The heat exchange coils are freezing up stopping air flow through the unit. Curious why it is freezing up. The filters and cooling fins are clean.

most units draw in the front and expel from the rear air , keeping filters clean (never run without one) is important for this function , frost on coils is a sure sign that air flow is low , or might be unit has lost [part of its gas charge due to heat build up from loss of cooling

Check the air filter. Freeze ups are often caused by low airflow across the cold coil. A dirty air filter can severely restrict air flow. Replace or wash (if a washable type) the filter and allow the dehumidifier coils to defrost completely. Reinstall the filter and be sure to locate the appliance so that air flow in and out of it is not restricted in any way (not up against a wall, behind a door, curtains, etc.) and restart.

If the unit has been run without an air filter, the cooling coil fins are probably choked with dust and dirt. They should be cleaned with a product designed expressly for this purpose such as:



Evaporator coil cleaner is available from many hardware and "big box home supply stores" such as Lowe's or Home Depot.

Use only as directed, and buy filters! it's much easier to replace filters than cleaning coils.

I hope this helps and good luck! Please rate my reply "4 thumbs up" if it was helpful. Thanks!

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.

need to check freon sounds like it low on charge.

Hi,

The coils you see on the back of your dehumidifier are the evaporator. When the unit runs, the coils get very cold. As the fan draws the room air over the coils, the humidity in the air condenses out of the air onto the cold coils. But, if the temperature of the air the fan draws over the coils is too cool, the humidity that condenses out of the air freezes on the coils.

To remedy this problem, you can try any of these:
Warm up the room the dehumidifier is in.
Put the dehumidifier on a sturdy table (the room air is coolest near the ground).
Turn the unit off until the room warms up.

Take care.

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.

either there's no moisture in the house (especially if you have an air conditioner), the coils are not cold enough, or there's no air flow across the coils. if the latter is the case, clean off the rear coils, clean off the front filter (or if no filter, the fins), and see if the fan is working. cleaning the condenser coil fins in the front would also help with it not getting cold, if that were the problem.

check the filter make sure it is clean the unit maybe a little low on freon that will cause the icing up

Most dehumidifiers need warmer air to work properly. The temperature in a basement is usually 60 - 65F; too cool for standard models. You could buy a "basement" dehumidifier. They're designed to work at lower temperatures; some as low as 40 F. Costs are about the same as a standard dehumidifier; you just have to find it.

For a cheap fix, try this; it seems to be working for me.

Since the condensate coil (the one icing up) is cold, the air entering it is too cool and the condensate frosts up the coil. Additional condensate freezes to the frost and before you know it, you've got a block of ice. Since the air coming out of the front is very warm take a large piece of cardboard around 6' x 3') and form a V. Placed it in front of the dehumidifier so it channels some of the warm air back to the rear where it warms the moist air up before it hits the cooling fins. It's helped keep the ice down.

If you want something attractive, any screen that redirects some of the air back to the rear will work. Just leave the top open so it doesn't get too hot and the some of the drier air gets out into the room.

Dehumidifiers and how they work
Heat pump dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers use a heat pump (similar to an air conditioner's heat pump) or chemical adsorbents to remove moisture from the air without cooling the air.

A heat pump dehumidifier uses a fan to draw indoor air over a heat exchange coil. The coil is almost freezing. The water in the air condenses on the coil and is drained. A second heat exchange coil reheats the air, which the dehumidifier exhausts into the room.

A heat pump dehumidifier dumps heat lost from the compressor and fan motors into the air. It returns to the indoor air the heat generated by the dehumidifier turning water vapour to liquid. I got this off the internet