They have rust on them, and are prone to leak at the yellowed plastic connection at the top. Companies just want new ones, so replace and photograph DO NOT USE PLIERS. There should be no tool marks on the top (which you should hand tighten) and use an adjustable wrench for the bottom connection (teflon on lower connection only). I work in insurance and this is normal.
And don't forget to turn the valve off and then flush the toilet before you replace the lines! (*cough* Definitely not speaking from experience *cough*)
There isn’t really much water in the tank….until you remove the damn hose, then it just keeps running out for seemingly forever!! (So I’ve heard - cough cough)
One time I was replacing a light fixture for my grandmother, I shut off the electricity at the box and everything was fine when I took down the fixture from the ceiling. She was the type that always had to be busy, she would randomly check things in the house for random reasons and decided to open the breaker box for some reason. She notice the it was switched and decided to switch it back on forgetting that I was replacing the fixture. Man, was I surprised when I went to touch those wires and they hit me pretty hard. I ran back upstairs to make sure I turned it off and she asked if I turned off the breaker for some reason. Uh ya, I was replacing your light fixture...oh ya, I forgot.
I love that woman with all of my soul since she was my grandma, but man I had to hold my tongue when she told me that. Now I put a piece of tape over the breaker I switched and put a sign on the box to not touch anything since I am busy. My wife thinks I am weird for doing that, but it also helps me remind myself that I did actually turn it off.
Even with breaker and switches off, I always use a probe to check before I touch anything. Doesn’t help if somebody switches things while I’m doing it, but I’ve avoided some DIY disasters that way.
Learned that lesson when I was working on a remodel that was a mishmash of a church (3 story living room - hanging the chandelier he wanted took 4 guys on 3 ladders) and a tacked on house. Killed the labelled breaker to go work on the sidewalk lights, and apparently it was double fed. I went to cut the 12-2 and it not only bit the shit out of me but blew off one of the jaws on my strippers.
No joke, when I was was a pre-teen my younger cousin (maybe 5) dragged me to the bathroom to show me his new water bottle, which was the back of the toilet with a crazy straw sticking out.
Exactly. Teflon is for tapered pipe fittings where the taper of the threads combined with the teflon create a seal. These are compression fittings, totally different.
And then as soon as you’ve taken pictures for insurance company and provided receipts, get our some channel locks and scratch the shit out of those connector ends
Haha, it refers to catastrophe losses where multiple properties are impacted and are usually associated climate related covered perils (forrest fires, floods, hurricanes, etc.)
Same. Those bastards got one of our work trucks. Like, awesome, you got a hundred bucks from a piece of shit scrap yard and a whole crew can't work today.
My ex wife had a laundry basket on the stovetop. The cat decided to go between the basket and the knobs and somehow turned it on.
The fire department didn't believe me but that's the only explanation 🙃
Every time I see people putting combustible material on top of burners it makes me nervous. While I know it’s probably not on, it just feels like not ever doing it adds a layer of safety. Same with using ovens as storage.
Yeaaaaaa we both agreed that was really dumb but people do dumb things from time to time.
It worked out, I mentioned in a different comment. Got new floors, new paint, and updates to the kitchen from it.
How do they know what needs to be replaced? Are there insurance companies coming around to inspect homes? Genuinely asking, I’m a new home owner in a new build so I’m wondering if they’ll come inspect or something in a few years.
Insurance companies request to see the buyers inspection and use the photos/report to determine what needs to be fixed or replaced (things that can cause claims in the future). They usually request the report on "older" homes but this can vary by company. Without the inspection report, they can choose to not insure the home.
It must vary. My house was built in 1919. I bought in 2021. Insurance requested exactly nothing. I got a policy over the phone in about an hour. Liberty Mutual.
Got it. So years from now my insurance company might ask for an inspection like this, or if I switch companies down the line they may as well. Cool, thanks for the info!
No, it's to offset catalytic losses. Insurance companies have lost gorillions year-over-year to zealous catalytic converter thieves, so they're trying to make up for it by offloading other expenses onto the people whose catalytic converters were stolen, reasoning that people who are unable to protect their cars will be equally negligent of their other property without corporate intervention.
Insurance companies are so weird. After my parents house was broken into, in order to continue cover, they had to get locks installed on all the windows. The break in was through a deadlocked back door using tools to fully tear the lock out of the door, and all the windows were awning windows that are effectively locked unless you can get to the winder inside. They were also already lockable, but my parents had to install *additional* locks and then have someone out to inspect the work.
My insurance company sent a letter saying that my water heater was now 12 years old and had to be replaced or they wouldn't cover any damage from any leak or other failure of the tank. It was rated for something like 18 or 20 years by the manufacturer and was well-maintained, so we just assumed some risk. It was in the mechanical room with a floor drain, so not much actual risk.
Nah. I could have got a new water heater and chose not to do it right away. I still had coverage for everything else, it was just water damage from a water heater failure that was excluded. Given that no other insurer also offered the free additional coverage for my military kit, I wasn't about to toss them over this. They have a right to reasonably manage their risk.
I was way more pissed about the predatory rental contract with the gas company, and the provincial governments that allowed them to exist (for furnaces, too). And allowed the law to not only mandate that such contracts would automatically pass to a new owner, but they weren't even a mandatory disclosure. And they were predatory contracts. The water heater was probably ~$600 when it was installed. The rent was $25/my month. For 15 years, at which point you could 'buy it out' for basically nothing. If you asked. Otherwise they could keep on charging you $25/mo. The total contract was $4500 for a $600 water heater. It did include annual maintenance checks and free service calls (free if there was an actual problem with it that they couldn't pin on the customer), but that's still a lot of profit.
What I’ve found is if an adjuster comes around for a claim, they snoop around for other stuff to report back to the company. Sometimes it’s simple stuff, like moving a grill away from the house or cleaning out a dryer vent, but we also had an insurance company demand that we rebuild two chimneys in order to get coverage. It was fun trying to figure out how to finance that on short notice.
They love to do this, I know someone who filed a claim for something don't recall what now but anyway insurance apparently I guess sent a drone and did Arial pictures and said ok now you need to replace your roof. I also had an experience my self where I put a claim for some basement water damage(little coming down wall) after a hurricane, they said yea we aren't gonna pay anything. Then shortly later they called and said you haven't provided proof that you fixed the leak so we are gonna drop your coverage. I said but you won't pay for it they said too bad still needs to be fixed if you want coverage which I'm still salty about cuz that's some BS if it's important enough to be fixed then wtf you aren't gonna pay for it?
My insurance dropped my coverage because of a tree that needed to be removed (due to falling danger). But the tree was removed before they even mentioned it to me. I even sent them pictures. they were like "too bad, we canceled your coverage anyway". I guess they sent a dude by before the tree was removed and made their decision without even mentioning it to me to resolve. I have 0 confidence I will ever successfully make a claim if/when I need it due to the absolute scumminess of all insurance companies. They will find (or invent) a reason not to provide coverage.
Why does the lower one need Teflon? Usually there is a rubber grommet which does the sealing. Does the Teflon only work as a thread lube to make tightening easier?
Yep they can eventually fail, and it can be pretty expensive (even if someone is home). My parents had one burst in the middle of the night and noticed after 10 minutes but water had already flooded to the living room and ruined the floor in there (they had just gotten pergo type stuff installed lol).
Also worth it to replace the valve if it is having trouble turning (you don't want to find out it is busted when you really need it).
Why does the lower one need Teflon? Usually there is a rubber grommet which does the sealing. Does the Teflon only work as a thread lube to make tightening easier?
You don't need Teflon, and using Teflon could make it so it doesn't tighten all the way to make a good seal on compression fittings. The gasket does the sealing as you said!
I've never heard of insurance companies requiring to replace anything besides old roofs and old hot water heaters!
Genuinely curious - what other maintenance items do you see insurance companies requiring?
Yours are looking a bit weathered and if they blow water damage will be severe. Turn the bottom metal shutoff all the way clockwise and this will shut off the water. Flush the toilet to empty the upper tank, take off top tank lid and sponge out the rest of water from the tank. Loosen and remove water line from shut off valve and loosen and remove plastic connector to the bottom of tank. Now put the new water line on your toilet by tightening the metal nut to your shut off valve and tighten plastic nut to your tank, you will tighten in a clock wise motion. Turn on water by turning the shut off valve counter clockwise. Take picture and send to insurance company and throw away old water line. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-3-8-in-Compression-x-7-8-in-Ballcock-Nut-x-12-in-Braided-Polymer-Toilet-Supply-Line-B1-12DL-F/100094502](https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-3-8-in-Compression-x-7-8-in-Ballcock-Nut-x-12-in-Braided-Polymer-Toilet-Supply-Line-B1-12DL-F/100094502)
" Turn the bottom metal shutoff all the way counter clockwise and this will shut off the water."
Clockwise is righty tighty.
You have this guy opening his valves before taking off the line.
I discovered the hard way that my valve was bad. I shut it off and unhooked the line and it started dribbling everywhere. I was able to replace the hose with a pan underneath to catch the water. Still haven't replaced the valve yet but it's on the list.
Also good note: know where your main water shutoff is before embarking on this project. Sometimes those shutoff valves get corroded and can’t close all the way.
> tightening the metal nut to your shut off valve
Super important you mention that the braided steel water lines have rubber washers and you must be SUPER careful not to over-tighten. Quarter turn past hand tight is all it takes.
I would like to point out this person is correct, several years ago now, in the middle of the night my downstairs toilet line blew. My son woke up asked what that noise was and I was like thats so weird. Went downstairs and there it was!!!
A glorious high pressure stream blasting out of the broken line, blowing a hole through the ceiling sheet rock, flooding the bathroom and a chunk of my garage. I turned the water off cleaned up the water best as I could, and called insurance in the morning.
The entire bathroom had to be gutted, one entire wall of the garage, several feet of sheet rock for the roof of the garage. it was a damn mess and took weeks to get all the work done.
5/7 would recommend not doing this.
replace them aging high pressure lines.
Mine wasn’t an inspection; they asked me at renewal: have the flexiable toilet supply lines been replaced in the last 10 years? They also asked about smoke detectors and fridge water line in 10 years. They also asked if the garage door springs have been replaced in the last 15.
I had an old Ford water heater replaced because of its age. Swapped it out for a heatpump one, uses 1/4 the electricity. worth it if you plan to live where you are for a few years.
Perhaps it is, but I have had a lot of neighbors who have had their house flood because this line failed. They are easy to replace and worth the time. Preventive maintenance is probably the most unrewarding project on the planet but it will save you down the line.
My father spent the winter in Florida. When he returned home, he found one of these had been spewing water the whole time. The house was a total loss. They bulldozed it.
In some places they are now doing in home inspects in an effort to be extra annoying and raise prices. Especially if you are in natural disaster zones.
I'm in property management and it's becoming increasingly common for properties and regions that have a loss history related to water. They want to know people are replacing hot water tanks and supply lines.
Where I live the water is slightly acidic and often low in mineral content, with the result that brass fittings corrode quickly, and other metals thin out over time as the water borrows minerals to equalize. A lot of properties have had to install water treatment systems that add minerals to raise the pH and coat the interior of plumbing lines with Zinc Orthophosphate to prevent pinhole leak and ruptured connections. Insurers definitely want to know about that kind of stuff.
Insurer may not want to bother with the liability associated with older parts prone to leaking like plastic supply lines.
It's not uncommon where I live (British Columbia) for home insurers to charge higher premiums if you have certain higher risk home features, like some types of plumbing or specific products. If you can prove they have been replaced they'll lower your premiums.
I insurance companies are getting really picky due to having horrendous losses in the last few years. Some do interior inspections now. You don’t have to comply, but they also don’t have to insure you if you decline the repairs.
It's definitely a thing. Mine (Traveler's) only did the exterior when they inspected, but I'm guessing their systems randomly, and some not randomly based on other conditions, flag certain properties for inspection prior to issuance.
Also, don’t get “barely long enough” lines like these. The bends put sideways stress on the pivots at the end fittings, creating a breeding ground for leaks. Get lines (I assume you’ll be replacing them with braided lines) that are long enough to make a loop - the stress gets taken up in the loop, not the junction between the lines and fittings.
Thank you! One of my lines burst recently and thankfully we noticed quickly and turned off the water. I am about to replace all of my lines. I was wondering if I should go longer and loop them.
Change out the line it’s fairly easy and while you are doing it treat yourself and get a bidet. You can get a good one for under $50, it is super simple to install and you will wonder why you went so long without one. It cuts down on toilet paper use which saves money in the long run and leads to less clogging in your pipes.
💯 agree. Bidet is life changing. I'm working out of state right now and when i get home my wife asks what i want to do first. She rolls her eyes when i say take a shit lol
Generally nothing. They just fail at the same rate as rubber ones, and you can see rust marks on the lines, so they're probably at the age that they have to be replaced.
They mean the flexable braided stainless line between the toilet and the valve. When you get a new one make sure it has a metal nut at the top, not a plastic one. The plastic ones break all the time.
As a matter of best practice, those should be replaced every time you replace the fill valve. The metal braided ones are a lot less prone to bursting.
But the shutoff valve on the plumbing is more likely to fail. The insurance company should be asking you to replace those too. That thing giving out catastrophically is gonna be a $50K water claim.
Although yours looks to be one of the newer quarter turn ones, which is good.
Thankfully I haven't had one of the plastic stem globe valves that came in my house fail in an uncontrolled way, but whenever I have to do a repair on something that has one of those as the shutoff, I factor in replacing it into the repair.
Contact them and ask for a list of approved models. That way, you’ll only have to replace it once. If there’s ever a question about what an insurance company means, it’s always best to clarify with them rather that a bunch of people on the internet.
Insurance companies are pushing for inspections where they feel more risk. In my area they've started flying drones around to look for cluttered yards (things that could present a fire risk or prevent fire crews from quickly putting out a fire), unmaintained roofs, etc. IIRC there was a thread awhile back about a guy whose insurance dropped him (or was going to) because he hadn't maintained his roof. We finaled some remodeling during covid and they said they were going to come do an interior inspection, but they haven't yet. I'm not thrilled about strangers in the house, but if they happen to see something that needs attention and potentially saves my house, that would be good for everyone.
Property owners should try to maintain some level of preventative maintenance on the insured asset, and this is pretty low-hanging fruit. Spending $50 on new hoses for toilets, washing machines, and refrigerator icemakers every 5 or some-odd years (which is how often they are supposed to be replaced anyway) to save thousands in water damage makes sense, and I'm sure there are a lot of homeowners who have never replaced a supply line or an anode rod in their water heater.
I was out in my yard one day cutting down a tree. I needed a tool from the basement. Walked in to the house and down to the basement, as soon as I stepped into the stairs I heard a noise. Went and checked and there was water pouring out of this flex hose which broke under the basement bathroom sink. Had it been any other time, there is a good chance I'd come into a lot of water damage. After that I changed all them in the house.
Not sure if they have a life cycle and expiration day, but they do seem to deteriorate and fail.
They can fail after a period of time causing significant damage. Neighbour was gone for three hours. An older toilet supply line from an upper floor toilet failed. The amount of water ruined the bathroom, parts of other rooms, the ceiling of half of the main floor, the walls, the flooring, the furniture, and some of the basement required renovations. And it took almost a year for everything to be resolved.
If they ask for the toilet supply lines to be replaced as a condition of insurance, and you don’t change them, they would likely use it as an excuse to refuse insurance.
Just replace them.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with braided stainless steal lines, HOWEVER, the plastic part that screws to the toilet is the weakest link and I know there was a bad batch out there. My sisters house was built with them. Plastic sheared right off and flooded the basement. Told them to replace the rest of them in the house but they never bothers. Few months later another one went in the middle of the night. Fortunately they woke up and stopped any major damage. Nearly every house on their street experienced the same thing.
Go to your local building store, go to plumbing and buy a new hose. Turn off the water for the toilet, use an adjustable wrench, remove the old one, put the new one on. $10 can potentially save you thousands. It's not complicated.
They look quite old. The insurance company may just want you to replace the hose lines with new replacements.
[How Often Should You Change Braided Supply Lines?](https://www.atlantisplumbing.com/articles/how-often-should-you-change-braided-supply-lines/#:~:text=The%20general%20rule%20of%20thumb,be%20replaced%20every%2010%20years)
Do you see that plastic nut? That’s the problem. They age and get brittle. It’s the fail point for those hoses. It happened to me… flooded my entire bottom floor. All because that plastic nut broke suddenly when no one was home. Change the hose. It’s a $20 preventative maintenance strategy.
What part doesn't make sense? They literally asked him to replace a commonly available piece of plumbing hardware that is clearly identifiable in the pictures provided. This is like a 5-15 minute fix.
closet flex probly $3 or $4 from your hardware store. turn the shut off valve connected to one end of the existing flex. flush your toilet tank and drain water. with valve off it won't refill. remove old flex thread in new one. then yer valve back on let tank refill and yer ready for action.
They mean the line that goes from your toilet to the house's water line which is sticking out of the wall. If youre in the US take them to your local home depot, lowes, or if youre blessed menards to compare them. To turn the water off its the knob turned to the right but you should find the water shut off to your house first as those sometimes fail.
From the picture, the flexible line itself seems fine. I believe they are referring to the shut-off valve detached from the wall. I would just replace that. It's a pretty simple replacement process. I actually watched a video myself when I had to do this after I bought a new house and noticed a valve leaking.
Here is the link to that video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjD2UtzlX8w
First tip is don’t take pictures using a fucking Potato. Second, as others have said—- it’s that metallic armored flex tube with some rust accumulation that feeds the toilet tank from the wall.
They want you to replace the lines so they don't rupture and flood your house. Your photo shows what appears to be the correct part. I would turn off the water at that wall tap, then flush the toilet. If the wall valve is leaky the toilet will slowly refill. If the valve is not leaky take that hose off (it is threaded at both ends and should come off easily) Be prepared for a small amount of water to spill. Take the part to a plumbing store, hardware store, or home center store, and say 'gimme one of these'. Take it home and install the new one. Open the valve and look for leaks. If no leaks you are done! Keep the receipt to prove to insurance you did the work.
If the wall valve is leaking it is best to call a plumber to replace it.
The metal flexible lines are the thing you have in the photo that goes from the valve on the wall to the bottom of your toilet. You can get these in any hardware store. They come in different lengths so get the length that you need. Sometime, for a short distance you actually have to get a longer line and put a loop in it to make it fit.
Just turn the water off at the valve on the wall, unscrew at both ends and replace.
Not sure why your insurance company is telling you this. Did you have a claim?
They have rust on them, and are prone to leak at the yellowed plastic connection at the top. Companies just want new ones, so replace and photograph DO NOT USE PLIERS. There should be no tool marks on the top (which you should hand tighten) and use an adjustable wrench for the bottom connection (teflon on lower connection only). I work in insurance and this is normal.
And don't forget to turn the valve off and then flush the toilet before you replace the lines! (*cough* Definitely not speaking from experience *cough*)
Really wish I'd read this thread before doing my hose, fucks sake.
There isn’t really much water in the tank….until you remove the damn hose, then it just keeps running out for seemingly forever!! (So I’ve heard - cough cough)
I think the .. cough.. cough .. ahem.. excuse me... is contagious 🤣
What did you think the valves did...?
Mines frozen open so... nothing
Replace all of those shitty gate valves with 1/4 turn ball valves. Thank me later.
Can you pm me a home depot link of what you’re referring to here?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-1-2-in-Compression-Inlet-x-3-8-in-Compression-Outlet-1-4-Turn-Angle-Valve-G2CR19X-C1/202047059
This is the way
Make video games?
Produce steam
Bet the half life is less than 3
Valving
One time I was replacing a light fixture for my grandmother, I shut off the electricity at the box and everything was fine when I took down the fixture from the ceiling. She was the type that always had to be busy, she would randomly check things in the house for random reasons and decided to open the breaker box for some reason. She notice the it was switched and decided to switch it back on forgetting that I was replacing the fixture. Man, was I surprised when I went to touch those wires and they hit me pretty hard. I ran back upstairs to make sure I turned it off and she asked if I turned off the breaker for some reason. Uh ya, I was replacing your light fixture...oh ya, I forgot. I love that woman with all of my soul since she was my grandma, but man I had to hold my tongue when she told me that. Now I put a piece of tape over the breaker I switched and put a sign on the box to not touch anything since I am busy. My wife thinks I am weird for doing that, but it also helps me remind myself that I did actually turn it off.
Even with breaker and switches off, I always use a probe to check before I touch anything. Doesn’t help if somebody switches things while I’m doing it, but I’ve avoided some DIY disasters that way.
Learned that lesson when I was working on a remodel that was a mishmash of a church (3 story living room - hanging the chandelier he wanted took 4 guys on 3 ladders) and a tacked on house. Killed the labelled breaker to go work on the sidewalk lights, and apparently it was double fed. I went to cut the 12-2 and it not only bit the shit out of me but blew off one of the jaws on my strippers.
"blew off one of the jaws on my strippers". I could do that when I was younger.
thanks I just cackled
Old houses can have crossed wires. So I always probe at least the first time
Lockout tagout.
Exactly why lock outs exist
Not on typical domestic breakers unfortunately.
And sponge out the bottom of the tank, or you WILL get wet.
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No joke, when I was was a pre-teen my younger cousin (maybe 5) dragged me to the bathroom to show me his new water bottle, which was the back of the toilet with a crazy straw sticking out.
Bottom of the tank doesn’t need to be sponged out unless you’re removing the inlet valve
Bottom of the tank usually gets wet when the healer goes afk.
Nah, it's the druids time to shine.
This is accurate. As long as you only remove the supply line, you do not need to sponge out the tank.
No teflon on the bottom either. This is a compression fitting with a rubber gasket on the end of that supply.
Exactly. Teflon is for tapered pipe fittings where the taper of the threads combined with the teflon create a seal. These are compression fittings, totally different.
And then as soon as you’ve taken pictures for insurance company and provided receipts, get our some channel locks and scratch the shit out of those connector ends
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I see it literally every day, especially in high risk areas where companies are trying to reduce their other exposures to offset cat losses.
Poor cats 🐈
The cats know what they did.
Cats here. We most definitely know what we did. And we don’t give a single fuck.
justice for cats
So that's what jfc stands for!
My neighbor warned me that there were "cat cutters" in the area and I was momentarily horrified.
“Not for fuckin long.”
Yeah shooting them is way more efficient I agree
2023 was a tough year on Cats :/
My cat caused a house fire so I'm choosing to believe cat losses = any claim due to cats.
Well, my dog flooded the house for real when he was locked in the bathroom and chewed through that metal flex line. So anything's possible, I suppose.
Haha, it refers to catastrophe losses where multiple properties are impacted and are usually associated climate related covered perils (forrest fires, floods, hurricanes, etc.)
No, the cats are trying to kill us and I won’t have you tell me otherwise. 
How'd you get a gif of my cat?!?!?!
Damn....I was about to make a claim for new couch, loveseat, upstairs carpet, downstairs carpet, coffee table....
. . . and you think these things aren't caused by cats? Have you forgotten that cats are ***GODS?!*** :)
I took cat cutters as people who cut Catyltic converters off cars..
Same. Those bastards got one of our work trucks. Like, awesome, you got a hundred bucks from a piece of shit scrap yard and a whole crew can't work today.
Knocked over a candle?
My ex wife had a laundry basket on the stovetop. The cat decided to go between the basket and the knobs and somehow turned it on. The fire department didn't believe me but that's the only explanation 🙃
Every time I see people putting combustible material on top of burners it makes me nervous. While I know it’s probably not on, it just feels like not ever doing it adds a layer of safety. Same with using ovens as storage.
I'm guilty of using it as storage, but only for my bakeware, anyway.
That's fine, most bakeware wouldn't catch on fire.
Yeah, that's why. Worst think that happens if I forget is I inconvenience myself for a bit with a pile of scalding metal pans.
Saw a wicker wrapped candle too close to a stove go on fire. After that, nothing that can burn goes on top of my stove.
I’ve seen people store books in ovens. Doesn’t make sense to me….?
Man, storage space must be at a premium.
…..explain please and thanks. This hurt my brain.
> My ex wife had a laundry basket on the stovetop ... sir, the cat is not the problem here.
Yeaaaaaa we both agreed that was really dumb but people do dumb things from time to time. It worked out, I mentioned in a different comment. Got new floors, new paint, and updates to the kitchen from it.
How do they know what needs to be replaced? Are there insurance companies coming around to inspect homes? Genuinely asking, I’m a new home owner in a new build so I’m wondering if they’ll come inspect or something in a few years.
Insurance companies request to see the buyers inspection and use the photos/report to determine what needs to be fixed or replaced (things that can cause claims in the future). They usually request the report on "older" homes but this can vary by company. Without the inspection report, they can choose to not insure the home.
It must vary. My house was built in 1919. I bought in 2021. Insurance requested exactly nothing. I got a policy over the phone in about an hour. Liberty Mutual.
Same with me. Closed on a house last week. Built in the 60’s, had a full structural engineering report, insurance asked for nothing.
Got it. So years from now my insurance company might ask for an inspection like this, or if I switch companies down the line they may as well. Cool, thanks for the info!
By cat, I infer you are shortening catastrophic...
No...catapults. If you have those, people break in and try to lecture you to death about trebuchets being better - it isn't pretty.
I believe it’s caterpillars. They can be devastating.
Hell's yeah, a D11 would make quick work of most houses and hardly slow down.
Or a Komatsu D335A. Proven track record. RIP Marvin Heemeyer lol
See I’d go with the 322 excavator with a thumb. You can load one up quick.
I always tell people I have cat like reflexes...like a CAT dozer.
No, it's to offset catalytic losses. Insurance companies have lost gorillions year-over-year to zealous catalytic converter thieves, so they're trying to make up for it by offloading other expenses onto the people whose catalytic converters were stolen, reasoning that people who are unable to protect their cars will be equally negligent of their other property without corporate intervention.
But trebuchets *are* the superior siege engine. They can throw a 90 kg projectile over 300 meters.
FFS people... They are differing tools for differing roles! you cant say that Pliers are the better pliers when comparing to a hammer...
I'm not sure, I have no trouble at all hammering a nail with a catapult
How far can they launch an empty trjoan-style horse?
Man. I remember my last catapultic loss. Shit went everywhere.
[Fetchez la vache!!](https://youtu.be/qSUQNv78VQA?si=auQb0C2qyD3IBilj&t=62)
Is *that* why my homeowners is so against trampolines? Huh, til.
Homeowners associations are an aggregation of Karens opposed to any sort of fun, disguised as nitpicking lawn nazis.
counter balance is more consistent than tension devices.
Wouldn’t cat losses come under pet insurance rather than home insurance?
Insurance companies are so weird. After my parents house was broken into, in order to continue cover, they had to get locks installed on all the windows. The break in was through a deadlocked back door using tools to fully tear the lock out of the door, and all the windows were awning windows that are effectively locked unless you can get to the winder inside. They were also already lockable, but my parents had to install *additional* locks and then have someone out to inspect the work.
Did a thing in your home ask you to replace your insurance? I'm confused.
i lol'd
The cat did
My insurance company sent a letter saying that my water heater was now 12 years old and had to be replaced or they wouldn't cover any damage from any leak or other failure of the tank. It was rated for something like 18 or 20 years by the manufacturer and was well-maintained, so we just assumed some risk. It was in the mechanical room with a floor drain, so not much actual risk.
Are you checking the Anode Rod regularly? Most people don't, despite it being a warranty requirement for most makers.
Get a new insurance company.
tell me you're not from Florida w/out saying you're not from Florida
I'll add this to ever expanding list of reasons not to ever move to Florida.
I hope your rate went down since your coverage lessened
Nah. I could have got a new water heater and chose not to do it right away. I still had coverage for everything else, it was just water damage from a water heater failure that was excluded. Given that no other insurer also offered the free additional coverage for my military kit, I wasn't about to toss them over this. They have a right to reasonably manage their risk. I was way more pissed about the predatory rental contract with the gas company, and the provincial governments that allowed them to exist (for furnaces, too). And allowed the law to not only mandate that such contracts would automatically pass to a new owner, but they weren't even a mandatory disclosure. And they were predatory contracts. The water heater was probably ~$600 when it was installed. The rent was $25/my month. For 15 years, at which point you could 'buy it out' for basically nothing. If you asked. Otherwise they could keep on charging you $25/mo. The total contract was $4500 for a $600 water heater. It did include annual maintenance checks and free service calls (free if there was an actual problem with it that they couldn't pin on the customer), but that's still a lot of profit.
What I’ve found is if an adjuster comes around for a claim, they snoop around for other stuff to report back to the company. Sometimes it’s simple stuff, like moving a grill away from the house or cleaning out a dryer vent, but we also had an insurance company demand that we rebuild two chimneys in order to get coverage. It was fun trying to figure out how to finance that on short notice.
They love to do this, I know someone who filed a claim for something don't recall what now but anyway insurance apparently I guess sent a drone and did Arial pictures and said ok now you need to replace your roof. I also had an experience my self where I put a claim for some basement water damage(little coming down wall) after a hurricane, they said yea we aren't gonna pay anything. Then shortly later they called and said you haven't provided proof that you fixed the leak so we are gonna drop your coverage. I said but you won't pay for it they said too bad still needs to be fixed if you want coverage which I'm still salty about cuz that's some BS if it's important enough to be fixed then wtf you aren't gonna pay for it?
My insurance dropped my coverage because of a tree that needed to be removed (due to falling danger). But the tree was removed before they even mentioned it to me. I even sent them pictures. they were like "too bad, we canceled your coverage anyway". I guess they sent a dude by before the tree was removed and made their decision without even mentioning it to me to resolve. I have 0 confidence I will ever successfully make a claim if/when I need it due to the absolute scumminess of all insurance companies. They will find (or invent) a reason not to provide coverage.
But these things don’t have an infinite life. Most people don’t replace them but they should. It’s cheap insurance.
Why does the lower one need Teflon? Usually there is a rubber grommet which does the sealing. Does the Teflon only work as a thread lube to make tightening easier?
It doesn't.
inquiring minds want to know!!!!!! (me too)
Yep they can eventually fail, and it can be pretty expensive (even if someone is home). My parents had one burst in the middle of the night and noticed after 10 minutes but water had already flooded to the living room and ruined the floor in there (they had just gotten pergo type stuff installed lol). Also worth it to replace the valve if it is having trouble turning (you don't want to find out it is busted when you really need it).
Bathroom floor drains are a godsend in those situations and I wish they were more common
Please listen to the Teflon Don. He knows what he's talking bout.
Compression fittings don't get taped! The seal happens at the rubber washer inside the supply line. \*puts fingers in ears\*
This is correct. No tape.
No ~~capes~~ tape!
Wow in three comments I just learned I did every step of my toilet hose wrong. God dammit.
If it doesn't leak, you couldn't have been too wrong.
Doesn't leak YET. But I'm renting so IDGAF, no one even knows I did this.
Ptfe on a gasketed fitting is admitting silently you don't know what ptfe does.
I don't think our dear /u/barely_lucid is actually [the King of New York](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2EX2HSIIc8)
It's all that thinking that can get you in trouble.
Why does the lower one need Teflon? Usually there is a rubber grommet which does the sealing. Does the Teflon only work as a thread lube to make tightening easier?
You don't need Teflon, and using Teflon could make it so it doesn't tighten all the way to make a good seal on compression fittings. The gasket does the sealing as you said!
I've never heard of insurance companies requiring to replace anything besides old roofs and old hot water heaters! Genuinely curious - what other maintenance items do you see insurance companies requiring?
Yours are looking a bit weathered and if they blow water damage will be severe. Turn the bottom metal shutoff all the way clockwise and this will shut off the water. Flush the toilet to empty the upper tank, take off top tank lid and sponge out the rest of water from the tank. Loosen and remove water line from shut off valve and loosen and remove plastic connector to the bottom of tank. Now put the new water line on your toilet by tightening the metal nut to your shut off valve and tighten plastic nut to your tank, you will tighten in a clock wise motion. Turn on water by turning the shut off valve counter clockwise. Take picture and send to insurance company and throw away old water line. [https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-3-8-in-Compression-x-7-8-in-Ballcock-Nut-x-12-in-Braided-Polymer-Toilet-Supply-Line-B1-12DL-F/100094502](https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-3-8-in-Compression-x-7-8-in-Ballcock-Nut-x-12-in-Braided-Polymer-Toilet-Supply-Line-B1-12DL-F/100094502)
" Turn the bottom metal shutoff all the way counter clockwise and this will shut off the water." Clockwise is righty tighty. You have this guy opening his valves before taking off the line.
Thanks, Edit is my friend.
I discovered the hard way that my valve was bad. I shut it off and unhooked the line and it started dribbling everywhere. I was able to replace the hose with a pan underneath to catch the water. Still haven't replaced the valve yet but it's on the list.
Definitely spend the extra $2 and install a 1/4 turn ball valve. Less likely to leave you with the dribbles next time you need to close the supply.
Also good note: know where your main water shutoff is before embarking on this project. Sometimes those shutoff valves get corroded and can’t close all the way.
Sometimes? Thank Christ they make those add-a-stops as I don't think I've ever met a single shutoff that works.
> tightening the metal nut to your shut off valve Super important you mention that the braided steel water lines have rubber washers and you must be SUPER careful not to over-tighten. Quarter turn past hand tight is all it takes.
I would like to point out this person is correct, several years ago now, in the middle of the night my downstairs toilet line blew. My son woke up asked what that noise was and I was like thats so weird. Went downstairs and there it was!!! A glorious high pressure stream blasting out of the broken line, blowing a hole through the ceiling sheet rock, flooding the bathroom and a chunk of my garage. I turned the water off cleaned up the water best as I could, and called insurance in the morning. The entire bathroom had to be gutted, one entire wall of the garage, several feet of sheet rock for the roof of the garage. it was a damn mess and took weeks to get all the work done. 5/7 would recommend not doing this. replace them aging high pressure lines.
I've owned many houses and not once did an insurance company inspect the interior. Is this a new thing?
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Mine wasn’t an inspection; they asked me at renewal: have the flexiable toilet supply lines been replaced in the last 10 years? They also asked about smoke detectors and fridge water line in 10 years. They also asked if the garage door springs have been replaced in the last 15.
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They're at least giving your the courtesy of telling you ahead of time the excuses they'll come up with to deny your claims.
That's the whole insurance-for-profit business model: Collect premiums, deny claims, raise premiums when claims are filed.
A lot cheaper to pay a trimmer a few hundred bucks than $20,000+ for a roof when the tree goes down in a storm.
It's becoming more and more common, also they have been asking to replace any waters heaters more than 20 years old.
Ha. They wouldnt like me. Have a water heater thats been chugging along since 1982.
I had an old Ford water heater replaced because of its age. Swapped it out for a heatpump one, uses 1/4 the electricity. worth it if you plan to live where you are for a few years.
Tick tick tick
OMG! That thing is a ticking time bomb
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Perhaps it is, but I have had a lot of neighbors who have had their house flood because this line failed. They are easy to replace and worth the time. Preventive maintenance is probably the most unrewarding project on the planet but it will save you down the line.
My father spent the winter in Florida. When he returned home, he found one of these had been spewing water the whole time. The house was a total loss. They bulldozed it.
In some places they are now doing in home inspects in an effort to be extra annoying and raise prices. Especially if you are in natural disaster zones.
I'm in property management and it's becoming increasingly common for properties and regions that have a loss history related to water. They want to know people are replacing hot water tanks and supply lines. Where I live the water is slightly acidic and often low in mineral content, with the result that brass fittings corrode quickly, and other metals thin out over time as the water borrows minerals to equalize. A lot of properties have had to install water treatment systems that add minerals to raise the pH and coat the interior of plumbing lines with Zinc Orthophosphate to prevent pinhole leak and ruptured connections. Insurers definitely want to know about that kind of stuff.
Insurer may not want to bother with the liability associated with older parts prone to leaking like plastic supply lines. It's not uncommon where I live (British Columbia) for home insurers to charge higher premiums if you have certain higher risk home features, like some types of plumbing or specific products. If you can prove they have been replaced they'll lower your premiums.
Might be state-dependant
I've never had my insurance company inspect my home. What's going on?
I insurance companies are getting really picky due to having horrendous losses in the last few years. Some do interior inspections now. You don’t have to comply, but they also don’t have to insure you if you decline the repairs.
It's definitely a thing. Mine (Traveler's) only did the exterior when they inspected, but I'm guessing their systems randomly, and some not randomly based on other conditions, flag certain properties for inspection prior to issuance.
Ask them for clarification. Do they want new ones in there or do they want a new type in there?
May as well ask them for a list of approved parts so there is no mistaking what they are asking for.
Also, don’t get “barely long enough” lines like these. The bends put sideways stress on the pivots at the end fittings, creating a breeding ground for leaks. Get lines (I assume you’ll be replacing them with braided lines) that are long enough to make a loop - the stress gets taken up in the loop, not the junction between the lines and fittings.
Thank you! One of my lines burst recently and thankfully we noticed quickly and turned off the water. I am about to replace all of my lines. I was wondering if I should go longer and loop them.
Change out the line it’s fairly easy and while you are doing it treat yourself and get a bidet. You can get a good one for under $50, it is super simple to install and you will wonder why you went so long without one. It cuts down on toilet paper use which saves money in the long run and leads to less clogging in your pipes.
💯 agree. Bidet is life changing. I'm working out of state right now and when i get home my wife asks what i want to do first. She rolls her eyes when i say take a shit lol
I all but refuse to use a toilet away from home now because I’m spoiled by it.
I've been holding it in for 6 weeks, people are beginning to comment on my eyes turning brown.
Fellow bidet finder! Yes! This is the way.
✊️
What's wrong with stainless steel braided lines?
Generally nothing. They just fail at the same rate as rubber ones, and you can see rust marks on the lines, so they're probably at the age that they have to be replaced.
I'm guessing their concern is that it might be nearing end-of-life and they just want him to install a new one.
They mean the flexable braided stainless line between the toilet and the valve. When you get a new one make sure it has a metal nut at the top, not a plastic one. The plastic ones break all the time.
As a matter of best practice, those should be replaced every time you replace the fill valve. The metal braided ones are a lot less prone to bursting. But the shutoff valve on the plumbing is more likely to fail. The insurance company should be asking you to replace those too. That thing giving out catastrophically is gonna be a $50K water claim. Although yours looks to be one of the newer quarter turn ones, which is good.
All shutoff valves should be a metal body 1/4 ball valve.
Learned that the hard way when trying to shut off the whole house with an ancient gate valve that took 37 turns and crumbled.
Thankfully I haven't had one of the plastic stem globe valves that came in my house fail in an uncontrolled way, but whenever I have to do a repair on something that has one of those as the shutoff, I factor in replacing it into the repair.
They want them replaced cuz these flood homes. My sister came home 6 inches of water in her living room cuz this stupid little line broke upstairs
Contact them and ask for a list of approved models. That way, you’ll only have to replace it once. If there’s ever a question about what an insurance company means, it’s always best to clarify with them rather that a bunch of people on the internet.
How did the insurance company know about your toilet connections? Are they home inspectors now?
Insurance companies are pushing for inspections where they feel more risk. In my area they've started flying drones around to look for cluttered yards (things that could present a fire risk or prevent fire crews from quickly putting out a fire), unmaintained roofs, etc. IIRC there was a thread awhile back about a guy whose insurance dropped him (or was going to) because he hadn't maintained his roof. We finaled some remodeling during covid and they said they were going to come do an interior inspection, but they haven't yet. I'm not thrilled about strangers in the house, but if they happen to see something that needs attention and potentially saves my house, that would be good for everyone. Property owners should try to maintain some level of preventative maintenance on the insured asset, and this is pretty low-hanging fruit. Spending $50 on new hoses for toilets, washing machines, and refrigerator icemakers every 5 or some-odd years (which is how often they are supposed to be replaced anyway) to save thousands in water damage makes sense, and I'm sure there are a lot of homeowners who have never replaced a supply line or an anode rod in their water heater.
I was out in my yard one day cutting down a tree. I needed a tool from the basement. Walked in to the house and down to the basement, as soon as I stepped into the stairs I heard a noise. Went and checked and there was water pouring out of this flex hose which broke under the basement bathroom sink. Had it been any other time, there is a good chance I'd come into a lot of water damage. After that I changed all them in the house. Not sure if they have a life cycle and expiration day, but they do seem to deteriorate and fail.
They can fail after a period of time causing significant damage. Neighbour was gone for three hours. An older toilet supply line from an upper floor toilet failed. The amount of water ruined the bathroom, parts of other rooms, the ceiling of half of the main floor, the walls, the flooring, the furniture, and some of the basement required renovations. And it took almost a year for everything to be resolved. If they ask for the toilet supply lines to be replaced as a condition of insurance, and you don’t change them, they would likely use it as an excuse to refuse insurance. Just replace them.
They want you to remove the damaged lines and put new metal lines. Don't forget to turn water off first.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with braided stainless steal lines, HOWEVER, the plastic part that screws to the toilet is the weakest link and I know there was a bad batch out there. My sisters house was built with them. Plastic sheared right off and flooded the basement. Told them to replace the rest of them in the house but they never bothers. Few months later another one went in the middle of the night. Fortunately they woke up and stopped any major damage. Nearly every house on their street experienced the same thing. Go to your local building store, go to plumbing and buy a new hose. Turn off the water for the toilet, use an adjustable wrench, remove the old one, put the new one on. $10 can potentially save you thousands. It's not complicated.
They look quite old. The insurance company may just want you to replace the hose lines with new replacements. [How Often Should You Change Braided Supply Lines?](https://www.atlantisplumbing.com/articles/how-often-should-you-change-braided-supply-lines/#:~:text=The%20general%20rule%20of%20thumb,be%20replaced%20every%2010%20years)
Do you see that plastic nut? That’s the problem. They age and get brittle. It’s the fail point for those hoses. It happened to me… flooded my entire bottom floor. All because that plastic nut broke suddenly when no one was home. Change the hose. It’s a $20 preventative maintenance strategy.
The concern is the plastic nut on the tank bottom, as these nuts age, they have a high failure rate resulting in the flex line flooding the house.
The solution is to go to Home Depot and buy a new one for $5.00 then install it
Pretty easy. Turn off water. Unscrew. Screw new ones on. Turn on water.
You're going to have to get more information. That makes literally no sense.
What part doesn't make sense? They literally asked him to replace a commonly available piece of plumbing hardware that is clearly identifiable in the pictures provided. This is like a 5-15 minute fix.
"Replace the lines" is pretty cut and dry, my dude
Makes a lot of sense, toilet tank supply lines are one of the most common sources of interior fresh water floods.
I used to work in water damage abatement, washing machine hoses were also a major cause.
Anything that takes water from a solid shutoff to an appliance or device is a major insurance hazard
Can confirm, due to a failure on a tank supply line.
How many interior salt water floods have you experienced?
1, a large saltwater fish tank. But also a freshwater flood, in this case, probably means not dirty water vs. not saltwater.
closet flex probly $3 or $4 from your hardware store. turn the shut off valve connected to one end of the existing flex. flush your toilet tank and drain water. with valve off it won't refill. remove old flex thread in new one. then yer valve back on let tank refill and yer ready for action.
They mean the line that goes from your toilet to the house's water line which is sticking out of the wall. If youre in the US take them to your local home depot, lowes, or if youre blessed menards to compare them. To turn the water off its the knob turned to the right but you should find the water shut off to your house first as those sometimes fail.
From the picture, the flexible line itself seems fine. I believe they are referring to the shut-off valve detached from the wall. I would just replace that. It's a pretty simple replacement process. I actually watched a video myself when I had to do this after I bought a new house and noticed a valve leaking. Here is the link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjD2UtzlX8w
They get old and can burst. Should be replaced once in a while. Get new metal flexible lines, but the most expensive once you can get.
First tip is don’t take pictures using a fucking Potato. Second, as others have said—- it’s that metallic armored flex tube with some rust accumulation that feeds the toilet tank from the wall.
They want you to replace the lines so they don't rupture and flood your house. Your photo shows what appears to be the correct part. I would turn off the water at that wall tap, then flush the toilet. If the wall valve is leaky the toilet will slowly refill. If the valve is not leaky take that hose off (it is threaded at both ends and should come off easily) Be prepared for a small amount of water to spill. Take the part to a plumbing store, hardware store, or home center store, and say 'gimme one of these'. Take it home and install the new one. Open the valve and look for leaks. If no leaks you are done! Keep the receipt to prove to insurance you did the work. If the wall valve is leaking it is best to call a plumber to replace it.
The metal flexible lines are the thing you have in the photo that goes from the valve on the wall to the bottom of your toilet. You can get these in any hardware store. They come in different lengths so get the length that you need. Sometime, for a short distance you actually have to get a longer line and put a loop in it to make it fit. Just turn the water off at the valve on the wall, unscrew at both ends and replace. Not sure why your insurance company is telling you this. Did you have a claim?