outside of the hose?
• Has the stainless steel started to fray?
• Has the hose been installed correctly without kinks or stress?
• Is the expiry date written on the compliance sticker?

Unfortunately, the internal pipe condition is not always visible from a visual check. We recommend proactively arranging a trusted plumber to inspect and replace any suspect hoses and setting a reminder to replace them usually every 5-10 years.

Summary

Now that you know the risks, it’s time to take proactive steps to reduce the chance of a burst Flexi hose. Our top three recommendations are:

1. Set a reminder to check flexi hoses regularly for any signs of wear and tear. If the expected life of a flexi hose has expired – it’s not worth the risk!
2. Turn off the water supply to your house if you are going away on holiday.
3. Use our licenced plumbers to replace old flexible connections.

If you have any concerns or notice damage to any of the flexible hoses in your home, call us now, and we can have a qualified licensed plumber replace them today.

Please note all the information in this blog is general in nature. We recommend contacting a licensed Plumber or your insurance provider for specific advice considering your circumstances.