The only issue I see is if a hose breaks. Otherwise there isn't enough water in a front loader to cause much of a flood. Get a good set of hoses and you should not have a problem. There are devices that will detect this and will shutdown the water supply, but honestly I don't think they are worth it.

You can also simply shut off the water when you are not using the washer.

My personal feelings:
1) I like having a drain. I would not say it's "absolute" but I would feel better with one.
2) "Rarely" is a subjective term. They don't flood often but when they do.... Guess the question is are you feeling lucky?
3) Good hoses are a part. BUT, my washer had the clamps lose their tension and it leaked the water from inside the washer. So, for the advice you're received, A) the quality and type of the hoses were irrelevent; B) The capacity of the washer was irrelevent, since it kept going as long as the washer was on; and C) Even turning off the water would have been irrelevent since it happened while the washer was on. That said, if your drain plugs, you're SOL.

There is the sensor mentioned that sits on the floor or in a place where water would likely go and if it gets wet it'll shut off the water supply. However, some have reported problems with this working properly on certain washers. If it would work, I think it's a good idea.

Getting good hoses is only one part. CHANGING the hoses occasionally is another part. Shutting off the water supply when not in use is a great idea and if you get the right part you can shut off both hot and cold with a flip of one lever.

And a pan is of dubious value if you don't have it go to a drain.

Given that your basement doesn't have a drain, I think I'd go with the single lever shutoff and good solid hoses changed regularly. Don't be fooled into thinking the ones that have the stainless braiding on the outside are actually better. Most people I've talked to and things I've read suggest they're not because you can't see when the hoses start to bulge out indicating failure is iminent. It would seem to me that the braiding could actually cut into the hoses and cause them to fail faster. I just buy good heavy rubber hoses and replace them every 5-8 years. The cost is a matter of a few dollars. For added security, I'd look into the sensor and whether it would work with your machine.

And I'd double check my insurance. Since you don't have a drain, if your basement leaks water, or has a leak you're going to have trouble. Apparently you don't have a wet basement issue so you probably have good drainage and some luck!

FloodChek hoses are marketed for use in multiple dwellings, where a flood could affect lots of people. They're far sturdier than regular hoses (I have a set from my old machine, but the Miele is hooked up using Miele hoses). Guaranteed for 20 years.

Another possible flood cause is a sticking inlet valve in the washer.

Thank you all so much! It looks like we are installing flood check hoses and keeping our fingers crossed!

I so very much appreciate all of your help!

Cheers!

I bought those floodcheck hoses several years ago. The water presure was greatly reduced. It made filling the tub painfully slow. I set them back. My Mom also had one of those shutoffs with one handle, and she diligently shut off the water between uses. It eventually was the point of failure itself when it started leaking one day when it was unattended and off, ruining the underlayment beneath her slate floor. She probably would have been better off with good old brass hose bibs, leave them always on, and a really good set of hoses.

Oh, I forgot... most basements have a sump pump to help with just this very situation. Yours doesn't?

sr712, maybe you had FloodSafe hoses? FloodChek hoses don't have anything to interfere with the flow, they're just a really good set of hoses, IMO. But even if they never leak, the washer itself could malfunction and cause a flood.

I'm not so sure you can rely on a sump pump to rescue you from a washer-related flood. First of all, a house with no water infiltration problems may not even have a sump pump. If there is one, its location may have been chosen based on where the water comes from outside. The floor might not be sloped uniformly toward the sump. And unless the basement is entirely unfinished, with nothing stored directly on the floor, the water could do plenty of damage before it reaches the sump.

Yeah, maybe they were FloodCheck, then. All I remember was the pain of filling the washer. haha.