According to the 2000 census, there are over 1.8 million housing units in Colorado. There are approximately 465,000 multifamily homes in Colorado.

With this large amount of residences in Colorado, the avenue for insurance claim loss due to the failure of water fed lines is proportional. In order to minimize the losses associated with the introduction of water lines to the home, the current design, construction, and maintenance of the residential units needs to be carefully reviewed. 

The building codes do not prescribe how to construct a maintainable and safeguarded system. For example, current building codes do not require the rooms having washers in them include floor drains, but do require floor drains near water heaters. Other examples of good code requirements include the placement of valves on sinks, toilets, refrigerators, and icemakers that are easily accessible to shut off the water to each unit.

Good design and construction cannot be undervalued in creating a "low maintenance and easily maintained home." The same good practices will ultimately reduce the number of claims resulting from water losses. Many items can constitute good decision making in the design and construction. These items include: not placing plumbing in exterior walls, not constructing showers or baths with an exterior wall, placing floor sinks in areas having water supply, and properly venting and insulating a home.

The Uniform Building Code does not address all issues regarding the construction of a home. For example, the use of "washer pans" placed under the clothes washer, which are not a requirement of the Code. This pan will capture small leaks and collect the water, preventing a potential water loss claim should the washer malfunction. Of course, the pans must be connected to the home's plumbing, and properly vented and trapped like a floor drain. This method is used by a few builders in Colorado and has proven successful. The pan, however, cannot prevent damage due to a major supply hose leak.

As the product begins to age, the reliability of the hose to perform its function as a watertight unit begins to deteriorate. According to many companies, the average life expectancy of a washer hose (cold or hot) ranges from 3 years to 10 years. One begins to look forward at the forecast of water loss claims that will occur in this environment over the next 10 to 20 years. According to State Farm Insurance, washing machine hose failures cause over 150 million dollars in damage to homes in the United States and Canada each year (State Farm, 2004).

The amount of water released from a hose break can be staggering. For example: if the hose is delivering water to the unit at 70 pounds per square inch of pressure, as much as 55 gallons of water per minute can be released into the residence. Even a small leak can provide a large loss. According to the Insurance Institute of Northern California, a water leak of only 10 drips per minute can result in a water loss of 525 gallons per year. The claims loss from this will obviously vary from home to home, but can even be much more dramatic considering the number of high-rise condominiums located in metropolitan areas. A leaking hose on the 6th floor of a condominium complex may result in a water loss in the unit as well as in the units in the 5 floors below it. The homeowners' association insurance and the condominium policy will be subrogating and cross claiming on who is to pay for the damages.

Depending on the type of hoses used in the home, the life of the hose can be shortened or lengthened. The hose life is influenced by the chemical composition of the water, ambient pressure of the water supply, and the specific installation of the hose, as well as the amount of "kinking" of the lines due to conflict with the appliances. If the washer is placed too tightly against the wall, it creates a severe bend in the hose: the bend and hose use will result in a shorter life expectancy. The old "rubber" hoses should be replaced every 5 years. There are newer systems available such as metal mesh hoses, or even better, the Floodchek® hoses, that have guarantees of 20 years. The higher cost of the Floodchek® product is quickly offset by the prevention of a single claim in the life of the product; that is, the cost is much less than the typical deductible of the homeowner's insurance policy.

Just a few minutes of inspection can minimize many risks that may develop in the lifetime of the structure. The requirement of the homeowner to inspect the hoses, faucets, water heater, dishwasher, and icemaker are critical. However, many of the plumbing connections are oftentimes hidden or not accessible. As the equipment and plumbing in the home ages, the water losses will increase proportionally. With the tighter energy-efficient construction, the resulting damages will be exponential.

It is essential that homeowners understand the systems in their homes and have the help they need to develop a maintenance program. This is similar to the oil change companies selling an oil change every 3,000 miles. A good consumer resource providing loss prevention information is www.HomeCheckSafety.com, which supplies homeowners with interactive preventative maintenance schedules and can inform them of product recalls. When association insurance is being updated, the underwriters can request an audit of products on the property and aid the association in updating many outdated supply lines and products. The use of an engineering firm such as PIE can also aid the insurance company in accessing the risks of the properties based on a diligent review of the type of construction and design methods used on the structures.

There are, however, a number of new features that can be incorporated into new and older homes to minimize the losses due to water. These include such items as water hammer arrestors that absorb increased water pressure when the electric valve in the clothes washer shuts off and water pressure meters that visually indicate the pressure in the system to alert the homeowner if the water pressure is too high. Another unique product is an Automatic Washing Machine Water Shut-off Valve. This product automatically shuts off the valves after the clothes washer finishes the final cycle. The use of floor water alarms can be incorporated into the systems as well. The costs of these products are typically much less than the deductible on most insurance policies, and if the prevention minimizes even a small claim, it's worth it.Copyright 2005 Professional Investigative Engineers. All rights reserved.

Source: State Farm Insurance.(2004, August 13). Washing Machine Hoses -- A Ticking Time Bomb. Retrieved August 4, 2005, from http://www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/washmach.htm