The relatively inexpensive water supply line causes more water damage than any other condition. These hoses supply the water to toilets, sinks and washers.
They should be inspected regularly and replaced every 5 years even if they don’t show signs of failure. This is because the failure can not be seen from the outside yet. Sometimes it is visible as blistering or a bubble growing on a hose.
Another common area of failure on the supply line is the plastic connector. If it is screwed on too tight it will stress the cap creating hidden stress fractures. Overtime it will split open and cause water to flow.
Here is what you should do:
- Inspect every supply hose once a year
- replace all supply hoses every five years
- turn off water supply valves if you plan to be away for multiple days