Dripping washing machine connection

icespide

This is my first post here but I'm in a new homeowner and not very handy so I look forward to asking lots of questions and hopefully getting lots of help here =)

A couple of nights ago my wife did a HUGE load of laundry, I am always telling her that just because it fits doesn't mean you should wash that huge load. Anyway, I wake up this morning and find a huge puddle of water in our basement near the washing machine. After some investigation I realize that the hot water connection (connection to the washer) is dripping.

I turn off the hot water valve, unscrew the hose, some more water leaks out of the hose. I clean everything up, reconnect the hose, as tight as I can, turn off the hot water valve and run a test cycle. After about an hour there is no more leaking however now I am paranoid that it could start leaking later.

The washing machine and the hoses are only a few months old so I don't think there's a problem there, my hope is that my wife's giant load of laundry shook so much that the connection may have moved enough to cause a leak and that my re tightening may have solved this. Thoughts from the experts? also, is it normal to just leave the hot water valve open all the time? is that the norm?

Side-note: I noticed that the cold water valve doesn't actually open or shut. I turn it to the left it doesn't move, I turn it to the right it doesn't move, however the cold water is still getting to the washing machine fine. Do some valves work like this? I really don't know. How is my washer magically getting cold water?

thank you

chayce

Probably a load imbalance during the spin cycle caused the hose to loosen. If you still have problems replace the rubber washer on the end of the hose, it's just like a garden hose. Yes it's normal to leave the hot water valve on all the time. Your cold water valve is stuck and needs some elbow grease to move, I'd recommend replacing it since you never know when you might need it. If you can't make it move at all (and need to close it!), use a wrench or some sort of lever to turn it, but be careful since valve handles and even pipes sometimes break.

braindead

>>>Side-note: I noticed that the cold water valve doesn't actually open or shut. I turn it to the left it doesn't move, I turn it to the right it doesn't move, however the cold water is still getting to the washing machine fine. Do some valves work like this? I really don't know. How is my washer magically getting cold water?<<<

Your valve has gotten struck from not being used.

Most brands of wash machines want them turned OFF when not in use.

Put in one of these and you can turn both off by moving a lever.

AllanJ

Both hot and cold water to the washing machine should be turned off when the machine is not in use.

High up on insurance companies' lists of claims is flooding due to burst washing machine hoses.

__________________
The disadvantages of crab apple trees. In summer, the apples are too sour to pick and eat. In winter the birds come and leave dropping all over the place.

handy man88

The only concern I would have after reading all this is the "I reconnected the hose as tight as I can...."

Normally, what is recommended is to hand tighten as much as possible, and then turn another half turn with a wrench.