New member with dehumidifier issue. Not sure if this is the right place to be asking this question and if it's not, please let me know. I have a Danby 70 pint dehumidifier that was constantly shutting down after running a few minutes. I called Danby and the tech suggested a factory reset (turn the unit off and unplug it for an hour). Before doing that I opened the unit and cleaned a fair amount of dirt from the evaporator fins. After an hour I plugged it in and turned it on without replacing the back cover. It seems to be running fine but the surface temperature of the compressor is much too hot to touch. Is this normal? Also, I checked the plastic base under the compressor and it's orange-brown in color like it's been exposed to high heat. This company had a recall awhile back for overheating and smoking compressors but my unit wasn't included in the recall. I'm concerned about my dehumidifier overheating and catching fire. Is my concern justified? I presently have no way of measuring the surface temp of the compressor while it's running. Thanks for any help.

 

You didn’t mention whether it is now removing water from the air. My guess is that it is not.

We can see what @#12 thinks but I don’t think the compressor should get that hot. If the manufacturer won’t help you out, you’re probably out of luck. It’s just not worth paying for service on these things even if you could find someone to do the work.

 

You didn’t mention whether it is now removing water from the air. My guess is that it is not.

We can see what @#12 thinks but I don’t think the compressor should get that hot. If the manufacturer won’t help you out, you’re probably out of luck. It’s just not worth paying for service on these things even if you could find someone to do the work.

The humidity level in the basement is dropping on a very humid day here so it must be removing water. I'm trying to locate a device that will allow me to measure the surface temp of the compressor. Thanks for the help.

 

I would check the water accumulation rate with the built-in bucket or by putting your hose in a bucket. I have had dehumidifiers, including Danby per se, fail and still generate a little condensate. Getting very hot on the back side was a clear sign that the refrigerant was low or empty.

 

Most compressors run too hot to touch and I have seen factory modifications to make the compressors quit scorching the floor under a refrigerator. Usually the compressor case is the hot gas outlet side of the compressor and is used as a radiator. The cheaper the design, the lower the efficiency, the hotter the compressor. Some refrigerators have fans of 9 watts or 16 watts just to cool the compressor. Forty years ago, a sure way to spot an air conditioning pro was the burn scars on his forearms. One accidental touch on a hot Freon pipe and you were lucky if your skin didn't stick to the pipe.

As the government demanded better efficiency, the pressures went down, therefore the temperatures went down. The problem here is that there is no government regulation on dehumidifier efficiency (that I know of). The best way to evaluate a dehumidifier is to look at the water condensing coil and see if the condensate is uniform on the entire surface. Seeing 2 or 3 or 5 passes of copper with no water on them is a dead give away that some of the refrigerant has leaked out.

The compressor steals it's cooling from the refrigerant stream. When the refrigerant flow is diminished, the compressor gets hotter for a while. When all the Freon is gone, it gets cooler because it isn't compressing anything, but it still runs hot because the heat of the motor isn't going anywhere except radiating to the compressor case.

Hot case doesn't mean much. Try to understand the Freon flow. A uniform cold coil condensate is the best method.
Other than that, knowing the expected amps and measuring the actual compressor amps or being so familiar with the machines that you can tell by the sound that the compressor is running unloaded. When I came over the last hill into Las Vegas, I could tell the temperature by the sound of the thousands of air conditioners. Normal people can't do that. That probably includes halmor.

 

The best way to evaluate a dehumidifier is to look at the water condensing coil and see if the condensate is uniform on the entire surface. Seeing 2 or 3 or 5 passes of copper with no water on them is a dead give away that some of the refrigerant has leaked out.

I'll add that a frozen section is also a sign of likely low freon. The remaining freon is evaporating at a lower pressure and thus lower temperature. Coils can freeze for other reasons but where I live, I've never seen it except when a dehumidifier is in its death throes.

The bad news is that there is no practical way to replace the lost freon.

 

I'll add that a frozen section is also a sign of likely low freon. The remaining freon is evaporating at a lower pressure and thus lower temperature. Coils can freeze for other reasons but where I live, I've never seen it except when a dehumidifier is in its death throes.

The bad news is that there is no practical way to replace the lost freon.

Thanks guys for this very knowledgeable information. Running fine was too good to be true. The dehumidifier is now shutting down with the compressor running for about a half hour. Strangely, when I remove the bucket that normally catches the condensate (which I'm not using for that purpose -- I'm using a gravity drain), and reinsert it, the unit starts up and the compressor comes on. Is the unit shutting down from overheating? And, why does removing the basket and reinserting it cause the unit to start up again and repeat the process (running for about a half hour and then shutting down)? I'm starting to think the next best step is to replace the dehumidifier.

 

Thanks guys for this very knowledgeable information. Running fine was too good to be true. The dehumidifier is now shutting down with the compressor running for about a half hour. Strangely, when I remove the bucket that normally catches the condensate (which I'm not using for that purpose -- I'm using a gravity drain), and reinsert it, the unit starts up and the compressor comes on. Is the unit shutting down from overheating? And, why does removing the basket and reinserting it cause the unit to start up again and repeat the process (running for about a half hour and then shutting down)? I'm starting to think the next best step is to replace the dehumidifier.

It runs a full half hour without making much condensate? The sad bottom line is that, whatever the cause, this is probably a dead dehumidifier. Can you see the coils, the ones that see incoming air? The exit coil will not usually be wet or frozen but the incoming coil can be. But it's sort of moot. There's no practical repair for these things so once they fail, that's it. I got pissed off and bought a small air conditioner instead - they are apparently far more durable. So far so good.

 

I'll add that a frozen section is also a sign of likely low freon.

Thanks for reminding me. A short frozen section usually happens in refrigerators and small air conditioners. I work on large air conditioners so much that I forget how the small ones act until I see one acting up. Yes, a dehumidifier could frost because it's down in the, "below 500 watt" range but I've never seen one frost. I always seem to get them when they are completely without Freon. The principle that remains is, part of the cold coil is not like the rest of the cold coil. Frosted, or dry, some of this and some of that means the refrigerant has escaped.

I got pissed off and bought a small air conditioner instead - they are apparently far more durable.

A small air conditioner with the fan on low speed makes a good dehumidifier. The slower the air flows (within limits), the more time the water has to condense on the cold coil. It's called Sensible Heat Ratio and altering the air flow is how it's controlled.

 

...a dehumidifier could frost because it's down in the, "below 500 watt" range but I've never seen one frost. I always seem to get them when they are completely without Freon.

The last couple to fail on me would cake with ice from the bottom (where the freon enters the coil) upwards until the ice reached the probe, and then it would shut off until the ice melted. There was only ice below and dry coil above, no "wet" area.

The principle that remains is, part of the cold coil is not like the rest of the cold coil. Frosted, or dry, some of this and some of that means the refrigerant has escaped.

A good rule of thumb.

A small air conditioner with the fan on low speed makes a good dehumidifier. The slower the air flows (within limits), the more time the water has to condense on the cold coil. It's called Sensible Heat Ratio and altering the air flow is how it's controlled.

Yup, my experiment continues with thumbs up. The one I got was simply too small, in retrospect, but otherwise is doing its job well.

 

Thanks for reminding me. A short frozen section usually happens in refrigerators and small air conditioners. I work on large air conditioners so much that I forget how the small ones act until I see one acting up. Yes, a dehumidifier could frost because it's down in the, "below 500 watt" range but I've never seen one frost. I always seem to get them when they are completely without Freon. The principle that remains is, part of the cold coil is not like the rest of the cold coil. Frosted, or dry, some of this and some of that means the refrigerant has escaped.

A small air conditioner with the fan on low speed makes a good dehumidifier. The slower the air flows (within limits), the more time the water has to condense on the cold coil. It's called Sensible Heat Ratio and altering the air flow is how it's controlled.

 

Thanks for reminding me. A short frozen section usually happens in refrigerators and small air conditioners. I work on large air conditioners so much that I forget how the small ones act until I see one acting up. Yes, a dehumidifier could frost because it's down in the, "below 500 watt" range but I've never seen one frost. I always seem to get them when they are completely without Freon. The principle that remains is, part of the cold coil is not like the rest of the cold coil. Frosted, or dry, some of this and some of that means the refrigerant has escaped.

A small air conditioner with the fan on low speed makes a good dehumidifier. The slower the air flows (within limits), the more time the water has to condense on the cold coil. It's called Sensible Heat Ratio and altering the air flow is how it's controlled.

 

What size air conditioner would you recommend for a slightly larger than average basement?

 

What size air conditioner would you recommend for a slightly larger than average basement?

Take a look at https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/dehumidifier-that-doesnt.103209/

I got the smallest A/C I could find, it was either 5,000 or 6,000 BTU and it removes about 30 pints per day. The dehumidifier it replaced was a 50ppd unit, and the difference is notable. The little A/C just can’t keep up as well in the muggy months. Still, it keeps the RH below 45% or so.

 

Take a look at https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/dehumidifier-that-doesnt.103209/

I got the smallest A/C I could find, it was either 5,000 or 6,000 BTU and it removes about 30 pints per day. The dehumidifier it replaced was a 50ppd unit, and the difference is notable. The little A/C just can’t keep up as well in the muggy months. Still, it keeps the RH below 45% or so.

 

The A/C in lieu of a dehumidifier sounds like a great idea. My only concern is how to dispose of the condensate. The dehumidifier





I coming around to thinking an A/C is the way to go. My only concern is this: Unlike a dehumidifier, an A/C does not have a hose connection to carry off the condensate. What have you rigged up to dispose of the condensate?

 

1) Never buy an air conditioner smaller than 6000 BTUs. Anything smaller than that has trouble with accurate metering of the refrigerant.
2) All air conditioners pee. Window shakers pee out the back. That's where you place your drain, whether it be bucket, hose, or a hole in the floor. If you want to get inside them, the front condensate pan usually has a short piece of hose going to the rear condensate pan. Attach to that for a more convenient water exit.
3) All dehumidifiers and all air conditioners create heat. The air conditioner has the option of discharging the heat outside the building. The dehumidifier doesn't.
4) There are no basements in Florida. I've never done the math on that. Believe wayneh for this one. He lives where they have basements.

 

1) Never buy an air conditioner smaller than 6000 BTUs. Anything smaller than that has trouble with accurate metering of the refrigerant.
2) All air conditioners pee. Window shakers pee out the back. That's where you place your drain, whether it be bucket, hose, or a hole in the floor. If you want to get inside them, the front condensate pan usually has a short piece of hose going to the rear condensate pan. Attach to that for a more convenient water exit.
3) All dehumidifiers and all air conditioners create heat. The air conditioner has the option of discharging the heat outside the building. The dehumidifier doesn't.
4) There are no basements in Florida. I've never done the math on that. Believe wayneh for this one. He lives where they have basements.

Thanks for the help!

 

Thanks for the help!

If you follow my tale in the link, I included details of how I dealt with the water. I had to drill a hole in my brand shiny new A/C!