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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2016 12:51am
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Creeky and I were talking about this on another thread but I didn't want to continue that there off-topic so I thought I'd start another topic. Maybe others are interested and would like to chime in, as well!
My big front-load washer broke and, since I'm in the process of getting ready to sell and move, there was no way I was going to put money into fixing it or buying another big washer. I had planned to buy a portable washer when I had the cabin built so I figured I might as well buy a portable washer now and take it with me to Oregon. I guess we can now build the cabin around it, haha. 
I bought a Haier 1.5 cu. ft. portable washer and love it! The little gal (I've named her Rosie after the maid in The Jetsons) fits a surprising amount of clothing and cleans really well, even on the Quick cycle. (which I will always use, if I can help it because it saves a LOT on power and water usage.) Creeky wrote that he's had this washer and likes it, too, so that provided me with a lot of reassurance!
Any other favorite little washers or laundry methods/ideas out there? 
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2016 12:53pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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I have my Grandmothers Maytag wringer washer from 1931. My Dads family lived in a coal mining town in West Virginia. My Grandfather was a coal miner and paid $180.00(the equivalent of $2,644.00 today) for the washer buying it on time at $12.00 per month. I know this because I have the sales receipt and the pay tickets! It has not been used in about 60 years. It's in my garage in storage. This spring I'm going to dig it out and have my mechanic friend take a look at it. I also have her large wash tub (for soaking)and stand.
In a few years both of us will be retired and spending all summer at the cabin. I sure hope to get it up and running so I don't have to bring all the dirty laundry home. I learned to do laundry with a wringer washer in the late 1960's with my Maternal Grandmother.
P.s-I will start a new topic with photos when I get all the washing implements out of storage this spring.
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Topper
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2016 01:53pm
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Crosley wringer washer. Purchased new in the 1980's...
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2016 06:00pm
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When my front-loader broke, I was Googling for wringer washers! Found some beauties in MINT condition on Ebay for just a few hundred dollars! The only problem was that they were in the Northeast and the sellers either weren't keen on shipping them or didn't know how to arrange it.
I found one nearby here in Texas but it was in terrible shape and wasn't even recommended for refurbishment to use for laundry.
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Gary O
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2016 01:51am
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We sure like our little Panda
$150 new
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2016 01:51pm
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I like it Gary O. If I can't get Grandmas up and running this would work. I see they offer a bigger washer this year. It will wash ten pounds. I put it on my Amazon Wish List.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2016 05:37pm
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Gary O
Love it! That was in my top 3 under consideration.
In the end, I chose the one I did because I wanted to be able to plunk in my bedding and other large items and have it do its thing without my involvement. Of course, I paid more for the "privilege," but Amazon offered me their store card with 6 months, same as cash, no interest.
And it does do that. Yesterday, I tried it out and it fit my queen-sized blanket and sheet set in one load. Hallelujah. If it didn't, that thumping sound would have been me repeatedly trying to kick myself in the butt -- and missing, falling. 
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pizzadude
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:37pm
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Julie2Oregon is that the 110v washer/dryer combo?
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:14pm - Edited by: Julie2Oregon
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pizzadude
The Haier I bought? No. But it does such a crazy-good job of spinning that the clothes come out just a bit damp and they dry in no time. There's no agitator post inside, either, so they're not all twisted and wrinkled. I'm really impressed.
There are portable dryers that complement many of these little washers. I doubt I'll get one, though. They use a lot of electricity and aren't that powerful. Since the washers do such a good job of spinning/extracting water, air drying either outdoors or inside is just fine.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:55pm
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Here's something to think about,anything with a water pump is going to freeze if it's not someplace heated.
Grandmas washer does not have one. That's great but...if I get the Panda it is portable enough for me to bring home from the cabin to protect it from freezing.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 06:53pm
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Good point, silverwaterlady. The manual gives storage instructions and says not to keep it in a space below freezing. I'll be living in my cabin full-time, of course, but I will have to make provisions for it if I go away for a time during the winter. At 65 pounds, it wouldn't be horrible to ask a neighbor to babysit it at their place while I was gone as this wouldn't be a frequent thing.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 07:15pm
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There's always RV antifreeze with a flush before next use.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 09:15pm
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We use RV antifreeze in our full size cottage washer , takes 5 min. and $2.00 worth of antifreeze , good for - 40*..
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:19pm
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Oh, cool! How do you go about doing that? There's nothing like that in the owner's manual. It just says to disconnect the hoses and such.
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Just
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 09:40am
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not sure about your washer but all intake and discharge lines plus any pumps must be filled with antifreeze to eradicate any water from the washer ..
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creeky
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 10:40am
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I have had the Haier for 4 years now. It has frozen solid 4 winters. Never had a problem. Never done anything to protect it. Two winters it sat outside.
Now my Eccotemp lv-12. Now that's another matter. Got away with freezing it once. But it froze again this winter.
Luckily the frozen spot where the water line split was accessible. "RapidFix" two part repair and I was back in business.
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slgerber
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 12:50pm
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I have a couple questions for those of you who have these small washers.
What are their power requirements like? How many surge amps & continuous amps do they draw and and how many watt hours do they use over the whole cycle? Would they run off a basic 900 watt MSW inverter or would they require a pure sine wave inverter?
I have only a very small basic off-grid solar power system (100watt panel, 114amp hour deep cycle batter, 900watt MSW inverter) and I'm curious as to whether or not it could handle running one of these machines occasionally.
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creeky
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 03:32pm
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I'm gonna guess that it would blow your inverter. Judging by the power usage specs the reviewer that Julie2 points out. He read peaks of 800 watts on a pure sine inverter.
The tricky part is the pulse. Not sure how the MSW would handle the pounding.
Pure sine would be easier on the motor and the inverter. But you could try it and find out. The haier ran 42 watts per 24 minute load. The reviewer didn't mention what clothes he had in the unit. If it was moving water vs a full load with clothes there might be a difference (friction).
I will add mine ran fine on a 1000 watt pure sine.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:11pm
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Here's the link to the review Creeky mentioned. We had discussed it on another thread and I forgot to copy it over on this one.
The reviewer is using his washer on an inverter and ever-so-helpfully included charts of the power usage during and for every wash cycle that the Haier does. Water usage, too. Wow, all of this data really helped me to make an informed decision!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WSVFM7K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpag e_o01_s00
If you scroll down to the reviews, his is first as "Top Review" (rightfully so, lol) and the graphs are attached.
When considering a portable washer, I had initially intended to run it off my generator but, with this data, I'm figuring I probably won't need to do that most times. Add in the fact that this washer comfortably fits a lot in a load that I likely won't have to do more than 2-3 loads per week (3 when I do bedding), which is less than half what the Energy Guide is based on.
I've experimented with water levels, load sizes, and such and the Quick Cycle with a Medium water level will do just fine most of the time. My clothes have come out really clean. Having dogs, I love the fact that it has 2 lint filters inside the stainless steel tub, too, considering I'll have a grey water system.
Just, This washer isn't permanently installed. Its little hoses clamp onto your bathroom or kitchen faucet and drain down the sink so you remove them after you do the wash. That's why I'm uncertain as to how you install the antifreeze? When not using it for extended periods, you're supposed to even disconnect the hoses from the washer itself and store them inside the tub. How would you keep the antifreeze inside the machine? If you left everything connected, could the antifreeze harm the hoses? They're not as sturdy as standard washer hoses and I think they may be a different diameter.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 06:48pm
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Julie ; sorry not being familiar with your machine I can't guess.
maybe a few pic's would help
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Julie2Oregon
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 07:36pm
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Just
There are pics and specs in the Amazon link I posted above, if that helps.
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 08:44pm
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[1] connect a inverted jug of pluming antifreeze to the fill hose , [2]hold it above the machine ,[3] turn on the machine ,[4] allow all the liquid to enter the machine ,[5] run the machine for 30 seconds ,[6] drain the machine ,[7] that should do it,," but" short of a 4000 mile round trip I can't be sure !!
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2016 09:21pm
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Saving your instructions. Thanks, Just!
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mossberg fan
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2016 06:14am - Edited by: mossberg fan
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hey Julie, not trying to hijack this thread, but i read on another thread that you were buying a pleasant hearth stove. did you buy it yet? do you like it? theres a great deal on the bigger version of that stove that makes it the same price as the smaller.i got the Englander 30NC for $649 plus $99 shipping. yours i believe is the 13NC, great stove too, but hard to get an all night burn. Englander, Pleasant hearth and Timber ridge stoves are all made by England Stove Works out of Virginia. great stoves, look on Hearth.com for reviews
:: correction: pleasant hearth is not owned by englander, my fault. its Timber Ridge, Summers Heat and Englander
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2016 07:37am
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mossberg fan
No, I haven't bought it yet. I'll be starting the cabin this spring and will be buying it soon. Thanks for the tip!
If they're built by the same company, then all of them should be EPA-certified, yeah? I'm going through the whole inspection thing so my stove has to be EPA-certified, as per Oregon regulations. The Pleasant Hearth is so it shouldn't be an issue.
I did decide to size up to the medium-sized stove for the slightly bigger firebox. I'll check out the webside! Thank you! Do you like the Englander?
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mossberg fan
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2016 07:49am
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these stoves are epa compliant, i have the smaller stove 13nc, in our cabin, bigger stove, 30nc, in house. both great stoves, but the 30nc burns all night and my house is still warm in the morning, with the 13nc, you have to add wood in the early am, like 2 am, to keep it warm. if you had supplemental propane heat, the 13 nc would be perfect. if you have the room, get the 30nc. if you go to home depot website, make Durango, CO the home store, then search Englander stoves, the 30nc should come up $649, i believe the 13nc costs more, $99 shipped to your door. this deal is only at the Durango store, dont know why. my local HD sells the 30 nc for $1149 right now. if you have questions about wood stoves, Hearth.com is THEE website to go to
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slgerber
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# Posted: 14 Feb 2016 01:07pm
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Thanks Julie for the link to those graphs on Amazon! It looks like that machine doesn't really use all that many total watt hours but there are some big spikes that an inverter would have to handle.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 16 Feb 2016 10:09pm
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slgerber
I'm so sorry -- the thread dropped down and I didn't see your comment until now! You're most welcome!
Yeah, I'm planning on at least a 1500-watt pure sine inverter and that should be fine. From using the machine now for about a week, I'm pretty sure those spikes are due to the high-speed spin revving up, which only lasts seconds. I don't know how much of a power drain that will be. I guess I'll find out! One thing I do know is I'll be planning on doing laundry on really sunny days, just in case!
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