Coils froze up & had to unplug & defrost. What caused it to freeze up.

Rick. the freezing of the coils can be caused by several things:

1. Air intake filter needs to removed and cleaned.
2. The coils may be dirty. Clean the coils with warm water, wiped dry and a light coating
of WD40 applied to the coils.
3. Restricted air flow. Maintain a minimum of 12 to 18" around the entire dehumidifier while
in operation.
4. The air temperature at floor level is 40 degrees F or lower, than the ambient air temperature
at shoulder level. This is particular true in basement applications. Raising the unit up off the floor
on to a sturdy table, cabinet top, etc, that's strong enough to hold the unit, plus a full bucket of
water generally resolves the situation.

Worse case scenario is that the defrost sensor has failed or there is a small leak in the cooling coils.

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

After the unit is totally thawed and dried, turn the unit Off if you haven't already and unplug it. Remove the filter and clean it. If it's really dirty wash it with warm water and dish washing liquid, thoroughly rinse it and allow it to completely dry, before reinstalling. DO NOT operate the unit without the filter in place.

Because the air temperature in a basement is colder at floor level, than at shoulder level, this caused the coils to freeze. Dehumidifiers do not work well at temperatures at or below 60 degrees F. That is, unless, it's a Low Temperature model, designed especially for basement applications. Obviously, yours isn't a Low Temp model.

To overcome this, place the unit up on a sturdy table, counter top, etc, that can handle the weight of the unit, as well as a full bucket of water. The higher off the floor the better. This way, the ambient operational temperature will be higher and the coils will have less of chance to freeze again.

I would suggest that continue to monitor the unit and if you notice that it's doing more than a little frosting on the coils, turn the unit OFF immediately. A little frosting is normal and the deforst mode should kick in and thaw the coils. When this happens, the compressor should automatically shut OFF, but the fan will continue to run. Once it's defrosted, the compressor will start again, if necessary.

I hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know.

There are 4 basic, but solvable reason for what you described. Before undertaking any of them, Turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to OFF and unplug the unit. Allow the unit to thaw completely.

1. 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.

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

3. 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.

4. 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 defrost 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 trouble shoot and solve the problem.

Turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to OFF, unplug the unit and allow it to thaw out completely. You may want to put some old towels under it, to absorb the dripping water. Once it has completely thawed, remove the bucket, the air intake filter and the face of the cabinet. You should now have access to the coils. Clean them with a mild soap and warm water. Rinse and thoroughly dry the coils. Once they are totally dry, spray a very light film of WD40 on the coils and then wipe off any over spray. Reinstall all the remove parts and test the unit.

Keep in mind, if you are using the dehumidifier in a basement, the air temperature at floor level is colder than at chest level. Dehumidifiers don't work well between 40 & 60 degrees F. (Unless, they are a low temp unit). Any lower, the coils will freeze. Raise the unit up off the floor onto a sturdy table or counter top, that can hold the weight of the unit plus, a full tank of water. In a basement application, doing usually solves the problem of freezing coils.

If after doing all the above, the coils still freeze during operation, the compressor may below on freon and needs to be recharged. Or the defrost sensor on the unit, needs to be replaced.

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

Evan, a dirty or clogged air intake filter can cause it to freeze, as well as obstructed air flow around the unit. Maintain a minimum or 12" clear air space all around the dehumidifier. Also operating the unit in temperatures below 40 degree (F), will also cause the coils to freeze. In addition, low refrigerant in the compressor can cause the coils to freeze. In which case, recharging the gas should solve the problem, And finally, worse case scenario is that the defrost cycle sensor has failed and needs to be replaced.

If you find you need parts and/or service and don't want to tackle it yourself, go to the Danby link below and enter your Zip Code.

http://www.danby.com/locator.php?type=service

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

All most all dehumidifiers have a defrost cycle to take care of this problem. However, yours is either not working or the air intake filter is clogged, which makes the unit strain to keep up. Turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to OFF and unplug the unit, before attempting to remove the filter. Allow the unit to thaw while it's unplugged. Once it's completely thawed, plug the unit back in, turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to ON and set your controls as you normally do. Within in an hour or two, you will know if this solved the problem. Also, keep in mind, dehumidifiers are designed only to work in temperatures above 41 degrees. If it's below that where you have the unit, that will cause it to freeze up.

With all that said, what you're seeing as the Error Code is in fact, AS (the 'S' looks a lot like a 5 on the LED screen) It indicates a Sensor Failure. In your case, it's more than likely the Defrost Cycle Sensor. The Owners Manual says "Contact your local Authorized Frigidaire Service Center, if this happens. I'm hoping that cleaning the filter (if needed) and allowing the unit to reset itself (while it's OFF & Unplugged) will solve the problem. But, it may only be a band aide fix.

Hope this helped you.

Make sure the filter is clean and plenty of air comes through, when coils freeze it is usually caused by low air flow coupled with lots of humidity and low air temperature in the space to be cooled. Clean the filter, fan and gently brush all dust and debris from the intake of the cold coil and retry it. If the basement is already cool and you are trying to dehimidify you should use a dehumidifier that features defrost controls.

Condenser coils do not freeze, it is the evaporator coils that freeze. If it is icing up then the setting is too low for the area it is in, basically the humidistat will never be satisfied so it will run continually and end up freezing the evap coils, the coils could also freeze if the filter is dirty or there is an air flow problem.

Most dehumidifiers have a defrost mode in which the compressor is turned off to give time for the frozen water to melt. The freezing problem ocurrs when the unit is used in very cold weather. Check your manual to see if this unit comes with automatic defrost mode. If it does, it would appear that it is not operating correctly and you can request warranty service. If no defrost mode is available, then your only option is to heat up the room in order to use the dehumidifer within its limit of operation. Some units can operate as low as 36 F, but most units cannot go that low. Find out what your unit's specs are from the manufacturers web site.

You prob do have a restriction in the sealed system. This causes the coils to not heat enough to stay defrosted. 68 degrees i believe is the minimum so if its 70 its def got a issues with the coils not staying hot enough to stay defrosted. This will most likely require replacement. Especially if you have cleaned coils and still freezes. Try it in different room. If persists most likely a sealed restriction. Replace.