Top 20 Comfort-Aire BHD-301 Dehumidifier Questions & Answers

Try pulling the grill off and see if the fan blade is rubbing on something. Check if anything else is loose while you have the cover off..

Well, sounds like you have a good cold section in the dehumidifier-- that is good!-- But I agree-- we don't want water condensing on the surface-- and we surely don't need it turning to ice! A couple questions to help us get to the next level of trouble shooting this problem: 1.) How cold is the room you are running the dehumidifier in? (Obviously-- the warmer a room is, the easier to remove moisture-- the colder the room, the easier to drop the air temperature well below the freezing point-- making ice.) 2.) Have the air filters been cleaned/changed recently? A dehumidifier needs a steady fast moving supply of air across its whole condenser/evaporator surface, in order to remove the maximum amount of water from the air, and not freeze up. (I would winder if something isn't blocking the flow of air toward the top of the coil?-- so that the coil in that area is going well below freezing temperatures, and thus allowing water (or ICE!) to develop near the top of the coil?-- Can you check air flow for us? 3.) You have suggested a good solution,-- especially if the above problems can not be easily corrected: Turn off the unit every few hours, and allow the warmth of the room, to defrost the coil.... In fact-- just to make sure that the air flow is not being restricted by ice deep within the coil-- let it stay off over night-- or bring the dehumidifier into a much warmer room, to make sure no ice is still blocking air flow deep within the coil.. Let us know what you learn about air flow, and get back with us-- THen maybe we need to take the trouble shooting deeper insicde the device. I hope this helps-- MB

Glad to hear that cleaning the filter got us to the next step-- Congrats on the progress! Now Tell me more about what you mean by: ..." THe compressor doesn't seem to engage." If you can reach the compressor piping, you can tell if the compressor is 'engaging' - by noticing a drastic difference in temperature -- the outlet pipe-- usually near the top of the compressor can-- / -- and the inlet pipr -- usually further down the side or near the bottom of the compressor. THe Discharge pipe can get VERY HOT at the top, and the Suction pipe at the lower level can get VERY COLD (likely close to freezing) at the inlet-- the lower pipe. Be very careful!!, if the compressor has been running a few minutes-- as the outlet pipe can burn your fingers! Anyway-- if you notice a great difference in temperature, while the compressor is running, you know that it is moving gasses thru the system-- and thus should be creating the condensing surfaces needed to cause water to be removed from the air flowing thru the coils. Please check this, and let us know what you learn.-- then maybe we need to dig deeper--- Like where is a frost (or sweat) line appearing, -- and more about air flowing details. Hope this was helpful- MB

The filter is located behind the front louvers. It can be accessed by removing the water collection bucket and looking up into the bucket holder, just behind the louvers. You should see a plastic pull tab handle, which is the filter frame. If you have never removed the filter for cleaning, it may have a piece of plastic tap, which was used for shipping. you will need to remove the tape and discard it, before pulling straight won the filter frame.

The filter can be cleaned by vacuuming it or if it's really dirty, washing it it in warm water and mild dish washing liquid. Rinse thoroughly and shake off any excess water and dry the filter completely before reinstalling it. Never operate the unit with out the air intake filter in place.

Hope I was able to help you and thanks for choosing FixYa..

If you have an analog unit the humidity extraction knob should be turned to Maximum.

If you have an LED screen, the arrow down button is what determines the amount of humidity to be removed and maintained. In this case, the lower the number does mean less humidity.

On an analog unit, it's the higher numbers that determine the lower humidity levels.

I hope this helps 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. & 5.

1. The humidity extraction level is set to HIGH. Lower it to 32-35%. If you have a mechanical unit,
set the humidity extraction knob on 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 - 65 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 helps you to trouble shoot and solve the problem. Thanks for choosing FixYa.

What is going on is that either the hose is to long (should not be more than 48" long) or it's clogged or the hose connection and it's tubing is clogged. When any of the aforementioned occurs, water is diverted to the bucket.

Turn the unit OFF & Unplug it.
Disconnect the hose and check it for a clog and it's length. If none is found, the clog is in the hose connector on the unit or in it's tubing. To clear the clog, do the following:

Using an appropriately sized, 18" long, plastic Zip Tie, carefully insert the tip of Zip Tie into the connector & tubing. Continue to push it in until you reach a bend in the tubing. You will need to gingerly work the Zip Tie past this bend, until it either bottoms out or you run out of usable Zip Tie. Then slowly pull the Zip Tie back out while rotating (twisting) it. This will breakup any clogs. As you reach the inserted end of the Zip Tie, be prepared, as some water may follow.Reconnect the hose making sure it slopes down and away from the unit, plug the unit in and turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to ON. Set the humidity extraction level to 35% or Maximum if you have a manually controlled unit. Allow the unit to run, while you monitor the hose for water flow. Keep in mind, drainage relies entirely on gravity. The water will not drain up.

NOTE: If you don't have a Zip Tie, you may use something similar ( i.e.a long pipe cleaner), but NO wire coat hangers.

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

Hi,
Yes... set the dehumidifiers up on blacks so that the hose drains downward and your problem will be solved... make sure the hose is supported so that it steadyly slopes downward and does not trap...

The outlet is very crappy and the hose does not seal well ...also make sure the hose end has a washer in it...

heatman101

If you hooked up the hose correctly, you had to remove the drain cap.

If the hose is longer than 5 feet, that's part of the problem. The hose must slope down and straight to a floor drain. It relies on gravity to drain.

Although you just purchased it, the hose connector and inner tubing may be clogged. This is another reason water is diverted to the bucket. Turn the unit OFF & unplug it.

Using an appropriately sized, 18" long, plastic Zip Tie, carefully insert the tip of Zip Tie into the hose connector and tubing. Continue to push it in until you reach a bend in the tubing. You will need to gingerly work the Zip Tie past this bend, until it either bottoms out or you run out of usable Zip Tie. Then slowly pull the Zip Tie back out while rotating (twisting) it. This will breakup any clogs. As you reach the inserted end of the Zip Tie, be prepared, as some water may follow. Reconnect the hose, plug the unit in and turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to ON. Set the humidity extraction level to 35% or Maximum if you have a manually controlled unit. Allow the unit to run, while you monitor the hose for water flow. It may take 5 to 10 minutes for water to appear.

NOTE: If you don't have a Zip Tie, you may use something similar ( i.e.a long pipe cleaner), but NO wire coat hangers.

Hope this helps you to troubleshoot & solves the problem. Thanks for choosing FixYa.

No, there's only one filter. So be sure that you reinstalled the filter properly, so that it is making contact with the filter switch. If that checks out OK, turn the unit OFF & unplug it for 15 minutes.
After the time has elapsed plug the unit in and turn it ON. Hopefully, during that timeout, the electronics reset and reverted back to the original factory settings, If so, you can now set the controls as you desire.

I hope this helped you and thanks for choosing FixYa.

Normally, the slow blinking red light, indicates that the water collection tank/bucket is full and needs to be emptied. If the bucket is NOT full, it indicates that the tank/bucket was not installed or reinstalled properly, because it did not make secure contact with the bucket removal safety switch. Removing the bucket and reinstalling it properly will normally resolve the problem. Make sure the bucket fits squarely into it's holder from top to bottom.

In case you have misplaced your Owner's Manual, I have included a link to it, that you can download and print for future reference. http://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/content/pdfs/117029-1.pdf

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

remove the bucket and check the yop of it for a Float Valve. The float my be stuck in the UP position, If so, jiggle the arm of the float to make it return to the DOWN position.

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.

I hope this helps you to troubleshoot & solve the problem. Thanks for choosing FuxYa.

It sounds like the humidity extraction level is set to high. Lower it to 35% and check the air intake filter to see if it needs cleaning.

Hi bash123er,

If you're facing these problem that your dehumidifier is not producing water and compressor is shutting off then there are few things that needed to be checked on:

1. The very common problem with most dehumidifiers is the circuit board relay. If this has gone bad then it will require replacement.

2. The compressor has already gone bad. This is the problem if you notice a buzzing sound every now and then from the system.

3. You may also have a refrigerant leak. This happens when the compressor is running but coils are not getting cold at all.

4. There will be cause of low water production if the fan is not running and the compressor does. If fan is not running then you have to replace it. This also will result frozen coil.

5. Check to see also if your coil is blocked. This will also result into no water production.Air needs to be continually moved over the cold coil to get the water out of the air.

If you're not comfortable doing the checking and repair yourself then I would recommend that you contact a repairman.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for using FixYa.

That's the water collection tube, that drains water into the bucket. What's the other other problem that makes it seem, that the dehumidifier is not to effective?

Most dehumidifiers have a defrost cycle that they run through, as needed. But, apparently, your is not functioning. Eventually, yours will stop collecting moisture, if this continues. In the interim, I would suggest turning the Master OnN/OFF Switch to OFF and unplug the unit until it thaws. While it's unplugged, remove and clean the air intake filter on the front of the unit. If it's clogged it causes the unit to strain and may cause it to ice up. Once the filter is clean and the unit is un-thawed. Plug the unit back in and turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to ON and set the controls as you normally do. Hopefully, that period of being unplugged will have allowed the unit to reset itself and work properly.

I have included a link to your Owners Manual that you can download and print for future reference.

aire.com/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=436&format=raw">http://www.comfort-
aire.com/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=436&format=raw

If the above link fails go to the following link below and click on Owner Manual, near the top of the page.

aire.com/room-air-conditioners/149-portable-dehumidifiers/122-bhd-301-g">http://www.comfort-aire.com/room-air-conditioners/149-portable-dehumidifiers/122-bhd-301-g

Hope this helps you solve the problem.

The reason for this, may be an improper humidity setting. The percentage shown on the LED screen is what the unit will maintain, not remove. In other words if it's set at 65%, that's pretty high and the humidity level in your home may be 65% at this point. If you lower it to say, 45%, the unit should turn ON and continue to run until the 45% level has been reached or the bucket becomes full and the unit turns off, because of that.

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

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

Unplug the unit and remove the water collection container. Using a flash light, look into the inside of the unit where the collection container was. There should be a plastic or rubber tube or just a hole where the water would drain into the container. Does it appear clogged? If not, carefully use a 12" long Zip Tie that will fit into the hose or the hole and carefully and slowly run the Zip Tie into it as far as you can. While rotating the Tie, pull it back out. If this area was clogged, it should dislodge the clog and the water should start draining as it should.

Hope this helped solve our problem. Please let me know.