Dehumidifier repair ideas?

[roylt]

So for the past two years I got a new Pelonis® 50-Pint Dehumidifier with Pump. Runs great, winter comes so I unplug it and let it sit, Next summer comes so I plug it in and it seems to run but doesn't actually collect water. And you guessed it... one year warranty.

Anyone on here have any pointers? Repair advice?
Thanks in advance,

 

[contender]

I'm no help on actual repairs. But,, I leave my dehumidifier running all year long. Mine has lasted several years too. There are times it doesn't collect much,, & other times,, a fair amount in a short timeframe.
Maybe the crud in the collection area is causing a blockage, or something to not be able to function correctly. I know in mine,, the collection tank has turned a rusty color. I clean it periodically,, but I haven't had to try & work on the unit itself,, yet.

 

[Dave P.]

I don't know specific to that unit but most newer small portable units run a cooling compressor. It may have a separate control switch from the fan
or maybe even have it's own reset breaker. Other possibility is it managed to loose it's coolant charge? I'd open it up and see if the compressor is running along with the fan and if not check for voltage to it. No voltage....work backwards to a humidity sensor or ???

 

[Mobuck]

Both Contender and Dave P. offered some excellent advice. Check the coils for spider webs. I have that same brand that has been a solid performer for going into it's 3rd(maybe 4th) year. I found that brand doesn't 'like' cooler temps--it frosts up the coils(sometimes quite rapidly). If this happens, it runs until the coils thaw and tries again. Mine has an 'always on' setting. If you choose that and yours runs, most likely the humidistat has failed or stuck.
I will say that (from personal experience) storing or leaving the unit in a 'non-upright' position will kill it PDQ.
Repair advice? Unless you're an electrons/HVAC guy, there is no repair beyond cleaning and blowing out all the nooks and crannies with an air hose.

 

[hittman]

They just dont make things like they used to.

Mine is a Whirlpool brand, probably a decade old.
Normally I’d tell you to try a different brand but this day and age it’s just a crap shoot.
Sorry, I know that’s no help at all.

 

[Montelores]

This may be a dumb question, but is the humidity sufficient to trigger the compressor to run? Based on the humidity-percent setting, whatever that is?

I'm sure that you wouldn't be trying to use it, if you didn't need it.

Monty

 

[roylt]

This unit is digital so you set the humidity you want the room to be and then the display shows what it is currently. So by setting the number I want lower than the actual reading it should kick on.

It shows about 60 and I've been trying to get 50.

No pets or bugs really coils look very clean but I guess I'll take it apart at some point. I keep a hose attached so I don't drain it.

My folks had a kenmore unit from the 70s or 80s that is my back up as they have passed and I kept it. IT freezes up easy but still works. Requires more attention then the new one which is basically just plug in and leave it.

 

[redfernclan]

Added a small "mud room" on to the house years ago. Didn't run any ventilation into it and fought mildew for years till I got a dehumidifier. Been through about five in the last 20 years. Some were small units that somehow dehumidified with a big heat sink looking thing. Didn't work great especially in 30 to 40 degree temps. 1 year warranty that I used once and the replacement lasted 13 months. I didn't need to run them in the summer and every fall it was a crap shoot when you plugged them in if they were going to work or not. Last couple have been true AC style dehumidifiers with compressors and refrigerant. They have worked the best for me and work better down to 30 degrees. Have tried to fix a couple, no success. It's a disposable word now a days.............

 

[redfernclan]

Back to your question, if it sat for a bit, the seal may have dried out and you lost your refrigerant. Not financially feasible to fix. The ones that I have been in don't even have a valve for checking pressures.

 

[eveled]

Unfortunately @roylt @redfernclan ’s assessment is probably spot on. I have 3 in my house I leave on all year. When the stop working they are non repairable. It frosts my butt when I see a 40 year old one still working.

 

[redfernclan]

One would wonder that if your butt was frosty, why not use it to dehumidify your house?
Sorry, it's early and I haven't had enough coffee yet. ;]

 

[HAWKEYE#28]

Had one a year; it replaced one that ran 3 years; the year old quit. I called my contact, high up, where purchased. He told me to bring it to him. I did with no receipt or ppw...he presented me a replacement with no delay or discussion other than My Thanks. I am grateful......that said, these damn things do not last and cost way too much. BTW, there is an old whirlpool sitting in the garage pretending to be a boat anchor.........

 

[6GUNSONLY]

So for the past two years I got a new Pelonis® 50-Pint Dehumidifier with Pump. Runs great, winter comes so I unplug it and let it sit, Next summer comes so I plug it in and it seems to run but doesn't actually collect water. And you guessed it... one year warranty.

Anyone on here have any pointers? Repair advice?
Thanks in advance,

I have one that has done exactly the same thing - put it away working, got it out this spring - no go. I fiddled with it a bit but I guess I'm going to have to take it apart and see what's going on. I used it in the garage in my old house to keep it dry (drier) since that's where my powder and primers were stored. At out new place, I have a 24x12 portable building that is my reloading room. It's insulated and paneled (I added this, it didn't come with insulation and paneling) but was still getting pretty hot in there this past week, as we've had temps in the mid to upper 90s with high humidity. Sam's had a portable A/C-dehumidifier at a good price this week and my wife was in there, she called to tell me about it and we decided to go ahead and get one. It sits on the floor and has a large flexible exhaust hose that attaches to an adjustable insert that fits in the window. Only took about an hour to set up and get it going. I assume it operates as a sort of heat pump, as it does not require a drain hose for the A/C or dehumidifier - apparently the excess moisture is expelled in the exhaust flow. If you go outside and feel the exhaust air, it feels like the vent hose on a running clothes dryer - hot! I'm experimenting presently to see if just running the dehumidifier will cool the building enough to not need the A/C running. I did a pretty good job today - I'd guess it was 78-80 degrees in the shop when I got home this evening with a daytime temp today of 92 with some cloud cover - a little cooler than earlier in the week. This new one is a DeLonghi brand. I have a couple of the little electric/oil radiator heaters this brand that have been trouble free, so hopefully this will give good service as well. We'll see... If I can get the old dehumidifier working I'll have a backup, or can use it in the winter when the A/C isn't needed. Only thing with that one is I'll have to run a drain hose for it - the reservoir would fill up three times a day working out in a portable building like that.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

Unlike what was said above, if its refrigerant loss it is a cheap and quick fix. No harder than when done to an AC unit. Refrigerant will probably run 20-40 bucks these days. Turn it on with the cover off, let it nun a bit, then feel the coils to see if they get cold. Also, I don't know where you are located, but places like New Mexico, are REALLY arid this year ( like 72 days straight with no rain). . You just would have less humidity to collect. ( No worries- here comes monsoon season).

 

[SamV]

The first dehumidifier that I purchased lasted maybe 15 years. Replacement models after that were 1 to 3 years. All are considered non repairable. Only one failed under warranty. The company opted to just mail a check for the original purchase price. Doing a bit of research,I found out that there are really only a few manufacturers. Most are just rebranded. I had one model recalled and when looking at the recall list, I saw most every brand I had ever heard of and a bunch more that I was unfamiliar with.
I have come across some long warranty models that are designed for whole house or basements and are American made, but they are not cheap. I may go that route next time.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I don't understand why anyone would need a dehumidifier in their house unless they go away for a long time and have the house closed up. My central a/c takes as much humidity out of the air as I need and to be sure we have lots of humidity here. I would guess during the summer the a/c takes about a gallon of water per day out of the air. My thermostat has a setting (humidistat) where I can control the humidity in the house, I don't use it because when I tried setting it for 50% the coil froze up so now I just use the thermostat and take whatever it gives me.

 

[Dan in MI]

I don't understand why anyone would need a dehumidifier in their house unless they go away for a long time and have the house closed up. My central a/c takes as much humidity out of the air as I need and to be sure we have lots of humidity here. I would guess during the summer the a/c takes about a gallon of water per day out of the air. My thermostat has a setting (humidistat) where I can control the humidity in the house, I don't use it because when I tried setting it for 50% the coil froze up so now I just use the thermostat and take whatever it gives me.

Because many of us live where you don’t need a/c all day every day.

 

[eveled]

….and remove way more than a gallon a day.

 

[Kevin]

Because many of us live where you don’t need a/c all day every day.

Oh! I was wondering the same thing as Jim. Our air conditioner is also designed to remove a lot of humidity, so we don’t need a de-humidifier at all. Besides, nobody in Dallas has a basement.

I guess when it’s hot like it’s been lately, you really don’t consider other people might not be as hot.

 

[Mobuck]

" I'm experimenting presently to see if just running the dehumidifier will cool the building enough to not need the A/C running. "
My experience is just the opposite--dehumidifier adds heat to the area.