New Haier Compact Laundry Installed!

[macboy91si]

Hey I thought I'd drop a line in the Deluxe forum here for my weekend project. Yesterday I finished the last step of the new laundry center in the kitchen. I recently acquired a new Haier Washer/Dryer set from a person who just purchased it from Wal-Mart Online less than six months ago. I got a great deal (hint: I paid less for the set than the washer itself cost) and they really do work well despite being Chinese in origin. The biggest thing I noticed when I got the set was that the washer doesn't have casters and is very hard to move around. It's the biggest pulsator machine that Haier makes coming in at an 8.8 lbs load rating. It's just too girthy to move around easily. The dryer was also akward in terms that it's meant to be wall mounted. It can sit on the ground or table, but I didn't really have a place to put it. After thinking about it for a while I decided to make the set a permanent install. I went to Lowe's and got some CPVC pipe and went at it. That stuff is pretty cool, and easy. Extended some plumbing from the basement up through the kitchen floor and made a coupling/valve setup for the washer. For the dryer, I took a 20" x 20" square of plywood and anchored it to a wall stud. The dryer came will all of the necessary hardware from that point. The end result took about a good day's worth of cussing and screaming, but it's leak free and still ended up being cheaper than the caster kit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36664317@N03/sets/72157618758998176/

 

[ronhic]

Pulsator

That may be the largest one imported to the US, but we get a 9.5kg pulsator model here in Oz...thats 20 lb!

http://www.haier.com.au/product-detail.aspx?id=HWMP95TL

 

[macboy91si]

Correction

It's the largest "portable" pulsator that they make. Anything bigger and it's agitator drive. They offer the large Haier top-load machines here, but I've never seen one. Everything in the US with a Haier nameplate is internet order only unless you live in a major city (ex. NYC). I'm amazed that they sell any with such a small dist. network. They're portables sell only because of Wal-Mart I have a feeling which is a shame, because I've had decent luck out of the brand. My 1st Haier was a little 4.9lbs washer that I worked pretty regularly for a year and a half. It took unknown abuse from my roommate. It also served my mother for about a year, after it sat in a cold sun-room all winter, the motor siezed. I don't blame that on workmanship, and I only paid $169 shipped to my door, which was a GREAT deal IMO so hats off. This washer is just like the smaller unit, just double the size, and with the larger diameter tub, it moves through the clothes quite well. With the larger tub you also get "turnover", quite vigorous at that. but it still makes ropes out of the clothes (like it matters). The dryer is a household 110v unit, no special anything if you don't want to, takes a long while to dry vs the standard 240v and I haven't made my mind up about that auto-dry thing. Fangled! A full load realistically takes 90-120 minutes to dry depending on fabric density in auto mode, high-heat. Venting is not required due to the construction of the internal lint filter but is optional. I need to vent mine just to keep the heat out of the kitchen, that however is another day's work. PLUS! You all get the XPB60CS TWIN-TUB model! I'd die for one of these, they're just neat. I was looking at the Oceania site for Haier and noted that my HLP140E dryer is sold there as the HDM3.5 3.5kg dryer only ours is the 110v.

-Tim

 

[twinniefan]

XPB60CS Twin tub

Hi Tim,
Yep I agree with you about the XPB60CS Twinnie, I have had mine for just over 3 years now and it has never missed a beat.
Both my machines are pulsator machines,and I find to eliminate the ''rope " effect, tangling, I try not to wash too many items with long appendages together in one load,i.e too many long sleeve shirts or too many pairs of trousers.
If you can,consider trying to wash mixed loads I find this works well,especially in the L.G. Turbodrum.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[macboy91si]

Twin Tubs in the US

I miss them! The only one that is made here is the Danby DTT-420 and while it is a fine and dandy machine, it leaves a lot fo a wash freak to be desired. I like a lot of dials, lots of flexibility, and that Haier unit really takes it. I like how the water inlet is switchable meaning spin-rinses without hoses everywhere. An integrated switchable suds-return would make things PERFECT! I'm actually surprised that Haier doesn't market this machine here, I mean it's honestly not like they would be losing ground on market share. It would probably out-sell the full-size top loaders that nobody knows exist. In the full-size market Haier can't compete with the big domestic names here IMO, they seem to make their business from niche market items (compact appliancess, a/c's, wine coolers) and this would definitely be that.