Ever noticed that every sink in your property has these metal tubes connected between the wall and the sink, toilet or taps?

Have you ever spent the time to check if it’s rusted? Do you know if it’s new and when it was installed or if it needs replacing? If the answer is yes, then you are doing well. This tube is called a Flexi hose, its cost is approximately $5 + labour to replace. The cost of not keeping an eye on it, maintaining it, and replacing it can be in the tens of thousands. We went to some experts on what you need to know about Flexi hose plumbing and the impact they can have on your facility.

What is a Flexi hose?

A flexi hose is the connection between your water to your appliance (generally your sinks, toilets, dishwashers and taps). They are what replaced the copper pipes, and are more commonly seen as flexible metal woven tubes. This allows for better connections in more complicated spaces.

multiple flexihose    flexi hose attached to tap

How often should it be replaced?

A flexi hose does have a limited lifespan and should be regularly maintained with a check every 6 months and replaced every 5-8 years depending on the brand and warranty on the hose installed. Basically, if you have been in a property and you haven’t checked these in over 5 years, get them replaced.

Can you explain the impact a flexi hose has on a property?

Imagine waking up after a nice weekend travel to work and find your workplace is flooded. All your furniture is damaged, your flooring warped, your company having to close or relocate temporarily or childcare centre having to turn away kids or close for the day. The cause: A slow leak in a bathroom, dishwasher or toilet Flexi hose plumbing. The cost of a Flexi hose? Approx. $5 + installation.

From Guild Insurance: Any building, both commercial and residential, faces the risk of a burst flexi hose. However early learning centres face a higher risk than many other buildings given their high number of toilets and basins, and therefore the high number of flexi hoses. The scenario at the beginning of this article highlights the damage which can occur with water potentially inundating the entire building before it is realised and stopped. However, the impact, unfortunately, doesn’t end there. Guild Insurance has seen many cases where the extensive water damage has led to an early learning centre being closed for a period of time, possibly a week. This may be because of the time it takes for the floors to completely dry. Driers can be used to speed up this process, however, these are quite noisy and it’s difficult to operate a centre while these are being used. There is also the issue of mould building up due to the water damage and thus creating an unsafe space for both children and the staff. There is an unfortunate potential consequence of an early learning centre being unable to operate for a period of time. Several centres have experienced their children attending other centres during closure and then not returning once the centre is up and running. While insurance can assist with the cost of repairs and lost revenue during a closure, it can’t assist with valued clients choosing to not return.

The cost of repairs? Excess fee, your annual premiums, loss of income for the closing period, cost of wages.

What could you do?

Set up a plumbing audit or a scheduled service to check every 6 months and replace your flexi hose every 5-8 years according to Guild Insurance, even if it’s a joint service with another service like your maintenance or TMV or backflow.