Freezes up does fan **** air in or blow out the front

I can't hear YOUR dehumidifier and can't tell if it's out of the ordinary, but dehumidifiers have all the same internal parts as a refrigerator with the addition of a fan to blow air through the coils to keep them from freezing up. They do tend to be a bit noisy.

check to see if the fan is working. low or no air flow will cause it to ice up. may have to remove the front to de-ice. turn the unit off and slowly pour warm water over the coils to thaw. the water should drain right into the bin. also good to clean any dust off of the coils to keep the air flow open.

With heat pumps that's the way they work. In heat mode they are using the evaporator as the condenser and it blows heat out the front and cold out the back. In cooling mode, a reversing valve switches the gas flow reversing the operation of the coils and it blows cold out the front and heat out the back.

It is normal for a dehumidifier to discharge warm air. A dehumidifier is really an air conditioner - a fan blows humid room air across a cold fin coil that causes the moisture to condense on it and drip into a container - thus cooling AND dehumidifying the air. The cool air is blown over the warm coil and discharged out the back. A dehumidifier WILL normally increase the temperature of the room it is in.
You can do the same thing with sitting an A/C unit on a stool in a room. Room air will be drawn in, cold air will come out the front, hot air out the back and water will drip on the floor. And, the room will get hotter, due to what is called "heat of compression" even though you're running an A/C unit.

Some units have a sensor and circuit to prevent this, because it is a common problem. If you can select a higher fan speed, that will help. If you can select a more humid setting (less drying), that will help. A simple work around is to use an extra fan for more airflow.

check to see if the fan is blowing across the condenser. there should be warm air blowing out the back. if there isn't, the fan may need to be replaced so the heat exchanger can cool down. may be running too hot. also check the condenser in the front to see if the air flow is blocked with dust. if so, change the filter if it has one. if there is cool air blowing, the compressor may not be turning on.

Blocked/poor airflow are the most likely culprit. Make sure the filter and evaporator are clean. If the evaporator is caked with dirt you can try carefully cleaning it with a wet rag and a shopvac. If they are both clean check to make sure the fan is blowing air across the coils. Final diagnosis would be a refrigeration issue.

I don't think there is anything wrong with your machine ... What I think you should do is get another fan and blow air onto the rear of your dehumidifier. I also think you should select a higher setting until you get some of the water out of the air. When you get down to 80% for example (evidenced by the machins turning off - set it then to 70% and so on until you arrive at the moisture content you desire (50% is usually considered perfect.) You might also consider adding another machine to help the first, same setup with a fan blowing on it.

This is what I did when my dehumidifier did the same thing yours is doing.

Thanks for your quesiton @ FixYa.com

If it is not blowing out air from front grill then fan is burned out and needs replacing - $50 do-it-yourself (lots of disassembly) $100 for them to do it. Is it still in warranty? (1-2 years for fan/sensors))

Most dehumidifiers these days have a built in defrost control, which turns the compressor off when the coils frost up while the fan continues to blow to help melt the frost off, so if it is frosting you may need a new defrost control, but first check the following: If your model has an air filter, clean it, as restriction of air flow will contribute to icing. Try to move the unit to a warmer location. Usually the best way to do this is to get it above the floor as far as possible, as the air temp is warmer closer to the ceiling than it is at the floor. Make sure there is plenty of room for air to circulate. (don't push it against a wall)