Water Faucet Shutoff After Each Use - Is It Necessary?

[circlew]

The washer has always been in the basement, and have had the drain hose come out of pipe a couple times. Floor got a good cleaning. Never had supply hoses leak or burst, though.

I think it's wise to shup valves off it machine is located in a finished area. But if it's in an area that you would be comfortable hosing down to clean (bare concrete or ceramic tile basement), I wouldn't bother.

 

[paul234]

Not sure?

OK

Not sure?

I'm inclinded to leave them on. Then with my self dianosed OCD I'll
probably obsess and turn them off later. Why can't this be simlple.
I guess it really is. It's my 52 year old valves the bug me.
I should just do as I had and turn them off and if a a washer goes deal
with it.

Can I tell if a washer gets a leak if it's hooked to the hose? There would
be no faucet to drip from. Would it drip from around the faucets handle knob?
It seemed once it did. I don't know the technical if a closed faucet with a bad
washer would be detectable if hooked to the hose. Or if it blows completely if
it would just be backed up in the hose and I'd neved know if the washer was failed.
Then if a leak occured i'd have an open line. Does this make sense? Do you follow?

I have the same type valves for my shower/tub. Pain in the ass 52 year
old valves. The type you put a hexgon type tube wrench on to remove them.
Know what I mean Vern?

My late father toyed with them himself. I gave the plumber the wrench
he had here to use. I may have to try mastering the repair of these things too.

thanks again

 

[paul234]

Undecided Still?

Undecided Still?

Can I tell if a washer gets a leak if it's hooked to the hose? There would
be no faucet to drip from. Would it drip from around the faucets handle knob?
It seemed once it did. I don't know the technical if a open faucet with a bad
washer would be detectable if hooked to the hose. Or if it blows completely if
it would just be backed up in the hose and I'd neved know if the washer was failed.
Then if a leak occured i'd have an open line. Does this make sense? Do you follow?

Also can a seal in the washer itself blow and leak, not just rubber hoses?

thank you

 

[DigAPony]

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.

 

[washdaddy]

for me- they stay on

But that is because it really isn't feasible for me to turn them on and off everytime I use the machine. I live in an apartment that has a stacked unit in the apt. and it's in a recess. The water supply and drain are located behind the machine and the only way to access those valves would be to drag the machine out to shut them off. But even in my other places that I lived they were always left on if I could reach them with ease.
I do know some people that do without fail, shut off their valves between use but to this day I have heard of not one person personally that has had a waterhose fiasco with it bursting. Although I have heard some stories.
I think today's hoses are stonger than those in the past and the possibility is extremely minute for it bursting unless you're subjecting it to extremes all the time.

 

[yogitunes]

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!

 

[frontloaderfan]

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.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Perhaps we should also be concerned about Gas Valve shutoff!?

 

 

-- Dave

 

[paul234]

DigAPony ?

Post# 781869 , Reply# 22 9/6/2014 at 12:19 by DigAPony

DigAPony wrote:

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.

----------------------
Paul wrote:

Do I have to cut into my wall and and attach it to the fixtures or something?
Or take out my existint seperate hot and cold valves that have turn handles?

Or is this intalled externally to bring them together to a type of Y or such?

Is it possible if you have time someone can point me to such an item by URL to Home Depot or other?

I have attached photos of similar type valves though the handle are not the same style. Mine are 52 years old. I have them in my shower/tub and for my wahser in my utiltiy room.

have a good weekend!

 

[paul234]

One Detail I forgot

I forgot to mention that the valves for the washer have separate taps one each for the hot and cold rather than run into one tap like the tub. I suppose that's obvious? They each have a turn knob and a tap with threads under them coming out of the wall. One for each washer hose. Would this be what I attach the ball valve to or do I have to change my internal plumbing at all?

Strange thing is that when I removed the hoses twice they would drain water for ahwile even though the hose was drained dry. Like just having the hose on caused some kind of pressure backup.

 

[yogitunes]

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...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Metal-Hose-Shut-Off-395S/203136689
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Metal-Hose-Shut-Off-395S/203136689

 

[paul234]

Reply to yogitunes

Your joking about the skill level , I assume

I see how that would work but is it really any more reliable
than not using one? A Melnor hose valve for $2.98.

The brass one has only one review; that claims it restricts the flow.
I will consider all options even this $2.98 hose valve.

What about something like this?

3/4 in. Bronze Compression Ball Valve with Drain Full-Port

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Apollo-3...alve-with-Drain-Full-Port-THDCWD104/203020073

I'm note sure about the connections and if I need a drain port.

Is this also an option someone was steering me toward?
I'd assume I willl need two.

Any insight here would be apprciated.

thank you

-------------------------

 

[paul234]

I'd rather have something like the one with the 3/4 ball valve and lever
( Pictured in post above )as it seems more for appliances, while these others are sold as mostly convienence for garden hoses.

This would seem the best if I go the garden hose route. Most other brands
had reported leaks and failures.
http://www.amazon.com/Dramm-12353-H...10169211&sr=8-1&keywords=water+shut+off+valve

Is there someting that will attach like this but is a ball valve with lever like the one I have picure in the previous post with the yellow lever handle(compression one). I am not familiar with the compression connections and assume this is not what I want for ends. However my hoses may have an adaptor in between them and the taps if I take it all apart.

Is there a lever type valve with the standand hose thread connections on each side like the garden hose valve but like the compression valve I have in post above?
It seems better for appliances than one for hoses IMO.

thank you

 

[philr]

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:

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410JH5kS+1L._SY300_.jpg

 

[DigAPony]

That compression ball valve is for use on copper pipe.

You just need something simple and inexpensive downstream of valve to relieve the full water pressure on the washer and hoses. If you want something similar but more substantial try hardware or plumbing supply stores.

 

[kb0nes]

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. 

 

 

http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=3511

 

[mark_wpduet]

The hoses

on my Duet washer will be 10 yrs old in a few months.....I don't turn them off unless I'm gone more than a few hours.

 

[mattl]

Either some folks have high water pressure or I'm lucky, but I've never turned the water off to any appliances ever, and doubt I ever will.  The hoses on my Kenmore TL are close to 20 years old and last time I checked they looked fine.  I bought my duets used so I have no idea the age of the hoses, but they are fine too. 

 

True, my stuff is in the basement, but it is a fully finished laundry room so I really don't want things like drywall soaked.  Funny thing is the storm sewers are more likely to cause a problem than bad hoses.  In times past we've had 3-4" of storm water in the entire basement, not fun to clean up.  Stripping wax off of 1100 sq. ft of floor is time consuming when it turns while so a hose leak near a drain is not too much of a worry.

 

[paul234]

These are all good ideas. It's a matter of my clearance between the wall and the hot and cold tap. They come out and angle down like a sink tap but with the screw on ends that look like they have a fitting to adapt to the hose type fitting. I have about two inches between the wall and the connections so I could see possbile having a problem attaching the long lever ones without plumbing expertize.

What to do think of the brass hose ones by Dramm? Reviews say they are solid brass inside too. They say the Gilmour brass are plastic inside

They cost 18 bucks and are said to withstand higher pressure that standard hose shut off valves.

http://www.dramm.com/html/main.isx?sitesec=8.0.0.0&productRec=430

Available at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Dramm-12353-H...10169211&sr=8-1&keywords=water+shut+off+valve

Brass Shut-Off Valve

Simply the best shut-off valve available. Dramm's #300 Brass Shut-Off Valve provides fingertip water control at the end of your greenhouse hose. A quarter turn of the large ergonomic handle and the water is off. Full water flow design. Made in the USA from brass, durable seals and a hard chrome plated ball to provide years of service. 3/4 threads.

 

[suburbanmd]

Some thoughts

1) ATC-equipped machines cycle the water on and off multiple times per fill. So they're harder on hoses than non-ATC machines.

2) A leaking hose isn't the only way a washing machine can flood your house. A leaking fill valve could also do it.

3) I know four people who've had flood disasters caused by toilet tank fill hoses. No one I know has mentioned a flood involving their washing machine. After hearing of enough disasters, I installed a whole-house flood protection system. It'll allow some flooding, but will eventually shut off the water. The time for "eventually" depends on whether it's in home or away mode, and the settings for each mode.