Unit no longer removes water/humidity from air. The filter had been extremly clogged up (now clean) but is fan suppossed to move when it's running ? If so - is it electric or belt driven ? Is there something more I should be looking at ?

John, there are 5 basic, yet 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.

Prt of the problem may be a dirty or clogged air intake filter.

Turn the unit OFF and unplug, it before removing the filter to check and clean it.
You can ether vacuum it or if it's really dirty & clogged, wash it in warm water and mild dish washing liquid. Rinse thoroughly, shake off access water and allow it to dry completely, before reinstalling it.
Never operate the unit without the filter in place. As this could damage the unit.

Plug the unit back in and turn it ON. Try lowering the humidity extraction level now, using the arrow down button. For a very damp, humid basement application 35% is a good setting to start with for several days.

Hope this helped you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

There are 5 basic, yet 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%. If you have an analog unit
(no LED screen), set the humidity extraction knob to Maximum.

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 I was able to help you troubleshoot and solve the problem. Thanks for choosing FixYa.

Freon (which is no longer used) may be the problem. However there are 5 other things that can cause the problem. And they are all solvable. Pay particular attention to 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 to further troubleshoot and solve the problem.

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
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.

Hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem.

The fan, generally only operates when the compressor is running and then for a short period there after. A lot of this depends on which humidity extraction level the humidifier is set on. If it's set high (50%+), it's not going to do much extraction at all. However, if it's set on 32-35%, it's really going to run and extract humidity/moisture. In the case of your unit, which has a mechanical control, rather than electronic control , The control knob should be set on Maximum.

In addition, if you haven't checked and or cleaned the air intake filter recently, please do so. A dirty or clogged air filter will affect the operation of the dehumidifier. Also, place of the unit is very improtant. You must maintain a minimum of 12" clear air space around the entire unit. And be sure to keep it away from heat generating appliances.

In you want to do an in home test to see if it's work properly. Do the following:

1. Place the unit in the bathroom, plug it in, turn it ON and set the humidity extraction level at Maximum.

2. Turn the shower on hot enough to generate steam. Close the window(s) in the bathroom and Do Not turn on the exhaust fan As you exit the bathroom close the door.

3. Wait 15 - 20 minutes before returning to the bathroom and opening the door. Turn the shower OFF and allow the dehumidifier to run an additional 10 minutes. Then check the bucket for any signs of water. If you find some, the unit is working as it should. If you don't find any water, the humidity sensor may have failed or the compressor needs to be recharged with refrigerant gas.

Hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know. Thanks.

A couple of things may be happening: The humidity extraction level may be set to high and it can't extract any humidity at that level. Reset/Lower it to 35%. The fans on most dehumidifiers run almost constantly (designed that way) so that it keeps moving the air around. If the sensor picks up a higher humidity level than what it's set to maintain, the compressor will turn ON. This is particularly true, if you operate the unit in continual mode, rather than a timed mode. Also, a dirty or clogged air intake filter, hinders the units ability to remove humidity/moisture.

In addition, operating the unit is ambient air temperature of between 40 & 60 degrees F, causes the unit to struggle to dehumidify the air and the fan to run continuously. Obstructing the air flow around the unit, will also cause it to not function as it should. Maintain a minimum of 12" of free air space around all 4 sides of the unit.

Hope this helps you troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know.

Rather than have you disassemble the cabinet to get to the coils, I want you to do an "At Home Test".

Move the dehumidifier to a bathroom that has a shower. Plug it in, Turn it ON and set the humidity level at 30%. Turn the shower on to medium hot (enough to generate some steam. Do Not turn On the bathroom exhaust fan. As you leave the bathroom close the door. Wait 15 minutes and return to the bathroom. Turn the shower OFF and inspect the unit's water collection bucket for water. If you find any, the unit is working as it should. If you don't find any water, it may be that the humidity sensor has failed or the air intake filter is clogged. In which case, remove the filter and clean it. If it's the sensor, unless you are really DIY savy, I'd recommend buying a new dehumidifier. As finding the part (your unit was made by Fedders), the cost of the part and the labor involved, to me, out ways repairing it.

Now, on the positive side ... If you saw water in the bucket after the bathroom test. It may simply be, that at this time, there is not enough humidity in the room air (even at 30%) to trigger the sensor. If the unit is in a basement, the air temp (60 degrees or lower) will affect it. As the temperature at floor level (where the unit is) is 5 to 8 degrees colder than the air temperature. Dehumidifiers don't work well in cold temperatures.

Hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know. Thanks.

It very well maybe, that you have the humidity removal set to high and it's not sensing any humidity to remove. For example, if you have it set on 65 - 70%, that's not how much humidity it's going to remove. It's the level of humidity it's going to maintain in your home. To remove moisture/humidity, the setting should be low, like 45%. As far as the fan running ... many units are designed that way, in an effort to help keep the air circulating and also to defrost the cools.

If you want to test the unit, to see if it's working properly. Place the dehumidifier in the bathroom and set it at 50%. Turn the shower ON and let it run for 20 minutes with the bathroom door closed and without the exhaust fan running. And check on it after 20 minutes. More than likely, there' will be water in the bucket.

Also, there's routine maintenance that should be performed regularly. Clean the air intake filter, clean and wipe off the the compressor coolant coils, and check for clogs in the drain line of the unit.

Hope this helps you troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know. Thanks.

Keep in mind, that a dehumidifier only draws humidity from the air, if the level of humidity is higher than what the controls are set on. For instance, if you have the dehumidifier set on 65 to 70%, that's a high level of humidity to maintain in a house. If you have it set for 35 or 45%, that's a low level of humidity to maintain in a house. Which, generally is what you want to maintain in the hot, humid summer months. Also, it's not uncommon on some dehumidifiers for the fan to almost run constantly. It's designed to keep the air moving, in a effort to detect when the humidity level rises.

Also, a dirty air intake filter makes the unit strain to keep up and can't take in moisture as it should. So, if you haven't cleaned the filter no is the time to check and clean it. And while your at it, clean the cooling coils too. Since it sounds like this unit has been working hard for 2 weeks.

The easiest and best way to test a dehumidifier at home, to see if it's working properly. Is to place it in the bathroom and turn the shower ON and don't operate the bathroom's exhaust fan. Set the humidity level low (45%), turn the unit ON and close the door when you leave. Wait 15 to 25 minutes and check the water collection bucket. If there's water in it, it's working as it should.

For more information on the proper operation of a dehumidifier, go to the Tips section of Fixya and look up "Taking the confusion out operating a dehumidifier".

Hope all this helps you troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know. Thanks.