Brand New from Menards, doesn't take any water out of the air

Yes, the first suggestion is I hope your dad can get it back together without any parts left over (LOL). Over heating is generally caused by an clogged or dirty air intake filter. Simply removing it and vacuuming it or if it's really dirty, washing it in warm water and mild dish washing liquid will clean it. Rinse it thoroughly, shake off excess water and allow to dry completely. Never operate the unit without the filter in place. Doing so, can damage the unit.

Getting back to the heat for a moment and where you're using your dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers do generate heat, it's not abnormal. Operating it in a basement can cause it to over heat. This happens because the air temperature at floor level is colder than at shoulder level. Dehumidifiers struggle in temperatures below 65 degrees F (unless you have a Low temp unit, designed for basement applications). Raising the unit up off the floor, on to a sturdy table, counter top, etc, that an handle the weight of the unit, plus a full bucket of water, will generally resolve the problem.
Actually, a basement application , higher is better.

I hope this helped you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

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 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.

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

As I tell all the folks who report the same problem you have. There are 5 basic, but solvable reasons for what you described. Please pay particular attention to numbers 1 and 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
in basement applications level. 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 helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know. Thanks.

are they both in a central location, if your running more then 1, then they have to be. If not then 1 is working harder then the other.

Hi,
There are many reasons why a dehumidifier willnot work or collect water.
Here is a tip that I wrote to help people to figure out what is going wrongwith their dehumidifier

Dehumidifier is running but no water is in bucket

heatman101

I have a Goldstar dehumidifier, Model DH305Y6. I bought it about 5 years ago at a local Walmart. During the summer I run it in the basement, here in south-central Pa. When it was brand new it worked very well, for about 2 yrs. Then it began turning on & off very irregularly. At first I thought it was the sensor on the front of the coils. So I moved it to the lower left side of the coils, and had the same results. The other day the water heater in the basement developed a leak. About 300 gals. of water covered the floor. After sumping/wet-vac'ing down to a wet carpet, I pulled out the dehumidifier and plugged it in,(the filter was cleaned before put away last summer). It began its on/off cycling again. It runs for about 2-3 mins., then shuts off for about 5-10 mins. So, I took the On/Off switch apart and read the resistance. It read 48k, for the 50k switch. I turned the switch all the way left to all the way right and it went from 48k, down to about 8k. The two wires to the switch were attached to the #2 and #3 poles,(only 3 poles). I did some testing, then removed the wires and re-soldered them to the #1 and #3 poles. I put everything back together, and now it works. It runs constantly, but it works/runs just fine. I need to get the basement dry, so I will let it run until the job is done. In the Spring I will get a new 50k potentiometer,(on/off switch), and see if that works. I will post results if I remember to.

My brand new frigidaire 50 liter dehumidifier has been on for two days and has not collected water from my damp basement. It is on the factory settings: high fan and "CO" (continuous).

Yup, they eat energy.

An electric dehumidifier includes a refrigeration cycle that is very similar to a window AC units and refrigerators. They cool the air in the basement to condense and collect water and remove humidity, heat the air as a required consequence of the refrigeration cycle and dump it back to your basement.

Two sources of humidity in basements include warm outside air that naturally cools due to below grade earth contact and water passing from the ground though the floors and walls and evaporating into the basement. Dehumidifiers do most of the work in the summer when higher temperatures outside enable air to hold more water content.

In the winter, cooler outside air contains less moisture by weight eventhough it may be raining and the relative humidity in basement will be less because the air is warmed relative to the outside. The lower moisture content in the winter also absorbs the water passing through the walls and floor.

From an energy perspective, you may want the humidity set NOT below 50%. This will keep humidity below the level mold desires, but prevents the dehumidifier from doing more work and eating more energy than needed. A cheap battery powered temp/humidy meter left in your basement will help. Sources that include the "mold triangle" (temperature, water & food) often separate fact from expensive hype.

If the dehumidifier doesn't keep up, consider adding a moisture barrier to the basement walls and floors such as Dry-lock and floor paints to ****** moisture entry. Moisture barriers act very similar with water as insulation does with heat. They don't eliminate the need for a dehumidifier, but they reduce the work they do and energy they eat.

Mine had the same problem. Make sure the unit is tilted towards the side with the hose attached (hose side low)

With that low of a setting it will most likely be kicking in alot more often. Most people run their dehumidifiers between 60-65%. It is a matter of preference. Also some basements hold out moisture more than others. There could be alot of variables affecting this. One thing you need to make sure is that you have the correct placement. Make sure you dont keep it near the sump pump or any other standing water because those areas have more humidity due to the water being there. Also make sure it is not in an area like a laundry room because when your washing machine despenses water it is despensing moisture into the air. I try to keep it at a central location if at all possible and away from areas that have water. If you found this solution helpful please rate it when you get a chance. Thanks - Tech101