Comfort-Aire BHD-501 Dehumidifier - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

units loose there efficiency over time , five years is a pretty good time for it to work

No, a dehumidifier takes water out of the air where it's placed. If it's very humid in the air, you should have a tank full of water after a few hours.

Are you much of a handyman? Most folks set their dehumidifier on a counter or elevated and run the exhaust tubing right into a sink or toilet. You could collect the water to flush a toilet or water the grass if you are handy. I've never seen anyone connect directly to a drain though.

There's usually a piece or tubing that hangs down into the tank and you need to pull your tank past this when removing it to drain your dehumidifier. Are you lifting from the top or bottom? Try the opposite of what you are doing. Sorry I don't know your model specifically, but often there's an outlet or cap at the bottom of the tank that can have a plastic piece of aquarium type tubing hooked to it. This way if you can elevate the whole dehumidifier, say on a counter, the water can just drain into a sink or if you're a real conserver into a storage tank to use to flush your toilet or water your grass.

No power, no error code equals a dead dehumidifier. Far too costly to repair. I recommend putting those repair bucks towards a replacement dehumidifier. Frigidaire units are highly rated.

test the voltage at terminal of the fan, if there are according to the plate name of the fan, the FAN is faulty, replace it.God bless you

Look on the internet for the make and model they might show you how to do that.

I have a Comfortaire BHD501 dehumidifier. A couple weeks ago I noticed ice building up on top of the unit,so I unplugged it to defrost. I plugged it back in and it worked until I noticed the "CH" "01" code. It would run a few seconds then shut off with that code showing. I took off the front of the unit and noticed rust on some of the metal parts. Then I took the cover off the circuit board for the front read out. I noticed corrosion on some of the solder points. When I looked closer at the plastic cover for the circuit board I noticed a small burn mark. The water from the melting ice must have run behind the cover and shorted out the circuitboard. At this point I don't know if new boards are available.

Hi,

Here is a tip that I wrote that will help you understand why and what you cando with a dehumidifier that ices up.

Dehumidifier is Freezing up and not working

heatman101

What is your humidistat set at? Could you be trying to get to too low a humidity? Try to determine what the humidity is and set the stat just below that. In that way, once it reaches the setpoint, it will cycle off, allowing the coils to warm up.
If that works, lower the setting a bit more & see results.
Write back.

Gary

Hi,

Here is a tip that explains what can be happening to make the dehumidifier showthat the bucket is full when it is not.

Dehumidifier Problem It shows Bucket Full

heatman101

Hi,

Here is a tip that I wrote that will help you understand why and what you cando with a dehumidifier that ices up.

Dehumidifier is Freezing up and not working

heatman101

It may just be the fan running and not the compressor. Some unit's are designed that way, so that air is constantly moving and when the humidity level rises above what you have it set on, the compressor will automatically turn ON and remove that moisture. Wants it's back to where you have its set, the compressor will turn OFF. Check your Owner's Manual to see if your model has that feature.

Hope this helped you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

The dripping sound, if it's water dripping into the water collection bucket is normal. The filter is behind the louvers on the front. It can be accessed(depending on the model) by turning the unit OFF, unplugging it and removing the water bucket. Inside the water bucket holder at the top of it's opening, just behind the louvers, you will see a plastic tab(s) pull handle. If the filter has never been removed to be cleaned (shame on you), there may be a piece of plastic tape holding it in place. This was for shipping purposes. Remove it and discard it. Pull the tab handle(s) straight down and the filter and frame should come out. It may be snug, since you have never removed it, so be gently persistent . Since it has never been cleaned in 2 years, vacuuming it will not work. Wash it in warm water and mild dish washing liquid, rinse thoroughly and allow to completely dry, before reinstalling. NEVER operate the unit without the filter in place. As it cause damage to the unit.

If the filter was not where I said to first look. There may be a flip open type rectangular door on the right side of the unit, just behind the front louvers. Ope that door and you will see the plastic filter frame. Pull that straight out and follow the instructions above to clean it.

I hope this helped you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

Matt, There are 5 basic, yet solvable reasons for what you described. Please pay particular attention to numbers 1& 2.

1. The humidity extraction level is set to HIGH. Lower it to 32-35%.

2. Air intake filter is dirty or clogged. Turn unit OFF, & Unplug the
Unit, before removing to inspect & clean it, if necessary. If washed,
allow filter to completely dry before reinstalling. DO NOT operate
the unit without the filter.

3. Obstructed air flow. Maintain a minimum of 12 to 18" of clear air
space around the entire unit.

4. Cooling coils are dirty and need to be cleaned. Use warm water & dish washing liquid to
clean the coils. Rinse and wipe dry. Apply a light coating of WD40 to the coils.

5. Ambient air temperature at floor level is between 40 - 60 degrees.
dehumidifiers do not work well between those temperatures
(Unless, you have a Low Temp Unit). This applies mainly to
where the air temperature at floor level is colder than at shoulder level
in basement application. Raising the unit up off the floor,
onto a sturdy table, counter top, etc, that can handle the weight
of the unit, plus a full tank of water, will usually resolve this
problem.

If none of the above solves the problem, it may be a case of the compressor needs to be recharged with refrigerant gas or that the humidity condenser sensor has failed. These things usually occur in units that are 5 years old or older. It's rare in a unit younger than that. But, it can happen.

I hope this helps you to troubleshoot & solve the problem. Thnaks for choosing FixYa.

There is no fuse or reset button on your unit.

First, be sure that the water collection bucket is installed properly in the holder. Also, check the top of the bucket for a float valve when you remove it, to reinstall it.

The float valve is in the top of the bucket and may be stuck in the UP position. Therefore, the unit will not start. If you find this (not all units have them), jiggle the float valve arm to get it to return to the DOWN position.

When you reinstall the bucket, be sure that it fits "squarely" into the bucket holder from top to bottom. The bottom of the bucket should not tilt down at all.

NOTE: Before attempting any of the above, turn the unit OFF & Unplug it.

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

There are 5 basic, but solvable reason for what you described. Please pay particular attention to numbers 1 & 2.

1. The humidity extraction level is set to HIGH. Lower it to 32-35%.

2. Air intake filter is dirty or clogged. Turn unit OFF, & Unplug the
Unit, before removing to inspect & clean it, if necessary. If washed,
allow filter to completely dry before reinstalling. DO NOT operate
the unit without the filter.

3. Obstructed air flow. Maintain a minimum of 12 to 18" of clear air
space around the entire unit.

4. Cooling coils are dirty and need to be cleaned. Use warm water & dish washing liquid to
clean the coils. Rinse and wipe dry. Apply a light coating of WD40 to the coils.

5. Ambient air temperature at floor level is between 40 - 60 degrees.
dehumidifiers do not work well between those temperatures
(Unless, you have a Low Temp Unit). This applies mainly to
where the air temperature at floor level is colder than at shoulder level
in basement applications . Raising the unit up off the floor,
onto a sturdy table, counter top, etc, that can handle the weight
of the unit, plus a full tank of water, will usually resolve this
problem.

If none of the above solves the problem, it may be a case of the compressor needs to be recharged with refrigerant gas or that the humidity condenser sensor has failed. These things usually occur in units that are 5 years old or older. It's rare in a unit younger than that. But, it can happen.

Hope this helps you to troubleshoot & solve the problem. Thanks for choosing FixYa.

The following is a link to the Owners/Service Manual for your model dehumidifier. To see how to dismantle it, see page 10 Dis-assembly Instructions. You can download and print this manual for future reference.

http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/content/pdfs/116979-8.pdf

Hope this helped you. Please let me know. Thanks.

The best thing you can do, is file a claim with your Home Owner's Insurance company. More than likely, the circuit board and the control panel are fried. Probably the motor too. It's not worth repairing.

Hi,

Here is a tip that explains what can be happening to make the dehumidifier showthat the bucket is full when it is not.

Dehumidifier Problem It shows Bucket Full

heatman101