Find the water valve and replace the old hoses
A burst hose can flood a house. Find the main water shut-off, check the hoses behind your appliances, and ask what your insurance pays.
From homeowners’ advice and experience shared online; the hose, insurance, gas and flood-electrics lines are checked against Triple-I, National Gas, a US pipeline safety agency and Electrical Safety First, October 2026.
One person describes a burst rubber washing-machine hose as being like a tap left fully open in the house. It does not wait for a convenient hour, and what helps most in that minute is knowing where the water stops.
Find your main water shut-off and turn it once, and replace the old hoses behind the washing machine and under the sinks before one of them fails.
This page is for a home you own or look after. If you rent, the first step is to tell whoever looks after the building what you find, since the pipes and valves may be theirs.
Find the shut-off before you need it
Some people say a homeowner should know where the water, gas and electricity shut-offs are, and how they work, before an emergency. Triple-I says being able to locate and shut off the main water supply quickly saves stress, money and time. One person says to have a wrench for loosening old washing-machine lines. In the UK, one council’s guidance says the stop tap is usually under the kitchen sink, and that turning it clockwise stops the water.
Gas and electricity are different. A gas smell is not the moment to search for a valve, and the safety box above says what the two authorities say to do. For the electricity, the main switch is the one to know, and there is a page here on proving a wire is dead before you touch it, called Find the breaker, then test the wire.
The hoses are the cheap fix
Triple-I says to check the hoses on a water heater, dishwasher, washing machine and refrigerator ice maker once a year, replace any that are cracked or leaking at once, and replace them all every five to seven years. One person describes swapping a rubber washing machine line for a braided metal one: measure the old line, buy a replacement, and tighten it by hand.
Catch the slow leak
Some people put water sensors that alert their phone under sinks and say they find leaks early, and Triple-I says a leak monitor is worth considering. Some people also protect the base of an under-sink cabinet with plastic sheeting or tile, so that water does not wick into the wood and rot it. Some people say that in cold weather it is worth checking the attic for exposed pipes. One person warns that an outside tap can freeze and break if it is not shut off for winter.
What the policy may not pay
Triple-I says a standard US homeowners policy generally pays for water that comes from above, such as a burst pipe, but that sewer backups usually need an add-on and outside flooding needs separate flood cover. One person warns that insurance may not cover long-term hidden water damage, and one that some policies cap certain items and need a separate endorsement for a sump pump or a sewer backup. It costs a phone call to find out what yours says, before the day you need it.
Who this page is not for
If water is coming in now, stop reading and use the shut-off, then the safety box at the top for gas and electricity. If you are looking for how to fix a leak, find one behind a wall, or work out whether a drip is an emergency, this page cannot help. And if you want the rest of a new homeowner’s first week, the locks, the alarms and the rest of the list are on the page called Change the locks the day you get the keys.
Common questions
How old is too old for a washing-machine hose?
The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) in the US says to check the hoses on water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerator ice makers every year, to replace any that are cracked or leaking at once, and to replace them all every five to seven years. One person says to swap rubber washing-machine lines for braided metal ones, to measure the old line before buying, and to tighten the new ones by hand. This page did not check the hose makers’ own guidance, so read the instructions that come with the new hose.
Do I need a leak sensor?
Some people say to put water sensors that alert your phone where a leak would start, such as under sinks, so you hear about a leak early. Triple-I says it is worth considering a water-leak monitoring system. The same people say to protect the floor of an under-sink cabinet with plastic sheeting or tile, to stop wood rotting as water wicks into it. A sensor tells you after a leak starts; it does not make the hose any younger.
What about pipes in the attic and outside taps in winter?
Some people say that in cold weather it is worth checking the attic for exposed pipes that may leak as they expand and contract. One person warns that an outside tap can freeze and break if it is not shut off for winter. This page did not check a utility or government source for either, and it does not say how to winterise a tap.
Will my insurance pay?
Not necessarily, and it is worth knowing before something goes wrong. Triple-I says a standard US homeowners policy generally covers water that comes from above, such as a burst pipe, but that sewer backups usually need an add-on, and flooding from outside needs separate flood cover. One person warns that insurance may not cover long-term hidden water damage. One person says some policies cap certain items and need a separate endorsement for a sump pump or a sewer backup. One person says to buy cover that matches the disasters your area has and to understand what it includes. UK policies differ and this page does not cover them, so read yours or ask your insurer.
Can small leaks wait?
Some people say that dealing with a small problem as soon as you notice it, such as a squeak, a loose screw or a small leak, stops it growing into a costly repair. One person says that if the roof needs work you should do it now rather than wait for visible leaks. One person suggests walking round the outside of the house each week to check the hoses, for animals and for wall damage.
Questions this step helps with
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