It costs as little as $10, lurks beneath hundreds of household kitchen and bathroom sinks across Australia, and could cause thousands of dollars' damage if it is not checked regularly.

Flexible braided hoses accounted for more than one in five water damage claims lodged by Australian households in 2016, according to new research released by general insurer IAG.

Flexible braided hoses accounted for more than one in five water damage claims lodged by Australian households in 2016, according to IAG.

Commonly known as a flexi hose, these versatile rubber pipes armoured in braided layers of stainless steel, are popular in modern home fitouts because they can be bent into shape. They started to be installed about 15 years ago, and their use is now extremely widespread in contemporary residential construction and renovation.

The pipes have required WaterMark certification for the past 11 years, but the Australian Building Codes Board, which has supervised the scheme since 2013, says documentation on how many have been certified is scarce before this.