Flexi hoses: the warning signs before they burst

Braided flexi hoses hold full mains pressure day and night. The signs one is close to failing, where to look, and what to do if one lets go.

A plumber answers 24/7.

Key takeaways

Flexi hoses hold full mains pressure all the time, even when the tap is off, so a burst keeps running until someone turns the water off.
Rust spots, frayed or broken braid, bulges, kinks and damp at the crimped ends are the warning signs. Any one of them means the hose is due for replacement.
Know where your isolation valves and the path tap on the water meter are. Turning the water off is the one thing every homeowner should be ready to do.
Replacing a flexi hose is plumbing work, and in NSW any plumbing work needs a licence. The only exempt owner work is repairing a tap or showerhead, or fitting flow-regulating devices.