Circle Tree

Water Damages $14,000, Replacement Hoses $29.95

Jul 26, 2001

Kingstown Commons is a 100 unit garden home community in the Southwest, built in 1982. This community has 24 two-story masonry buildings with 330 residential units.
The property manager reported that a hot water washing machine hose burst in an upstairs unit while the residents were at work. Water flowed for three to four hours before being discovered.
Damage was extensive in the first floor residential unit. The entire kitchen and dining area had to be replaced including all walls, ceilings, floor surfaces and cabinetry. The powder room was extensively damaged and required the replacement of all fixtures. The living room ceiling had to be torn down and replaced, along with the carpet, and the bedroom and laundry room had to be repainted. In the second floor unit, where the leak started, drywall, molding and carpeting had to be replaced.

Total replacement cost: ?­ $14,077.93

The number one cause of water damage in most homes occurs when the set of flexible hoses connecting the washing machine to hot and cold water lines bursts. Hoses that are installed at initial construction are of minimum quality. Under good conditions, they last no more than four or five years.
Good quality burst-resistant hoses cost, depending on quantity, as little as $20 per set, and are easy to install.
Remember, every unit in a community association is constructed at about the same time, so appliances and hoses reach the end of their useful life in every unit at about the same time.
Replacing water heaters and washing machine hoses in every unit at the same time can save your association money in material and installation costs. It can also help prevent catastrophic loss and frequent incidents when these items begin to fail community wide.
?‹Article courtesy of CAU News.