Kara Zorn on March 21, 2014 55 Comments By drawing excess moisture from the air, a dehumidifier keeps the house mold and mildew free during humid months. This makes your house more comfortable in a number of ways, from eliminating musty smells to helping to control allergies, asthma symptoms, and other respiratory health problems. Although dehumidifiers do not require much maintenance as a rule, they do require a certain amount of upkeep in order to continue functioning properly. Here’s our tips to cleaning, maintaining and troubleshooting your dehumidifier. By following these guidelines, your dehumidifier will help control the humidity of your home for years, providing a healthy and comfortable environment for you and your family. Cleaning Your Dehumidifier A dehumidifier has many parts that can develop build-up. Regular cleaning of each of these parts can prevent problems that can lead to the death of your appliance. The Water Collection Tank Your dehumidifier’s water collection tank needs to be emptied frequently, but it also needs to be cleaned with soap and warm water or a disinfectant. Mold and mildew can build up quickly, and when inside a dehumidifier tank, it gets dispersed into your air, causing illness. The Air Intake and Exhaust Grilles At least once per season, use a vacuum with a brush attachment to clean the intake and exhaust grilles. Dust and debris build-up can cause blockages that can lead to the deterioration of the appliance. Maintaining Your Dehumidifier The proper use of the dehumidifier and replacement of older parts can keep it running smoothly for many years. Dehumidifier Placement Your dehumidifier should not be placed closer than 6 inches to any wall so that the air intake and exhaust are not blocked. The temperature of the room or area being dehumidified should be at least 65° so that it does not freeze up or burn up the motor, unless the dehumidifier is specifically designed for lower temperatures. Adjusting the Humidistat The humidistat is the device that controls the humidity level in the room. The ideal humidity is typically between 40 and 50 percent for optimal comfort and efficiency. Protect the Compressor When a dehumidifier is turned off and then back on too quickly, the compressor may overheat. Give the machine at least 10 minutes after it is turned off to allow pressure in the system to be equalized. Filter Replacement The dehumidifier’s air filter is designed to clear dust and allergens from the air to protect the appliance’s insides as well as to improve quality of the air in the room. The owner’s manual of your dehumidifier will tell you how frequently to replace the air filter in order to ensure the appliance’s best performance. Troubleshooting Your Dehumidifier Some problems require the expertise of a professional, but many issues may be fixed simply and quickly if you know how to identify them. Low or No Water Level If the dehumidifier seems to run infrequently without affecting the high humidity, it may simply need to have the humidistat control set to a drier setting. On the other hand, if it runs constantly without filling the tank, the refrigeration system may have an issue. If cleaning the filter and the unit doesn’t help, you may need to take it to an appliance repair shop. The Dehumidifier Stops Running If the indicator light is on, but the dehumidifier does not run, check the level of water in the tank. There is usually a switch that turns the unit off when the tank is full. If the tank is not full, the switch may still have been accidentally activated by the position of the tank. Readjusting the tank or pushing the switch with your finger should resolve the issue. No Air Comes Out When It Is Running There is a fan to pull air from the room over the coils. When no air is blowing out of the dehumidifier, that fan motor has likely burned out and will need to be replaced. Frost on the Coils The evaporator on the back of the dehumidifier is made up of coils that get very cold while the unit runs. The moist air from the room is drawn across those coils by the fan so that the humidity in the air condenses. If the air temperature is too cold, the condensation will freeze. Before checking the coils for frost, turn off the machine and unplug it for safety. Evidence of frost indicates that the room is too cool. Solutions to frost build-up include: Turn off the dehumidifier so that the room will warm up. Turn on a heat source in the room. Move the dehumidifier to a higher location, since heat rises and the air near the floor is coldest. Some dehumidifiers have an automatic defroster that protects the compressor by turning it off and running the fan to melt frost before resuming operation. If you live in a cold area, you may want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier that works in lower temperatures, as well. With proper care and maintenance, your dehumidifier can control the humidity of your home for years, providing a healthy and comfortable environment.
SHIRLEY KEARNS says July 1, 2019 at 3:54 pm My Haier Dehumidifier Model No.DE45EM-L 2 years old-Fan will come on & won’t Draw water- Lights will come on’ Reply
Roger Matthews says May 18, 2016 at 10:53 am My GE dehumidifier does’t pull any water from the air. What is wrong? Reply
elias varitimidis says August 16, 2016 at 10:07 am Garrison 50 pts, made in 2014. I bought it from Hubitat. Placed it the basement. It runs continuously. It blows air but not a drop of water. Lowered the humidity level but nothing happens. Reply
Cathy Kofke says March 28, 2018 at 3:57 pm My GE dehumidifier does’t pull any water from the air. What is wrong? It will run for about 2 minutes with air blowing but no water is being pulled. Reply
beverly stevens says October 24, 2019 at 3:34 pm why does my polar wind 30 gallon dehumidifier turn on and off will little water in it Reply
Deb says June 21, 2015 at 9:56 pm My delongi dehumidifier will not draw water. it’s brand new… any tips for cleaning it or getting it to work? Reply
Marie Kurtzer says February 10, 2016 at 3:21 pm I have Model #DD40P Delongli Dehumidifier that will no draw water Fan is working I get a circle symbol with a check mark What do I check Reply
Rosslyn Ecker says August 16, 2015 at 8:42 pm I have a Garrison Dehumidifier it works good but for some reason it set to automatically shut off when bucket is full but it doesn’t , it overflows now, even when we pull the bucket out to empty it keeps on running. It never did that before do you have any suggestions ? Reply
D B says July 31, 2016 at 12:33 pm Same problem here. I am trying to repair it but I cant get the case off…uggg. Reply
Amy Rodeberg says September 10, 2015 at 4:25 pm Good afternoon, our Edgestar dehumidifier keeps shutting off saying the water is full. We have a hose hooked up to it and it should just run continuously. Please help. We have tried moving it, and changing hoses and it still shuts off. Reply
Jim robins says September 19, 2015 at 4:47 pm my dehumitifier will not start up light keeps flashing with a code c1 Reply
Eric says April 25, 2016 at 5:24 pm My GE dehumidifier is draining out the bottom rather than the collection tank. Any ideas where to start? Reply
Blaine Friesen says May 24, 2016 at 9:48 am My Energy Star dehumidifier shuts off after a few hours with EC on the indicator light. I unplug for a few hours try again and does the same thing. Is time for a new unit? Reply
Sharon Fulks says July 4, 2016 at 7:32 am my dehumidifier shows EC code and not working…what is wrong? Reply
Timothy says October 25, 2016 at 8:26 pm Sharon, I have the same problem that you describe. Error code “EC” means ambient temperature error — either too cold or too hot. My “EC” error code occurred last winter, but I continue to receive that same code even though the ambient temperature is warm. Did you find a solution? Reply
Adrian says February 3, 2017 at 4:05 pm Same thing happing to my dehumidifier ec code shuts unit off . Reply
David says September 24, 2016 at 8:54 am My 50 pint model ADEL50LRL2 GE brand will no longer drain out the hose is now filling up the bucket,can you give me some information on how to fix this issue that I am having.Thank You David Reply
Jack says October 7, 2016 at 7:49 pm The humidity display always goes back to thirty after setting higher setting IT is a Fridgedair 50pint model # fdel50s1 Reply
Brandy says November 7, 2016 at 4:15 pm I have a Garrison less than 2 years old, clean as a whistle inside and out and never mishandled. Just quit, only cold air. This brand has horrible reviews; check them out. Don’t waste your money. Reply
Joan says April 18, 2017 at 9:29 pm I set my ge 70 pint dehumidifier at 50 for overnight the next morning it was at 70—-why Reply
Carol Troy says April 26, 2017 at 10:16 am My dehumidifier keeps shutting off even though I have a hose hooked up to it. The water is filling the bucket instead of emptying though the hose. What can I do? Reply
Barry Wilson says January 31, 2020 at 7:08 pm Your hose you hooked up must be leaking, maybe no gasket? Reply
Pam Stowell says May 21, 2017 at 8:12 pm I have a Kenmore Dehumidifier model 580.54501 that wont draw water out of the air. Fan will run, but shuts off quickly after starting. Is there any suggests of things that I can check out here. Reply
Ceil says May 22, 2017 at 11:50 am May be clogged up with hard water deposits or just guck. Pour some vinegar in the bucket and let it drain through the hose. Let it sit then do it again. Hopefully that will clear it. Reply
Mary M Thomas says July 4, 2017 at 9:24 am Our dehumidifier smells like it is overheating. What should we do Reply
Jacque Andzue says September 28, 2017 at 10:13 pm My necessities brand dehumidifier does not go now after ministrations of a 15 mnth old…any ideas what he’s touched he did pull the filter out Reply
Sandra lambrix says October 6, 2017 at 8:38 am Kenmore dry air dehumidifier turned on light flashing and it says clean cell. Cushion have it to us .we cleaned the filter Reply
Odie says October 16, 2017 at 3:33 pm I have a GE 30 paint dehumidifier should I leave the number six switch which is known as the delay off in the two are four hour range does this mean that I will have to go out and turn it on when I want it on or In the constant on .should I put it in the two hour four hour delay off ….what do you recommend . It is holding a 35° humidity percent constantly the room is a storage shed 12 x 20 Reply
Bob L. says October 17, 2017 at 4:52 pm Overfill switch doesn’t work and there are none available?Can I get one somewhere?Frigidaire FDK45P13 5/06. R-22 a little plastic switch..cheap design that you slam the door into. Reply
Nick says November 30, 2017 at 8:29 am If no stopby taking out the bucket means your switch is done ! You need a new switch Reply
sidney mowatt says December 18, 2017 at 6:29 am I purchase a Trotec 68e from Amazon in November 2016 – it was fantastic until last week then stopped working and displays FO as an error on LCD screen – have cleaned the filter but still is not working any ideas? Reply
David Wild says March 5, 2018 at 7:23 am Has anyone had issues opening the filter housing to replace the filter. My friends snapped at the top. Reply
Mark Herbig says June 29, 2018 at 7:00 am Why isn’t there any answers to all the comments above? I have similar comments on my Whirlpool Gold dehumidifer that I really like and it will not collect ater this year. Reply
Shani says July 14, 2018 at 9:54 am Same issue, dehumidifier runs without collecting a drop of water, while my tiny one run side by side is collecting water! Please answer the questions or don’t bother to ask for comments. Reply
Vicki R Woodruff says July 16, 2018 at 12:35 pm My Soleus dehumidifer displays EH. I have unplugged unit. Let set, turned back on and still same display Reply
Debra Ann Burrows says June 23, 2019 at 1:45 pm Ours shows bucket full and is bone dry. Where is the water level switch on the Soleusair, 30 pt? Reply
Gail says July 29, 2018 at 6:24 am My Garrison humidifier will not take moisture/water from air. It turns on. Reply
Ann Marie Gribosh says August 10, 2018 at 1:58 pm my dehumidifier runs constantly. I set it at 50%, but it cannot reach that. do I need a new one? Reply
Pittsburgh Mike says August 11, 2018 at 4:36 pm If your dehumidifier blows warm air, but doesn’t seem to actually collect any water, air is probably not reaching the cooling pipes. This happened to my 8 year old Delonghi DD40P. My wife was very diligent about cleaning the air filter, but it turns out that the defrosting grating behind the air filter had over time gotten completely covered with damp dust. For the DD40P, I unplugged it, removed the back (must remove the back panel first!), by removing 5 screws on the back, and two on the sides of the same piece, and then pulling from the bottom first. This exposes two screws holding the front top. Remove those, as well. There are also two screws in the front holding the front piece, and you remove those as well. At this point you can remove the front cover. Remove the filter and you’ll see the grate for the defroster. Clean it gently. Then reassemble by doing these steps in reverse: put air filter back, then front cover, and then back cover. Note that the two screws on the side of the back panel are a little longer than the others, so be sure to put them in the right spot. Reply
Ruby says November 17, 2018 at 9:43 pm The design of the water bucket is such that one cannot get a hand or a brush in it to scrub the walls. There is no way to remove any mold growing there. Reply
Ruby says November 17, 2018 at 10:52 pm Every dehumidifier I’ve ever bought had a very strangely shaped water tank with lots of tabs and corners. It is impossible to get a brush, or even my hand, into the water tank to clean it. IF there is any mold, I have no way to remove it. j Does anyone have a way to clean the tank or know of a dehumidifier brand that has an easy to clean tank? Reply
K T Dudley says December 4, 2018 at 6:37 am My AMOCO dehumidifier isn’t drawing water out of the atmosphere every seems to be working ok,any suggestions Reply
Kathy Rumbolt says November 27, 2019 at 7:37 pm I have a Classic dehumidifier from Home Hrdware and it hasbeen showing an error code AS and it doesn’t correct itself by unplugging it. Any suggestions? Filter clean etc Reply
CompactAppliance.com says July 17, 2020 at 5:58 pm We suggest referencing the user manual your dehumidifier came with to determine the exact nature of your error code. Barring that, perhaps giving the manufacturer a call could yield results. Reply
Winnie says July 9, 2020 at 11:08 pm I have a winix the water goes all over the floor, can I fix it so it doesn’t have water leaking Reply
CompactAppliance.com says July 17, 2020 at 8:10 pm We would recommend checking any troubleshooting guide that your model comes with to see if this is a common problem with the model that the manufacturer already addresses. Alternately, placing the dehumidifier in a water-resistant tray or lid of some kind to catch any excess or leaking water may also be a solution. Reply