Runs but does not remove water

if this model doesnt have the removable filter on the middle right side then the filter is not removable by std means and unit will need to be dissasembled for this , Now there are a few reasons for unit to freeze , and yes your right one of them is a dirty air filter . and if its gone too far then a dirty condenser coil as well , also if unit is over three years old then it's possible that due to overheating some of the gas chanrge has gotten out , reducing it's efficency making it run longer with no cool down and freezes up , also if your asking it to remove more water than its designed for (setting to high) it will freeze up as well , std moisture for a home is 70 %rh purchase a small meter to measure this ,(some units have one built in) see how much water you really have ?

as with any freeze up of any unit (any mfg) there are a few things to look at first before consulting a profesional ,
1st ck your filter most units have a filter these are the most forgoten things when it comes to reg cleaning , remove it and run under tap shake excess water off and replace in unit
2nd is unit warm enoght to work air temp has to excede 68 degrees for these to work
3rd how old is unit if unit is over three years and has been largely neglected for cleaning and maint issues then overheating can cause gas charge to leak out and cause freeze ups , replacement is only option on this reason
4th setting: is unit large enoght to remove water from area if its undersize it runs too hard and never cycles off/on this causes freeze ups , purchase a small humidmeter to measure the area % rh 70%rh is considered normal for a home

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

The coils should not freeze up. If the fan is working, try lowering the setpoint to just below actual humidity. This will allow the dehumidifier to run and shut so water can drip off without freezing. If that works, slowly lower the setpoint over the next day or so. If the setpoint is too low, the unit runs continuously until it freezes, then never shuts down.

Gary

After the unit is totally thawed and dried, turn the unit Off if you haven't already and unplug it. Remove the filter and clean it. If it's really dirty wash it with warm water and dish washing liquid, thoroughly rinse it and allow it to completely dry, before reinstalling. DO NOT operate the unit without the filter in place.

Because the air temperature in a basement is colder at floor level, than at shoulder level, this caused the coils to freeze. Dehumidifiers do not work well at temperatures at or below 60 degrees F. That is, unless, it's a Low Temperature model, designed especially for basement applications. Obviously, yours isn't a Low Temp model.

To overcome this, place the unit up on a sturdy table, counter top, etc, that can handle the weight of the unit, as well as a full bucket of water. The higher off the floor the better. This way, the ambient operational temperature will be higher and the coils will have less of chance to freeze again.

I would suggest that continue to monitor the unit and if you notice that it's doing more than a little frosting on the coils, turn the unit OFF immediately. A little frosting is normal and the deforst mode should kick in and thaw the coils. When this happens, the compressor should automatically shut OFF, but the fan will continue to run. Once it's defrosted, the compressor will start again, if necessary.

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

Hi,

Here is a tip that I wrote that will help you understand why and what you cando with a dehumidifier that ices up.

Dehumidifier is Freezing up and not working

heatman101

Turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to OFF, unplug the unit and allow it to thaw out completely. You may want to put some old towels under it, to absorb the dripping water. Once it has completely thawed, remove the bucket, the air intake filter and the face of the cabinet. You should now have access to the coils. Clean them with a mild soap and warm water. Rinse and thoroughly dry the coils. Once they are totally dry, spray a very light film of WD40 on the coils and then wipe off any over spray. Reinstall all the remove parts and test the unit.

Keep in mind, if you are using the dehumidifier in a basement, the air temperature at floor level is colder than at chest level. Dehumidifiers don't work well between 40 & 60 degrees F. (Unless, they are a low temp unit). Any lower, the coils will freeze. Raise the unit up off the floor onto a sturdy table or counter top, that can hold the weight of the unit plus, a full tank of water. In a basement application, doing usually solves the problem of freezing coils.

If after doing all the above, the coils still freeze during operation, the compressor may below on freon and needs to be recharged. Or the defrost sensor on the unit, needs to be replaced.

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

needs to be charged with freon

Most dehumidifiers have a defrost mode in which the compressor is turned off to give time for the frozen water to melt. The freezing problem ocurrs when the unit is used in very cold weather. Check your manual to see if this unit comes with automatic defrost mode. If it does, it would appear that it is not operating correctly and you can request warranty service. If no defrost mode is available, then your only option is to heat up the room in order to use the dehumidifer within its limit of operation. Some units can operate as low as 36 F, but most units cannot go that low. Find out what your unit's specs are from the manufacturers web site.

ALL DEHUMIDIFIERS REQUIRE ROOM TEMPS TO BE AT LEAST 65 DEGREES AND A HUMIDITY OF AT LEAST 50 % TO OPERATE PROPERLY. ANYTHING LESS AND IT MAY FREEZE THE EVAPORATOR COILS. EVAPORATOR COILS WILL ALSO FREEZE IF THE COILS ARE DIRTY AND HAVE RESTRICTED AIR FLOW.TRY TAKING THE COVER OFF OF THE UNIT AND CLEANING BOTH SETS OF COILS INSIDE. THEY ARE COPPER OR ALUMINUM WITH FINS ON THEM.
ALSO CHECK THE FAN TO BE SURE IT IS RUNNING.
THAT WILL CAUSE AN OVERHEATING CONDITION AND WILL SHUT DOWN THE COMPRESSOR ALSO.