Is the drainage pipe (for continuous operation) the small clear plastic type, or a big garden hose?

1/2 inch hose , --bit of garden hose or clear plastic from the hardware shop
if 1/2" is too big measure the outlet pipe and get plastic hose to suit

A 48' long piece of garden hose will work fine. Connect the female hose connection to the unit's hose connector and be sure that the hose slopes down and straight to the floor drain. Drainage thru the hose relies entirely on gravity. Be sure to set the humidity extraction level low (32 - 35%) for continual operation.

I hope this helps you and thanks for choosing FixYa..

What is going on is that either the hose is to long (should not be more than 48" long) or it's clogged or the hose connection and it's tubing is clogged. When any of the aforementioned occurs, water is diverted to the bucket.

Turn the unit OFF & Unplug it.
Disconnect the hose and check it for a clog and it's length. If none is found, the clog is in the hose connector on the unit or in it's tubing. To clear the clog, do the following:

Using an appropriately sized, 18" long, plastic Zip Tie, carefully insert the tip of Zip Tie into the connector & tubing. Continue to push it in until you reach a bend in the tubing. You will need to gingerly work the Zip Tie past this bend, until it either bottoms out or you run out of usable Zip Tie. Then slowly pull the Zip Tie back out while rotating (twisting) it. This will breakup any clogs. As you reach the inserted end of the Zip Tie, be prepared, as some water may follow.Reconnect the hose making sure it slopes down and away from the unit, plug the unit in and turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to ON. Set the humidity extraction level to 35% or Maximum if you have a manually controlled unit. Allow the unit to run, while you monitor the hose for water flow. Keep in mind, drainage relies entirely on gravity. The water will not drain up.

NOTE: If you don't have a Zip Tie, you may use something similar ( i.e.a long pipe cleaner), but NO wire coat hangers.

I hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Thanks for choosing FixYa.

Attach a length of garden hose no longer than 5 feet, to the threaded drain hose connection that was supplied with your unit, to carry water to the drain.
1. Remove the drain-hole cover on the back left side of your unit.
2. Connect a garden hose to the threaded drain hose connector.
3. Push hose connector tightly to the drain-hole on Rear Grille with the arrow on the tab pointing UP.
The hose attachment will accept a standard garden hose fitting.
Do not over tighten the hose when connecting it to the hose connector,
use a rubber washer and tighten by hand firmly without stripping the
plastic threads.
When being attached to hose connector drain hose connection,
do not bend or kink the hose. The hose should lie flat from the
dehumidifier to the drain.

I own this dehumidifier. To connect it to a garden hose for drainage you first need the special connector pipe/adapter that comes with the unit. It's white plastic and about a foot long, It may be stored in the top of the bucket drawer, where it ships from the factory. Your hose connects to the threaded fitting on one end. The other end is inserted into the hole in the back of the unit. You slide it straight in until it mates with a drain connection inside the unit. You can see this black pipe connection if you pull the bucket drawer all the way out and look in the very top right hand corner of the opening of the unit. Once the white tube is fully and correctly inserted you'll find two plastic tabs on the tube near the hose connection. The larger tab points straight up and blocks the tube from being inserted too far. The smaller tab points down and hooks into the slot in the bottom of the round opening to keep it from getting knocked loose. Your dehumidifier should now drain through the hose instead of into the bucket. Of course, be sure your hose is routed across a floor to a drain or sump pump located lower than the unit, since the water flows by gravity.

Take out the drain pan and look in left hand top of the compartment and you will see a drain hole for the pan.Plug the drain hole with a small rubber plug, I used an electrical wire nut wrapped with tape and it worked fine.replace the pan and the water will run out the back. A 3/4" garden hose should work for the drain hole.

I believe you have to put a plug to drain that drains into the tank ,then it can only drain out the hose.

Many just attach the hose at the reservoir; from your description, Haier apparently has a separate location. Check that the point that the hose attaches has an opening (many don't, they expect you to drill it). It should then drain through gravity. Check to make sure that no part of the drain hose is higher than the bottom of the reservoir, otherwise it can't drain. It won't siphon because each time the the tank empties, the suction is broken and the siphoning can't continue.

I was under the impression that the drain hose connected to the bucket with a screw on connection such as with a garden type hose.

yes, that is what the knockout port was designed for. Make sure the hose you get does actually thread onto the hose connection port before you punch out knock out. The hose should be a standard garden hose connector.