20 Most Recent Whirlpool AD70USS Dehumidifier - Page 8 Questions & Answers

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

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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

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,
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

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If you are having problems with your dehumidifier freezing up them here are a few things that you can check and also a few things that may help you.

First check the ambient temperature of the room at the level of the dehumidifier. If it is below 65 degrees and you do not have a special low temperature dehumidifier then you are asking for trouble. Most units are only designed to work in temperature 65 or higher and will freeze if they are working at lower temperatures. Some even will not work well below 68 degrees F.

The dehumidifier will shut off when the coil starts to freeze to let them thaw, then they will restart when the coil is warm enough again. This can take an hour or so. Some will not shut down the compressor and when the dehumidifier coil starts to freeze it reduces the air flow and only compounds the problem.

Check the air flow over the coil. If the coil becomes dirty or the fan motor stops or even slows down a bit, you will get freezing. The dehumidifier is very dependent upon the proper amount of air going over the coil to keep the coil warm enough to not freeze. Any restriction will cause problems.

The final and worst thing that can happen is for your dehumidification unit is to develop a slight leak in the refrigeration system. This will cause the coils to run even colder then they would normally and this will create the same problems. If everything else check out then you may have to have the refrigeration system checked by a professional. The problem with this is that many of these units only cost a few hundred dollars and a service call can soon add up to more then the unit is worth.

Some things that you can do to help out a dehumidifier that is freezing up are:

Raise the temperature of the room and provide a bit of heat for the room as the dehumidifier is actually a very small A/C unit.
Raise the dehumidifier up off of the floor? the air is usually warmer when you go higher up in the room, hot air rises.
Clean the coils off so that the air can flow through them easier and keep them warmer.
Make sure that the fan motor bearings are oiled and that the fan is running freely. Even a tiny bit of resistance will slow the fan enough to make a difference.


By checking all these things out and making some small changes you maybe able to make your dehumidifier work much more effectively.

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

Sonia, There are 5 basic, but solvable reasons for what you described. Please pay particular attention to number 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
cleaning 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.

Hope this helps you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

Gayle, your unit has some age on it, but it may still be salvageable .

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%. Or set to Maximum if yours
is a manually controlled unit.

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. As far as repairs are concerned: The unit is 14 - 16 years old and the cost to repair, may be as much (or close to it) as purchasing a new unit. If you decide to purchase a new unit, be sure it's a "Low Temperature" model, as yours is being used primarily in a basement application.

I hope I have helped you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

Mike, 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 helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know. Thanks.

Despite it being new, it sounds like either the hose is clogged or to long (no more than 5 feet in length) or is kinked. The other may be, that the hose connection on the dehumidifier is clogged.

After checking the hose for clogs and length and finding nothing. The clog is in the hose connection tubing. To remove the clog do the following.

Turn the unit OFF and unplug it. Using an 18" long plastic Zip Tie or something similar (NO wire coat hangers, though, carefully insert the Zip Tie into the hose connector tubing, Continue to push it in, until you reach a bend in the tubing. You will gingerly have to work the Zip Tie past this bend, until the Zip Tie either bottoms out or you run out of usable Zip Tie. Then pull the Zip Tie out slowly, while rotating (twisting) it. This will dislodge any clogs. As you reach the inserted end, be prepared for some water to follow.

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

A direct short in the system most likely the fan or compressor.

Clean out the unit first. In cleaning the unit you take the opportunity to inspect the internal. In some cases just cleaning it solves the issue. If cleaning the unit does not solve the problem and no physical damages found then there may be an issue with the refrigeration system. You would need a qualified technician to take a look at this one.

You've done all the right things, except you couldn't get down in the hose connect tube far enough.

Use an 18" plastic Zip Tie, that will fit into the opening. Insert it until you reach a bend in the tubing. You need to gingerly work it past this bend and continue to push it in, until the Zip Tie bottoms out or you run out of usable Zip Tie. Slowly pull the Zip Tie out as you rotate (twist) it. This will break up the clog. As you reach the end of the Zip Tie coming back out, be prepared for some water to follow.
CAUTION: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS THE MASTER ON/OFF SWITCH IS OFF AND THE UNIT IS UNPLUGGED.

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

I would say you have two choices. Pay a high service charge or buy a new one.It sounds to me like the compressor is not working and could easily cost more to replace or repair than to buy new,Sorry I'm not more help. Thank you

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

First of all, here is a direct link to the ONLINE USER'S MANUAL for that model:

http://www.kitchenaid.ca/assets/pdfs/literature/Use%20and%20Care%20Guide%20-%201317161.pdf

If that is not your model then just specify which one is yours from the following Canadian Tire link:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/1/HeatingAirConditioning/Dehumidifiers.jsp


To view the Owner's Manual with Operating Instructions or the catalog page just use your mouse to click on the link, which is the underlined and highlighted text just above. This will open a new web browser page automatically for you and allow you to view the information at the website indicated and the contents of the Owner's Manual.

You may need ADOBE READER installed on your computer to read PDF documents.
You can download this free at WWW.ADOBE.COM if necessary.
Click on the DOWNLOAD ADOBE READER button on right side of the ADOBE home page when you get there, then follow the onscreen instructions to install the software on your computer.

Check to make sure your drain hose connector plug is properly fitted. If this is loose or missing, then some of the condensate will drain out onto the floor. See page 6 of the manual for detailed instructions and illustrations about the drain hose connector and the plug.

Please comment back here to this page if you have any details to add, have any questions, have difficulty accessing the links, or just require further general assistance and I will respond as soon as I see it.

I hope that was helpful to you, good luck.

If you choose to rate this solution using the Thumbs Up scale provided, I thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Joe.

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

';

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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

;'
;'
';;
'';

Obviously, there is an electrical short within the unit. Should it be repaired? Yes, if you want continue using it. But, is the cost of troubleshooting, finding the necessary part and repairing it worth it? Most of the time, the cost to repair a dehumidifier is about the same, as what a new one would cost. Now, if purchased an extended warranty, when you originally bought the unit 4 years ago, then you're probably covered for the repair.

In the end, the decision is yours to make.