Top of coil is freezing up and unit is not working to pull moisture out. Unit is two years old and coil is clean and filter looks brand new. Should I just throw it in the dumpster or is it worth fixing?
Dan, it may be a case, that the ambient air temperature at floor level is between 40 & 60 Degrees F. This is particularly true in basement applications. Raising it up off the floor onto a sturdy table or counter to, that can handle the weight of the unit, plus a full tank of water, should help.
Also, if there is not enough clear air space around the unit while in operation, it will not work as it should. Maintain a minimum of at least 12" of clear air space around the entire unit.
It would be unusual, but the compressor may be low on R14 Refrigerant Gas. I say unusual, because your dehumidifier is only 2 years old. The more likely cause, would be that the Defrost Sensor has failed, thereby allowing the coil to freeze over.
But, before you throw it in the dumpster (which by the way is illegal, due to the freon gas), Turn the master ON/OFF Switch to OFF. Unplug the unit and allow it to thaw completely, before trying to do anything else to it.You may want to put some old towels under it, to catch any dripping water.
Once the unit has thawed completely and you have reassembled anything you may have removed, Take the unit into the bathroom, turn the shower on hot enough to generate steam. Plug the unit in, turn it on and set the humidity extraction level at 32%. Do not tunr on the bathroom exhaust fan (if you have one) and close any windows in the bathroom. As you exit the bathroom close the door and wait 15 - 20 minutes before returning. Once you do, turn the shower OFF and allow the unit to run an additional 5 minutes. Then check the bucket for signs of water. If you find some, the unit is now working as it should.
If you find no signs of water, the problem lies in what I described above. It can be repaired, but the cost may be almost as high as buying a new unit. Unless, you can do it yourself.
Hope all this helped you. Please let me know. Thanks.
I understand how the units work. The problem is my other dehumidifier isn't pulling enough water so I bought the Aprilaire 1710A free standing dehumidifier and I'm having trouble getting it to run the test setup. I found out I need to put water in the trap for the initial test run which I don't understand why this is necessary but I'll do that and see if it works.
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