Customer Reviews

Haier HLP23E Electronic 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot Touch Pulsator Top-Loading Portable Washing Machine

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I live in a one-bedroom unit in a massive apartment building with 6 laundry machines in the basement. I did not buy this unit from Amazon but rather from a Chinese electronics dealer in my area. Haier is very popular in China and the machine came highly recommended by the dealer.

The dealer delivered it to me, set it up and away we went. I have had this unit for about a month and here are my comments:

1) The unit is quieter than a traditional laundry machine.
2) I have had no problems with balancing the machine or with water intake. It fills quickly so long as there is high water pressure. The machine balances itself by stopping and starting until the clothes are balanced.
3) The high water level can accommodate a lot of clothes. I do about 3 loads a week: shirts/undies, pants, and towels.
4)It uses a lot less soap than traditional washers (about half I would say)
5)The regular wash runs for about 45 mins which I found excessive. The quickwash runs for about 22 minutes and I find that my clothes are perfectly clean. I only use the regular wash for very soiled items.
6) My unit came with casters so I had no problem. You may also buy casters at the hardware store... the casters are fairly standard.
7) Hooking it up to the sink did require a trip to the hardware store but it was easy to find the adapter as I brought the intake hose with me.

This washer has changed my life! I live in an apartment and having to go to the laundromat was killing my weekends. So, if you can think of nicer things to do than spending a Saturday or Sunday at the laundromat, this washer is for you.

It is one of the larger compact washers out there - 20 inches wide. That way, it is large enough to fit a decent sized load, yet small enough to fit most closets and other tight spaces.

I can usually wash either 10 XL t-shirts, 3 jeans, or one queen sized sheet set at once. Just make sure to load things loosely until the washer is full and select the high water level, which the washer does NOT do by default. Clothes come out perfectly clean. This washer works much better with liquid detergent than powder detergent, which tends to accumulate in the lint filter. Although it does have a powder detergent dispenser, I would advise against using powder detergent.

The only two wash cycles I use are normal for almost everything and heavy for whites. The normal cycle takes 45 minutes. Not bad at all. The display tells you the time remaining. The washer does not have a fabric softener dispenser. If you want to use it, add it manually to the last (2nd) rinse (when 14 minutes show on the timer). Two rinses are nice - no more detergent residue on my clothes.

I noticed some people have trouble hooking up this this washer. The quick adapter will work with virtually any bathroom faucets that come with the little aerator which you have to unscrew. The drain hose has to drain in the sink because it must be above water level. Otherwise, water will drain inadvertently. This is true for all top load washers. At the same time, the drain hose should not reach a maximum height of 46 or 49 inches, because the pump is not strong enough to pump water that far up. This should not be a problem with most bathroom sinks, although some kitchen sinks might be taller.

The only problem I have had with this washer is the location of the drain hose. It attaches to the bottom right side of the washer. The user manual says you may reroute it to the bottom left side, but you can't. There is an opening made for that, but due to the location of the drain pump, it is impossible to use that opening. So, if your sink is located to the left of your washer, the hose will be too short because it cannot reach around the washer. I had to extend my drain hose using a foot of hose from the hardware store and a hose clamp.

Overall, I am kicking myself for not having bought this quiet little washer sooner. It could have saved me so many trips to the laundromat.

I got a little angst-y over buying a portable washer--I hate, hate, hate the laundromat (we live in a 4th floor walkup apartment in Manhattan) but was still suspicious that a $220 machine could actually be the solution to our laundry problems! In fact, I did a lot of research before buying the Haier HLP23E and looked at some other much more expensive portable washers (like the GE and Whirlpool, which are both about $600 or more). Haier isn't a brand that I'm familiar with and I was worried this washer would be cheap/flimsy, would break right away, or would arrive damaged. However, after reading many, many reviews, I felt the general gist was--this is a pain in the butt to set up, Haier's customer service is not great, etc., instruction manual sketchy, etc., but the actual washer itself works well. In addition, the much more expensive portable washers did NOT get much better reviews; in fact, there seems to be less info about them online than the Haier washers. So we went ahead and got the Haier HLP23E (Manhattanites--we did NOT buy it on Amazon, we picked it up at J&R Electronics downtown. They had it in stock and available for in-store pickup. I'd read some reviews saying that the washers arrived dented and this allowed us to avoid having it shipped or paying shipping charges. We were able to jam the box into the backseat of a regular cab...barely. It did not fit in the trunk.)

Anyway, we got it home and set it up. As others have said, the instruction manual is not great and we found the set-up advice in other buyers' reviews helpful. The bottom, screw-on, plastic noise reduction panel was probably the most complicated part of setup--it is REALLY HARD To get it to line up with the holes for screws. We did eventually get it on. The panel now says "FRONT" on the side that is supposed to face the floor (when the washer is upright) and we decided "FRONT" meant it should point toward the front of the washer. We got it on after a lot of effort.

After that setup wasn't bad...for us it required a few trips to the hardware store, though this wouldn't be the case for everyone. We connected the washer to our shower head, which required a different adapter (turns out shower and sink faucets have different threads). We got that at Home Depot (fyi, the shower head adapter is not compatible with the quick-pull-off sink adapter). We used a level to make sure the washer was absolutely level. Also, make sure you follow the terrible manual's advice on how to position the drain hose, because if you don't, it will leak.

Once it's set up...yay! Well, granted we've only had it for a week, but I've been really happy so far. The washer is very, very quiet, and it does its job. The clothes come out clean and the spin cycle gets them damp dry so drying on drying racks in our apartment isn't much of a hassle. The washer also holds more clothes than I thought it would--there is no agitator and that means there is more room. I think my largest load has been one queen size sheet along with a couple pairs of boxers/T-shirts.

A couple other little things I noticed...

*The washer's instruction manual says that the lint trap is included in a plastic bag with the instruction manual. I was worried that ours was missing...but in fact it was already installed in the machine.
*The washer cleans by "pulsating," not agitating--I wasn't familiar with the sound, it sounds like (very quiet) thumps. The washer really is quiet but it might not sound like a washer you've had before.
*I read somewhere else that HE detergent is recommended with these washers--I think because otherwise there might be way too many bubbles going down the sink drain. I think the instruction manual recommended using "concentrated" detergent--I took this to mean HE, and I just use a splash at the bottom of the machine.
*The instruction manual--bad, as noted--lists two different sets of instructions for loading the machine. In fact, I load it the way you would any machine. I put the detergent at the bottom (just a little bit). Then I add the clothes. Then I power on and select the cycle and hit start.
*The manual also mentions a "water heater" built into the washer...as far as I know, it doesn't have one. I just vary the output of the faucet based on what I want going in. This means that if I want a warm wash and cold rinse I have to go and turn the faucet to cold when the rinse cycle begins.
*If there are detergent dispensers, I did not see them. I pour it in the bottom of the tub. I don't think there is a fabric softener dispenser.
*Your faucet must be on BEFORE you select the cycle/hit start...might be self-explanatory to some but wasn't for me :)
*Oh yeah...the HLP23E doesn't look like the picture! Or at least mine doesn't--mine doesn't have a see-through top. Instead it has a jointed white top that folds open. I am fine with that; I leave the washer open when it's not in use to avoid any problems with mildew.
*It's super satisfying to see dirty water come out the drain.

Sorry that I wrote a book here--but hopefully it'll be helpful to others. It is just so great not to have to go to the laundromat anymore. Having a washer in the apartment is a luxury in Manhattan...and you can really make the cost of the washer back quickly (we were spending like $50 a month at the laundromat, sending laundry out is even more expensive).

So, I bought this washer about a month ago and I have to say that even though I was so excited to be doing laundry in my apartment, I found this washer not as convenient as I would have liked, considering that I had to babysit it.

Here is my list of pros:
1)You can do laundry in your own home! As a New Yorker I can not overstate the convenience of this. I would write more about this but since this is the reason I bought it...
2)It fit about 10-12 items in it. This included pants, skirts, underwear and shirts. I mixed it up.
3)The control panel is real nice. smooth even.
4)Even without the muffler,it's an okay volume (see below).

Here is my list of cons:
1)It arrived dented. Not only were the thingees that were supposed to connect it to the sink dented but so far I have not been able to attach the bottom sound muffler plastic plate because the body of the washer is too dented to do that.
2)I have to babysit it. I know I already mentioned that but here are the deets: it would do a wash cycle and then tell me that there wasn't enough water coming through the sink. How much water do you need, little fella? The sink was turned all the way on and streaming away so maybe consider hooking it up to a fire hydrant? Waterfall?
3)The metal widget to adapt to the sink (even if it had been undented) was well, unique. They give you these rubber washers which are supposed to make things connect to your sink. These washers may work for others. For me? Nyet. So I went to the hardware store, with my washer, consulted with the plumbing dept, and bought a different piece which I then installed to my sink (FYI, apparently in plumbing there are either big threads or small threads and the threads on my sink were the wrong kind).
4) The drainage tube should be hung lower than the faucet. I found this difficult and logistically if you have a small apartment a bucket might be a good idea because otherwise the spin cycle does not get all the water out unless the drainage tube is lower than the input tube.
5) No casters. It's on a furniture dolly because I wanted it to move around but I foolishly concluded that 'portable' and 'casters included' go together.
6)Terrible, I mean TERRIBLE instruction booklet. I rate the instruction booklet negative 65 stars.

I've only used my washer a few times so I'll update when I have more to say.

We love this machine. We live in New York City in a 5th floor walk-up apartment, and this machine has been great for us. We feel foolish for not having bought this a lot sooner.

Setting it up is easy. You just affix the dampener on the bottom and then connect the hoses. It took about 20 minutes from the time of opening the box to having it ready for a test run. Have pliers, a wrench, a screwdriver, and a level handy. One tip: be sure to use a wrench or pliers to tighten all fasteners on the water lines. It makes a big differences in preventing drips and little sprays. There is still a really slight trickle off the sink adapter, but it's barely anything and so I don't worry about it.

Some people have complained that their products arrived significantly banged up. We didn't have that problem: we ordered ours through Amazon but it was delivered locally from a J&R store by UrbanExpress. No scratches or dents---looked pristine when it arrived.

It handles a pretty sizable load with no problem: last night I did two oxford shirts, 5 pairs of boxers, 5 pairs of socks, and three T-shirts; this was what I would call a 3/4 full capacity load. You could get away with probably two pairs of jeans, to give you an idea.

Definitely worth it for apartment dwellers like us. Laundry in our building is $3.40 total for one wash and dry load. My wife and I have about 5 of these loads a month. We don't pay for water in our building, as is the case for many people I know in NYC. So the machine pays for itself in about a year and a half. That's not even counting the huge cost (in time and hassle) of schlepping laundry down from our fifth floor apartment to the basement.

I love it. I love it. I love it. Do not hesitate. I came by after owning it for this long specifically to say how much I love it. A year later, it is going strong and sassy. It has changed my life. Do it!

If you live in an apartment without a washer/dryer in your unit and are tired of schlepping baskets of clothes to a laundry facility, stop what you are doing and order this unit!
I researched portable washer/dryer combo units; however after reading the poor reviews associated with them I figured I was stuck with onsite, disgustingly filthy, always occupied, overpriced units, or having to take my laundry offsite.
I was ordering a Christmas gift for a friend on Amazon when I stumbled upon the Haier HLP23E. Thank God! This unit is fantastic. It is bigger than it looks, as there is no agitator in the unit allowing you to add more clothes.
The unit arrived via freight from Amazon (Arizona to Washington D.C.) without damage in seven days. Setup took a few minutes. All that is required to use the machine is to install the bottom cover/noise plate to the bottom of the unit. It is attached by six screws (they don't align to the holes on the bottom of the unit very well, but not too bad) and only took a couple minutes to affix. Next, attach the faucet adapter (ensure the rubber washer is installed) to the sink. Attach one end of the water supply hose to the machine and the other to the faucet adapter. The faucet adapter/water supply hose has a great quick connect/disconnect feature and is very easy to connect. Lastly, the water discharge hose needs to be connected to bottom right rear corner of the unit. The hose slides on and has a spring clamp to hold it in place although is it a snug fit even without the clamp.

The layouts of the controls are efficient and functional. There are six preset wash/rinse options. They are:
01 - Standard Wash (wash, rinse x2, spin dry)- 42mins
02 - Heavy (prewash, wash, rinse x2, spin dry)- 78mins
03 - Gentle (short wash, rinse x2, spin dry)- 28mins
04 - Quick Wash (wash, rinse, spin dry) - 21mins
05 - Wash- 15mins
06 - Spin Dry- 9mins
The times mentioned are from the start of the cycle (filling the tub with water) to the audible beeps (eight) that signal the end of the cycle.
This unit it fairly quiet as the loudest part of the operation is the water in the tub sloshing around but nearly inaudible with the door closed. Not loud at all.
The unit also has four water level selections, High, Medium, Low and Extra Low.
There are two detergent dispensers, one for powder (I haven't used it as I use liquid detergent) and one for liquid located above the lint filter. It does not have bleach or fabric softener dispensers although I suppose you could pause the cycle and add fabric softener to the liquid dispenser after the first rinse.
There are a couple of things to know about this unit for you to be able to get the most out of it. First, don't overload it. If you use the High water setting, you can load about a third of what a regular size machine can hold. I've had this unit for about one month now and have done around two dozen loads and have only had it become unbalanced once when I had two pairs of jeans and two bath towels in it.
The first day I did laundry with this unit I was in for a bit of a shock. I have been doing my laundry at an off -site coin operated facility. Not the best machines but not the worst either. During the first rinse of every load I did the water was a shade of BROWN! OMG, what have I been paying for all these months.
Second, get the wheels that are made for this unit. There are several online stores that advertise them, but most of them do not have the wheels in stock. I found them on ebay (search for Haier Portable Washer Caster/Wheels), but the seller is in Canada and it took two weeks to arrive, however it was worth the wait as it is not very easy to move this machine from the closet I store it in to the bathroom to do laundry. The wheels are a must if you plan on moving this unit around!
The only issue I have with the unit is it doesn't have a rinse/spin cycle. This isn't as big deal is it could be as three of the wash cycles have a second rinse built in to the cycle, however it still would be a useful feature none the less.
This unit is perfect for those who don't have built in washer/dryer in their apartment. It is big enough for a couple or even a couple with a small child, but not much more without having to do laundry several days a week. If this is you, get this machine.
I purchase this unit with the Avanti D-110 dryer (review coming soon) and couldn't be happier. Five stars, no regrets!
My clothes are as clean as they can be without the hassle of having to schlep them around and can do my laundry whenever I want.

That's my first purchase of appliance online, It's a nightmare, the washer didn't work from the beginning,I had contacted Haier and they sent me A&E service (I don't recommend it for anybody- but I had no choices) to see what was going on with the machine, they said it's missing the control board, I'm still waiting for the great service to fix my washer for 35 days, can you imagine that, I never used it...I'm wondering How comes they sent me a damaged one,
It's hard for me to send it back since there is nobody to help me carrying it from the 2nd floor to UPS store for shipment

Skeptical about how well this product would work, my wife and I studied the online reviews for this model (Haier HLP23E Electronic 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot) and others like it extensively.

Two weeks in, here's what we've found: This is the real deal. The machine cleans well, cleans more than one might expect, and is not loud. Since hooking it up, we've not had a single problem. It arrived, I might add, ding-free and quickly, from Buy.com, from whom we purchased it through Amazon.

The universal adapter, it's true, is not universal; the only problem we've had was with the initial hookup. In trying to solve it, we learned that Chicago, where we live, has different fawcets than other parts of the country--once we'd removed the aerator from our kitchen sink, we could not get the universal adapter to attach; it did not fit.

We realized we needed to look for another adapter to connect our fawcet (minus the aerator) to Haier's "universal" adapter. Our first efforts were fruitless--two hours and three consultants at Home Depot were of no avail. An online review pointed us toward an adapter sold by ACE hardware. The ACE adapter that worked for us came packaged together with a new aerator (which we did not need) and the adapter proper (i.e., the part that converts the thread on our kitchen fawcett to fit the thread of Haier's universal adapter).

Here is the product that solved our hookup problem: "ACE Aerator and Adapter Set 4 - 13/16" x 24 THD". Product Number/SKU 40092. We bought it out local ACE affiliate. You can buy it here for [...]

We bought the Haier HLP23E to make life easier for us and our newborn. I never would have believed that we could have a functional washing machine in our apartment for $220 bucks. My wife and I are thrilled.

I bought this item in order to replace a 24" front-loading Equator, it was a fairly good machine, but it was as noisy as a horse stampede. (We live in a 3rd floor apartment) Now we can wash even late at night or early in the morning!

I like the style, the awesome capacity, and the quietness of this little beauty. We've enjoyed it for a couple of days only, so I can't post about durability or longevity, but I think the positive reviews are greatly deserved.

The happy faces:
Perfect for a small closet, great for apartments.
It can handle a very decent load size.
Super quiet. (A blessing)
Very economic as far as price, water, detergent, and electricity.
The "Pause" (At any time) feature is very nice, it allows you to add softener when the rinse cycle starts.
Very stylish. (My wife 's in love with it)

Sad faces:
I'm editing this since I noticed the surface of the control panel is NOT metal as I thought it was, it looks like, but it is not, it's plastic. No sad faces then.

Not related to quality:
In my case, mine came with an opaque lid, (Not clear as advertised) so there's no see-through here. However, this is a minor inconvenience. (besides not necessary)

I recommend this washer because I believe that (with the recommended care and maintenance) it would pay for itself in a short time.