20 Most Recent Maytag M3DH30B2A Dehumidifier - Page 5 Questions & Answers

It sounds as if the fan motor is running, but the compressor is not.

you cant change to a different gas without changing the compressor oil...they have different properties that dont mix with other gasses... in some cases the compressor also needs changing

spray viniger on the mould... hose off after 20 minutes... avoide getting any electricals wet... cover them if possible

Possible cause it's out of gas.

you might have to get a refridgeration mechanic to regas it, or/and fix any gas leaks

Did you vacuum out the filter on the side of the unit. It slides out?

have the sealed system looked at for a sealed system leak

Mine broke recently too, although it's 4 and a half -- also under the 5 year warranty.  Maytag won't honor the warranty claiming that Fedders made it.  Fedders simply won't honor the warranty.  Made in China -- any surprise?  So, now I've got a broken appliance under a warranty that no one will honor.  To make matters worse, no one even fixes Fedders in my area (DC suburbs) and to dispose of it will cost me $40!  I'm thinking of taking it back to Home Depot (where I bought it) and telling them to return it to the manufacturer.  Are there any lawyers out there?  Class action anyone?

I taped down the float in the container so that the unit would not shut off when the conainer filled up. The water now is going through the drainage bypass .

Hi, Firstly I would check to see if there is an air filter screen inside the machine - usually just behind the intake grille. They can be tricky to spot. If the filter screen is clogged up with fluff it will prevent the machine from working properly.

Secondly, can you see any signs of ice or condensation on the cold pipes? If not, and the compressor is running - a purring or throbbing sound - your machine might have a refrigerant gas leak. You would then need to get it checked / repaired by a regrigeration engineer.

Does this help? If not please give further details and ask again. Thanks.

Hi barkas4,
I had the same problem with an Ebac machine a few years ago. I figured that it would be worth trying a new capacitor - surely only a couple of ££ or $$. So I took the machine apart - loads of screws and bits of casing everywhere - bought a new capacitor (£14 !!!) and it still wouldn't run :-(

I suspect that the failed capacitor caused the electric motor driving the compressor to cook itself while stalled. It is now in the corner of the garage where it will stay until I need the space.

It's a real shame that our tendency to buy the cheapest products has driven down manufacturers standards to the point where stuff is carefully designed to last for its warrant period plus a day.

But I digress! My machine had the capacitor (400V, 2 uF) just next to the control circuit pcb. It was a black block about 2" x 1" x1/2" with two spade terminals on it. One had broken off. As I understand it, the motor doesn't "know" which way to turn without the capacitor, so it just sits and hums and overheats.

The bottom line (this one) is that an electrician may be able to tell you that the capacitor is defective, but that may already have killed the motor.

If these suggestions do help you solve the problem, please give my reply a rating to help others judge my knowledge. If they do not, please add a comment with more details so I can try to help
you further. Cheers, D

That part is a thermal protector. If you can't find it at Radio Shack they should be able to direct you to an appropriate electronics store.

To find out if it is the switch, unplug the unit and disconnect one or both of the wire to the switch.Plug back in and see if it quits filling.
If so it is most likely the switch is bad.

If the compressor is running but no air is blowing out, then your fan motor is shot. If the fan is blowing air but you don't hear the click and vibration when you turn it on, then your compressor needs replacing. Those are the most likely culprits.

Try gently tapping the compressor a few times -use a wooden stick or similar to avoid damage -sometimes that is all that's needed. There are however many other possible reasons for a compressor not to start - most have their own fuse/controller assembly (sometimes this is very obvious inside the case, often a car spade type fuse which is worth checking visually), and there are cut-outs that will stop the compressor if it is low on gas, although usually it will start first for a few seconds if this is the case. Sorry, but the (www.maytagair.com) website is down at the moment, but try it again later and you should find their troubleshooting and support is good. Hope this helps :)

the fan motor is the cause it needs to be replaced

That's pretty normal. Most of these portable units blow quite a bit of heat.

needs to be looked at for a sealed system leak

if it is removing moisture then you need to replace the humidastat
if it is running and not removing moisture then the sealed syestem needs to be looked at

be sure that you all have the bucket fully installed against the bucket switch, to see if the switch is bad, remove the bucket and press in on the switch, if the compressor starts then the bucket is out of place if it does not start then the bucket switch needs inspection

I got it!
Just put the defrost switch away. Maybe it's out of order, and reports a wrong temperature. Or go to get a new one.