Leaks
Flexi hoses: the hidden flood risk under your sink
Flexi hoses are braided stainless steel connectors found under sinks, toilets and vanities. They fail without warning and are one of the most common causes of internal water damage claims cited by Australian insurers. Replace them every 5–10 years and check regularly for rust spots, fraying or bulging in the braid.
Under almost every sink, toilet and vanity in Sydney sits a braided stainless steel flexi hose, and one of them is statistically the most likely thing in the house to cause a flood. Insurance companies regularly name burst flexible hoses as one of the most common causes of internal water damage claims in Australian homes, and the damage bill from a single failure routinely runs into the tens of thousands.
What a flexi hose actually is
A flexi hose is a rubber tube wrapped in a woven stainless steel braid. The rubber carries the water; the braid carries the pressure. The braid is the structural part, and that is the design weakness: once the braid corrodes, frays or kinks, the rubber balloons through the gap and bursts. There is rarely a warning drip. It holds until it does not.
Why they burst
These hoses sit under full mains pressure around the clock, every day, for years. The braid rusts, and the humid cabinet under a kitchen sink accelerates it, especially with chlorine-based cleaning products stored beside the hose, since chloride attacks stainless steel. Hoses that were over-tightened, stretched taut or twisted during installation start life already stressed, and cheap unbranded hoses fitted in bulk during renovation booms have a particularly poor record. Because a burst hose can release hundreds of litres an hour, the worst outcomes happen when nobody is home to hear it. A weekend away is plenty of time to ruin every floor covering in the house.
The warning signs worth checking for
- Rust spots or brown discolouration anywhere on the braid.
- Frayed or broken braid strands sticking out.
- Bulging or bubbling in the hose body.
- Kinks, twists, or a hose stretched tight between its connections.
- Green or white corrosion around the crimped ends and nuts.
- No date tag, and no memory of the hose ever being replaced.
The 5–10 year rule
Flexi hoses are not a fit-and-forget product. Replace them every 5–10 years, sooner if any warning sign shows, and treat buying a house as an automatic prompt to check every hose in it, since nobody ever knows how old the previous owner's hoses are. Quality hoses installed without twist or tension last far better than bargain ones. Fitting mini isolation stop taps at each hose means a failure can be shut off in seconds rather than at the meter, and turning those little valves off before holidays costs nothing and removes the risk entirely while the house is empty.
Terry checks the flexi hoses on every job he attends, whatever he was originally called out for, because a five minute look under the sink is the cheapest flood prevention there is. A hose that costs less than a takeaway dinner should never be the reason a kitchen gets rebuilt. To have every flexi in the house inspected or replaced, call 0415 274 542.
Frequently asked questions
- How often should flexi hoses be replaced?
- Every 5–10 years as a rule, and immediately if there is any rust, fraying or bulging in the braid. Check the date tag on the hose; if there is no tag and no record of replacement, assume it is due.
- What are the warning signs of a failing flexi hose?
- Rust spots or discolouration on the braid, frayed strands, bulging in the hose body, kinks or twists, and corrosion around the end fittings. Any one of these is reason to replace the hose straight away rather than watch and wait.
- Does home insurance cover a burst flexi hose?
- Sudden water damage is generally covered, but insurers can reduce or refuse claims where a hose was visibly rusted and clearly unmaintained. Given a replacement hose costs a tiny fraction of any excess, maintenance is far cheaper than testing the policy wording.
- Should I turn the water off when I go on holiday?
- Yes. Either at the meter or at the mini isolation valves on each hose. Most catastrophic flexi hose floods happen while nobody is home, so a thirty second habit before you leave removes the biggest single flood risk in the house.
- Can I replace flexi hoses myself?
- Connecting and disconnecting water supply fittings is licensed plumbing work in NSW, and a poor connection just creates the next leak. A plumber can replace every hose in the house in one visit and fit isolation valves at the same time.
Need a hand from a real plumber?
Terry's been sorting plumbing across Berala and Western Sydney since 1986. Call 0415 274 542 for a straight answer and a fixed price.
NSW Licence L10959 · 40+ years experience