Giantex EP23936PI Portable Washer Review

The EP23936PI is a fully automatic single-tub machine. One drum does the wash and the spin, the machine controls fill, wash, drain, rinse and spin, and a built-in drain pump pushes the water out through the drainage tube. The machine comes with a drain hose, an inlet hose, a manual, a built-in drain pump, a drainage tube, a built-in barrel light and a long hose. The PI in the model code marks the White & Pink colorway.

It is not a twin tub. Twin-tub portables have two compartments, manual timers and a gravity drain, and the user moves wet clothes from one side to the other. This machine is programmed and pumped, which is the whole reason to consider it over the cheaper twin-tub end of the portable category. Controls are push buttons rather than dials, and there are 6 washing cycles, with Drain and Spin available as cycle options. Giantex lists it for homes, apartments, RV camping and dorms.

The 7.7 lb figure is the maximum capacity under energy-saving conditions. The 0.8 cu ft drum and the 16-inch footprint are what let it sit where a full-size washer cannot, and the 40 lb weight means one person can shift it but two are easier on stairs.

The single cold inlet shapes everything else: no hot fill, no temperature selection and no internal heater. A stainless drum, a pumped drain and a 1300 rpm spin are the features that put this machine above the bare-minimum portables, and they are what its build justifies.

Washing

A pulsator-style wash action runs in the stainless drum, and the 6 programs cover everyday loads. The machine is programmed end to end: you load it, pick a water level and a program, and press start. Buyers on Amazon most often praise how it performs, with the largest share of mentions going to performance, and one customer notes its stain removal.

The spin cycle is not a dryer

The spin extracts water by centrifugal force. There is no heat and no air-dry function, and Giantex states plainly that the machine can spin-dry but cannot dry clothes completely. Clothes come out damp and need a rack or a line. This is the single most important expectation to set before buying.

Cycle time

A full automatic cycle runs roughly 30 to 40 minutes end to end, with the wash portion around 15 to 20 minutes and the spin around 5. There is no remaining-time display, so you cannot tell where the cycle is.

Noise

The wash phase is quiet, and the spin is the audible part. The end-of-cycle buzzer is loud and cannot be turned down. Buyers on Amazon speak well of the noise level overall.

Water use

The three levels run 4.2, 6.1 and 7.9 gal (16, 23 and 30 liters), so a small load uses a small amount of water. Beyond water use, the recurring complaints are about the faucet connection and about wanting a bigger drum, and buyers are divided on size and fit.

The faucet connection

The machine fills from a single cold tap through an inlet hose and a faucet adapter. Giantex specifies a faucet aerator with a female thread of 15/16"–27 (24 mm) or a male thread of 55/64"–27 (22 mm). Many US kitchen and bathroom faucets match one of these, but pull-down and spray-wand faucets generally cannot take a washer hose at all. Check your aerator thread before ordering; adapters for other thread sizes exist.

The workflow

The tap stays on for the whole cycle and is turned off afterward. The machine fills itself, so you do not stand over it.

The drain

The built-in pump empties through the drain hose, which must not sit higher than about 40 inches. Drain into a bathtub, a deep utility sink or a standpipe.

Placement and power

It needs 16.5 by 16 inches of floor space and 29.5 inches of height, so it fits in a small bathroom or a closet corner.

Water temperature and detergent

The inlet is cold only, and the maximum water temperature is 122 °F. There is no heater and no hot and cold mixing.

First use and California

A little water may dribble from the drain hose the first time. That is factory residue, not a sign of a used unit. Giantex states that this model cannot be sold in California because of California Energy Commission requirements.

The EP23936BL-CS is the same automatic single-tub washer in White & Blue instead of White & Pink. Its model number and manufacturer part number are both EP23936BL-CS, and its listed weight is 40 pounds. Color is what separates the two versions, so pick the one whose finish suits your space.

• No drying. Spin only, so clothes stay damp.
• No timer display. No countdown and no remaining time.
• No hot water and no temperature control. One cold inlet, 122 °F maximum.
• Faucet fit is the weak point. The adapter covers two common thread standards, not all of them, and some buyers need extra parts to connect.
• Small capacity. 7.7 lb rated, too small for comforters or bulky bedding.
• Loud end-of-cycle buzzer that is not adjustable.
• Drain height limit of about 40 inches. It reads as a fault but is an operating requirement.
• The manual is a translation, and the difference between the Normal, Standard and Speedy programs is not clearly explained anywhere, including by Giantex.
• Program count varies by revision. The control panel has been revised over the product's life, and Giantex's own documentation lists 8 modes for the current version while the 6-program panel is what this review covers. The program names printed on the panel are the authority.
• Durability is the real risk in this category. Portable washers of this class are built to a light-duty standard, and buyers should expect a shorter service life than a full-size machine.