What should I do if my washing machine hose bursts?

Close the washer's supply valves, then the main if you have to. The valves sit on the wall behind the machine, usually in a small recessed box with the drain standpipe.

• Lever handles. Turn each lever a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
• Round wheel handles. Turn each one clockwise until it stops.
• A single lever for both. Some laundry boxes have one lever that closes hot and cold together. Flip it down or across.

You may have to pull the washer out a few inches to reach them. If water is spraying hard at the valve, or the handle is seized, go straight to the main water shutoff. In most Phoenix-area homes it's where the water line enters the house, often on an outside wall or in the garage. Our page on how to shut off water to a fixture shows the common valve types.

If the house valve won't close either, don't open the meter box and try the city's valve. Phoenix's water FAQ says to turn water off "using the valve near the location where it enters your home," and if that valve is broken, to have the city do it: "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF THE WATER AT THE METER YOURSELF." The city's 24/7 line for that is 602-261-8000. Our page on who to call about a water leak in Phoenix covers the city's side in more detail.

Only if the outlet and the floor in front of it are dry. Water and electricity is the real danger in a flooded laundry room, more than the water itself. Safe Electricity warns never to touch "electric wires, switches, or fuses when you're wet or when you're standing in water," and: "Never attempt to turn off power at the breaker box if you must stand in water to do so. If you can't reach your breaker box safely, call your electric utility to shut off power at the meter."

So:

1. 1If the plug is above the water and you're standing on a dry spot, unplug the washer.
2. 2If water has reached the outlet, the cord, or the floor you'd have to stand on, leave it. Turn off that circuit at the panel if you can reach the panel from somewhere dry.
3. 3If you can't do either safely, call the electric utility.

A gas dryer next to the washer is a separate concern. If you smell gas, leave the house and call from outside. See what to do if the house smells like gas.

Get the standing water up, then get air moving fast. The EPA says that "If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow." That's the clock you're working against.

• Remove the water. Towels and a mop for a small spill. A wet/dry vacuum for more. A laundry room with a floor drain will clear some of it on its own.
• Pull the washer out. Water hides under and behind it, and in the recessed valve box.
• Check what's next door. Burst hoses flood sideways. Look at the baseboards and carpet in the rooms that share a wall with the laundry, and the cabinets on either side.
• Look below. In a two-story home with the laundry upstairs, check the ceiling underneath for stains or drips. Our page on a water leak from the ceiling covers that.
• Dry it out. Run fans, open doors, and run the air conditioning. Wet drywall, carpet pad, and cabinet bases hold water long after the floor looks dry.

If water soaked into carpet, wall cavities, or a ceiling, a professional water damage company can measure the moisture and dry it out properly. Our page on what to do first after a flood or major leak walks through a bigger cleanup.

Document the damage before you clean too much, and keep every receipt. The Insurance Information Institute says to "Photograph or videotape the damage, then take reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage." It also advises: "If possible, avoid throwing out damaged items until the adjuster has visited your home. Save receipts for what you spend."

In practice:

1. 1Photograph the burst hose and where it split, before you remove it. Keep the hose.
2. 2Photograph the water on the floor, the wet walls, and anything damaged.
3. 3Stop further damage. Drying out the room counts as protecting your property.
4. 4Save receipts for fans, cleanup, and the emergency repair.
5. 5Call your insurer and ask how they want the claim handled.

Burst hoses are a common claim. AIG's risk engineers call an unattended burst washer hose "one of the most common causes of catastrophic water damage in homes." Our page on how to file a water damage insurance claim goes step by step.

Replace both hoses, then take the pressure off them when you're not washing. The advice from insurers and manufacturers lines up:

Why the valves matter: State Farm explains that each time the washer's valve snaps shut, the pressure change "causes the hose to balloon out and then retract, weakening the hose a little each cycle." It adds that many washer manuals carry the warning "TURN FAUCETS OFF WHEN WASHER IS NOT IN USE." AIG goes further: "Leaving a washing machine's valves open all the time greatly increases the chance of a catastrophic hose burst."

### Is an automatic shutoff valve worth it?

For a laundry room upstairs or next to finished rooms, often yes. AIG recommends having "a licensed plumber replace supply valves with automatic shut off valves with water sensors." These open the water only while the washer draws power and close it when the cycle ends. Paired with a floor leak sensor, they shut the water off if a hose bursts mid-cycle. Our page on whether water leak sensors are worth installing compares the options, and how often to replace washing machine hoses covers hose choice.

If the problem was water spilling out of the drain standpipe rather than a supply hose, that's a different fix. See washing machine drain overflow.

HQ Plumbing & Air answers burst hoses and laundry room leaks 24/7 across the Phoenix area, and replaces stuck supply valves and installs automatic washer shutoffs. We're licensed and insured, with upfront pricing. See our emergency plumbing service.

Valves off, power safe, then dry it out. New hoses go on before the next load.