Burst Flexi Hose: What to Do Right Now
Close the isolation valve, then the meter tap if it won’t stop.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
In short
A burst flexi hose, the braided hose under a sink, toilet or behind an appliance, can release hundreds of litres a minute. Close the small isolation valve the hose connects to, or the meter tap if water keeps coming. Then call us: we replace it with a WaterMark-certified hose.
DO THIS FIRST
Do this first
1
Close the isolation valve
The small tap where the hose meets the wall pipe: turn it clockwise until it stops.
3
Protect the floor
Towels and buckets; lift rugs and anything that can swell, such as timber and cabinets.
4
Record it
Photos of the hose, the damage and the hose label if you can see a date.
5
Call us
0420 102 394, any hour.
SOURCES
Where this advice comes from
WHAT IS HAPPENING
What a flexi hose is, and why they burst
A flexi hose is the short, flexible braided hose that joins a tap, toilet cistern, dishwasher or washing machine to the water pipe in the wall. The shiny stainless steel braid is only armour: inside it is a rubber hose that does the actual work of holding the water. When the braid rusts or frays, or the rubber perishes with age, heat and pressure, the hose can split with no warning at all. Allianz points out that a bulge, where the braiding pushes outward, means the rubber inside has already weakened.
Because a flexi hose sits on the pressurised supply, a burst one releases water at full mains pressure until it is turned off, usually inside a closed cabinet where nobody sees it start. Insurers see this constantly: Youi says burst flexi hoses cause 16 percent of its building claims for escaping water (Youi).
The good news is that almost every flexi hose has its own shut-off: a small isolation valve where the hose meets the wall, turned by a little handle or a flat-blade slot. Closing it stops that one fixture, so the rest of the house keeps its water while you wait for us.
IS IT URGENT?
How serious is it?
| What you can see | How urgent | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Water spraying from under a sink, toilet or appliance, and the valve won’t close | Emergency: call now | Turn the water off at the meter tap, then call us |
| Water has reached another room, the floor below or a neighbour’s ceiling | Emergency: call now | Meter tap off, warn the neighbour or strata manager, then call us |
| The valve is closed and the leak has stopped, but that sink or toilet is out of use | Urgent: same day if it is the only one | Call us to fit a new hose |
| A hose with rust spots, a bulge or broken wires, but no leak yet | Not an emergency, but don’t wait | Book a replacement soon: it is a burst waiting to happen |
| A slow drip at the hose nut | Can be booked | Put a container under it, close the valve between uses, and book a repair |
DO NOT
Don’t make it worse
- Don’t reconnect the old hose, tape it or bend it back into shape. A hose that has burst once has failed inside and will go again.
- Don’t leave the isolation valve half closed and walk away. Turn it until it stops, then come back in ten minutes and check for drips.
- Don’t fit a cheap unbranded replacement yourself. Allianz advises calling a licensed plumber to replace a failing hose (Allianz), and the new one should be WaterMark certified.
- Don’t throw the burst hose away. Your insurer may want to see it, and the date label helps show how old it was.
- Don’t leave a wet cabinet shut to dry on its own. Empty it, leave the doors open and get air moving: particleboard swells when it stays wet.
WHY IT HAPPENED
Why flexi hoses fail
Our job records don’t separate flexi hoses from other burst pipes, so we can’t give you an honest count. What we can tell you is what we usually see when we take a failed hose out.
| Likely cause | Tell-tale signs | The usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rusted braid | Brown spots or staining on the wire, often in the cupboard where bleach and cleaners are kept | Replace the hose, and store chemicals away from it in sealed containers |
| Age | A stiff, faded hose, or a date label more than five years old | Replace it: one insurer suggests every five years, or as the maker recommends |
| Kinked or stretched when fitted | A sharp bend near a nut, or a hose pulled tight to reach; sharp angles create pressure points that weaken the hose | Fit a hose of the right length so it hangs in a gentle curve |
| Twisted or overtightened nut | Leaks at the nut, or a cracked fitting | Replace the hose and fit it to the maker’s instructions |
| Pressure spikes | Pipes that bang when the dishwasher or washing machine shuts off | A pressure check, and a pressure limiting valve if it is needed |
WHEN WE ARRIVE
What we do when we get there
1
Check the valve
We make sure the isolation valve actually seals; old ones often don’t, and are best replaced at the same time.
2
Fit a new hose
A WaterMark-certified hose of the right length, fitted without kinks or twists.
3
Check the rest
We look at every other flexi hose in the home and show you which ones are at risk.
4
Fixed price first
You approve the price for the hose, and for any others you want replaced, before we fit them.
5
Photos for your claim
The failed hose photographed and left with you, with a short written report of what failed.
WHAT IT COSTS
What a flexi hose replacement costs
We don’t price flexi hose replacements as their own job type in our records, so we won’t quote you a range we can’t back up. The nearest figures we have are for burst pipe call-outs. Half of our 33 priced burst pipe call-outs of all kinds since 2019 cost between $385 and $862, including GST, with a median of $495.
Replacing one hose is usually a short job. The price grows with the number of hoses, whether the isolation valve also needs replacing, and the hour you call. Water damage to cabinets and floors is a separate matter for your insurer.
$0 call-out Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 5:00pm. After hours a call-out fee of $199 to $399 applies, confirmed by text before we dispatch.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
Who is responsible?
In a rental, a burst water service and a fitting broken so that a substantial amount of water is being wasted are both NSW urgent repairs: the landlord arranges and pays unless the tenant caused it (tenants: what to do). Landlords, replacing old hoses between tenancies is a small job that heads off a late-night call (landlords and property managers).
In strata, the hoses under your sink or behind your toilet usually belong to your lot, so the repair is yours. If water has reached common property or another unit, tell the strata manager the same day (strata: who pays).
INSURANCE
Flexi hose bursts and your insurer
Burst flexi hoses are so common that insurers look closely at maintenance. If the hose was rusty, kinked or well past its age, an assessor may argue the failure was gradual or caused by poor upkeep. That is why the hose, its date label and photos of the cabinet matter. CHOICE compares what policies usually cover for escaping water.
Report it to your insurer the same day, and don’t pull out swollen cabinetry until they have seen it or said you can. How to make a claim
NEXT TIME
Prevent it next time
- Open every cabinet with a flexi hose every six months and look: rust, fraying, bulges or kinks mean replace it
- Write the fitting date on new hoses with a permanent marker
- Keep bleach and chlorine cleaners away from hoses, or in sealed containers
- Replace hoses every five years or as the maker says, with WaterMark-certified hoses fitted by a licensed plumber
- Turn the water off at the meter tap when you go away for more than a day
QUESTIONS
Flexi hose questions
WHAT TO DO RIGHT NOW
Other plumbing emergencies
MORE HELP
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