things you proactively replace around the house

[doitmyself]

More than ever, with China mfg. taking over, one needs to be careful about which washer hose you choose. Most insurance and other institutions recommend 3 to 5 year replacement schedules.

Braided stainless steel hoses do fail: The area around the coupling is weaker due to the crimped construction style.

I have always used Fluid Master braided hoses with good luck and trust a name brand more, realizing they need to be installed correct, inspected, and replaced on occassion.

I have read many bad things about the Watts Floodsafe braided hoses (no personal experience). Users say the valve restricts flow and trips routinely. Professional plumbing sites repeatedly state that the check valve unit is weak and the hose is prone to break there. Again, just internet consensus.

This hose seems to be especially good at $50/pair. Good rubber, excellent fittings, and U.S. made. I have seen these and might invest in them...warranteed 20 years: http://www.floodchek.com/

 

[Rick in PA]

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
Originally Posted By: mpvue
..washer hoses DO burst;...


I have always been curious about the use of stainless mesh covered hoses for the home. Other than preventing damage from the exterior, how does the stainless covering help leakproof the hose?


Standard rubber washer hoses use fabric reinforcement embedded in the rubber. The fabric can deteriorate over time and fail. Stainless steel will not deteriorate in a typical household environment, so it's much less prone to failure.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
Standard rubber washer hoses use fabric reinforcement embedded in the rubber. The fabric can deteriorate over time and fail. Stainless steel will not deteriorate in a typical household environment, so it's much less prone to failure.


Underneath the stainless steel is some pretty thin plastic hose.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I replaced the 11-12 years front load washer 2-3 years ago, both washer hoses were in good shape, no sign of pending failure.

We have two furnace filters, one is disposable and it is changed once a year around Nov/Dec when we need to turn on the heat. The other is washable and it is washed a week or two before the heater is on.

 

[Bamboooo]

underwear, toilet paper, food

 

[oppirs]

I still got my 1988 water heater. But I do flush it every year. I forgot until you guy's posted this.... Time to flush/drain it again!

 

[Virtuoso]

When we moved into our house in July '08.. it was still rockin' a hot water heater from 1991. It wasn't leaking, but it sounded like popcorn when it was firing & you had water flowing through it. It was pretty disturbing, really. Made me wanna duck for cover when it would really pop!

I don't pro-actively replace much except air filters; but I will replace inlet hoses on the washer around 5 years as my mother had one split and it did a number to the wall behind it.

Our house is 80 years old, and as some have said.. gives me plenty to do

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Al
I replaced my 1972 Amana after 26 years is efficiency. My old refrig drew 10 amps and the new one draws 4 amps. It makes a difference keeping the coils clean.

Turns out I should have replaced it long before I did. My "New" (1998) Side by side full size Whirlpool runs at 170W

use is 2KW in 26 hours

Even I have a tough time believing it but the Watts and KW pretty much agree.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
How about the water heater tank? Do you replace it or wait until it springs a leak? Mine dates to the mid 80s and so would be on a proactive replacement list I guess.


How did you get yours (water heater) to last 25 yrs?
Well, it was there when I moved in and it's dated mid 80s. I moved in 2001 and basically did nothing to maintain it. I would wait for the leak but there is no floor drain in that corner of the basement. Nearest floor drain is probably 30 feet away in the laundry room. Ah, a catch pan and keep an eye out or even a leak detector for water. But what if I am on a 12 day vacation? No rusty water from faucet, but the heater does make a lot of popping noises which I understand is from scale or something built up inside.

I never drain and flush it. Opened the valve once to bleed off some water (supposed maintenance thing) and debris clogged the valve and I could not get it to shut off all the way. Well, maybe I should route a hose from the valve to the floor drain and try to flush it, but doesn't it get flushed pretty good when you run the laundry to the point the hot water is coming out cold?

 

[Kestas]

We had a water heater last 43 years. The house was new in 1964. We moved into it 1978 and the water heater saw regular maintenance. It blew in 2007.

 

[hattaresguy]

Nothing, I sell it for the tax credit and build a new one. No one in my family remodels, its the going joke we just build new ones.

In the first 5-10 years you don't have to do anything.