If you’ve felt inspired to give the cupboard under your bathroom basin or kitchen sink a proper spring-clean recently – nice work! It also means there’s a chance you’re now familiar with an inexpensive yet vital invention called a flexi hose. As well as under sinks and basins, you’ll commonly find flexi hoses used to connect cold or hot water to toilets, the dishwasher and your washing machine.
What you might not know, though, is that this unassuming-looking, slender steel -braided hose is frequently behind one of the most common home insurance claims made in Australia – water-related damage.1
For example, burst flexi hoses are the culprit behind 16% of Youi Building Insurance claims for damage caused by escaping water. And for Contents Insurance claims concerning escaping water damage, it’s even higher – broken flexi hoses are involved in 27% at Youi.
And yet, flexi hoses are often overlooked when it comes to general household maintenance.2
“Faulty flexi hoses are a major problem for homeowners,” says Murray Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of The Master Plumbers & Gasfitters Association of Western Australia.
“A burst flexi hose can leak more than 20 litres of water a minute, so the damage can be extensive. If the water’s allowed to flow for hours on end while you’re at work, for example, you could be talking about tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.”
At Youi, the average Buildings insurance claim for damage caused by a burst flexi hose is around $22,000, while the average Contents Insurance claim for flexi-hose related damage is $9,000 – both a good deal higher than average claims for water damage where a flexi hose isn’t to blame.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help prevent your home’s flexi hoses from failing.
So, what is a flexi hose?
As the name suggests, it’s a flexible hose made of a rubber tube typically encased in a layer of braided stainless steel. Flexi hoses are used to make plumbing in tight spaces easier and more convenient.2
The trouble is, over time, the braiding can weaken, rust or sustain damage, which can potentially lead to a blowout.
What causes a flexi hose to fail?
Gary Bath is the Chief Technical Officer of Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia. He says flexible hose failures can be caused by a few different things, including exposure to water pressure that’s higher than recommended.
“Damage to the outer cover can also be caused by corrosive chemicals stored in the cupboard next to a hose, or by mechanical means – for example, the hose rubbing against another surface or installed so that the hose is bent at too tight a radius,” says Bath.
“Or it can be something as simple as the flexible hose being beyond its recommended replacement date.”
How often do flexi hoses burst?
Failed flexi hose connections contribute to a significant number of water damage events every year in Australia, resulting in millions of dollars in claims.2
Therefore, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of identifying and checking all the flexi hoses in your home every six months, looking for signs of wear and tear, including cracks, leaks, rusting, corrosion, or any other type of damage.2
Youi Product Communication Specialist Rachael Lewis discovered firsthand just how crucial carrying out those checks can be. “I checked the flexi hoses at my house recently and was shocked to find that the ones in my main bathroom and ensuite were corroded and fraying in several spots. I couldn’t believe it!” says Lewis.
“And for context, my house is three years young. I purchased it as an ex-display home, built by a builder with an excellent reputation."
“I’m also a clean freak who’s passionate about home maintenance – how had I not seen this earlier? On closer inspection, I realised it’s the kind of damage that’s easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for.”
According to Lewis, at Youi, the average cost of a Buildings insurance escaping water claim due to a flexi hose is around $22,000. “That’s high, considering a new flexi hose only costs about $10,” she says. “The damage can spread quickly, impacting cabinetry, flooring, multiple rooms, furniture, and belongings.”
And the damage can be much greater – a Youi Home Assessor recalls one claim where a burst flexi hose allowed water to escape for a few days, resulting in a total claim cost exceeding $1million.
Lewis has since had new flexi hoses installed that are nylon based and have a 15-year warranty. “It’s hard to say definitively how near I came to experiencing a disaster, but they can burst within days or even hours after the damage becomes noticeable, so the tsunami may have been close!” she says.
How often should you replace a flexi hose?
Even with routine inspections, flexi hoses aren’t intended – or designed – to last forever.3
“Flexible hoses should be routinely inspected and replaced every five years or according to the manufacturer’s instructions,” says Bath.
If you’re wondering how to connect a flexi hose to a tap in order to switch out an old hose, bear in mind that some products available to buy online or off the shelf may not comply with the latest Australian Standards.3
Using a qualified plumber to replace a flexi hose can help to avoid this risk – while it’s legal for suppliers to sell non-certified plumbing products, including flexible hoses, it’s illegal for plumbers to install them.3
“Consumers should be aware that only WaterMark-certified hoses should be used, and that there are products on the market that utilise different materials and thus can offer greater protection from potential damage,” says Bath. “It’s also important that consumers only use a licensed plumber when installing or changing over their taps or hoses.”
What to do if a flexi hose blows out at your house?
When any type of water pipe bursts, there are several steps you can take, depending on when you notice the leak and how much water has already escaped.
“If you’re at home when a flexi hose fails and it has its own isolating valve next to it, the simplest thing to do is turn that off,” says Thomas.
“Failing that, or if you arrive home and your house or rental property is already flooded, turn the water off at the mains rather than enter the property – and, for safety, switch your power off too,” he says, adding that it’s a good idea to identify where your water mains tap is before an emergency occurs, so you can act quickly if you need to.
Does home insurance cover water leaks caused by flexi hoses?
In Australia, building and contents policies typically include ‘damage from water insurance’ as standard, framing it in the context of ‘escape of liquid’.1
For instance, at Youi, home and contents insurance covers your building and your belongings against damage caused by insured events, which includes escaping water.4
“That might include a scenario in which the flexi hose beneath your kitchen sink bursts without warning, or the one connecting your toilet to your home’s water pipes suddenly ruptures, and water escapes all over your bathroom floor and beyond,” says Mervyn Hartley, Youi’s Head of Product – Home and Small Business.
However, Hartley says carrying out regular checks on your home’s flexi hoses and replacing them according to manufacturer guidelines are key. “Doing so may help avoid any water-related damage.”
Once you’ve given your home’s flexi hoses an all-important inspection, you might wonder how you’d be able to repair any damage if one was to suddenly burst. To find out how Youi’s you-shaped policies may suit your circumstances – consider starting a quote.
1 Source: Canstar – How to make a home insurance claim for water damage, March 2025
2 Source: Strata Community Association Queensland – Maintaining Your Flexi Hose: A Crucial Step in Preventing Water Damage in your property, March 2024
3 Source: The Master Plumbers & Gasfitters Association of Western Australia – WaterMark Certified flexible hose assemblies, January 2025
4 Exclusions, limits and additional fees may apply. See the Home & Contents PDS for full details.
