dehumidfier problem

[DonC]

I have a dehumidifier in my basement that has run faithfully for more than a decade. This year it has been freezing up for the first time ever.

I removed the case and cleaned it thoroughly but it still freezes up.

I just noticed that the exhaust air is exiting the front of the unit. Since the cooling coils are on the back side and the heat side coils are towards the front, this seems backwards to me. Shouldn't it be blowing warm moist air over the cooling coils?

It seems like the fan motor is running backwards. Am I wrong in thinking it should be exhausting out the back? Is it possible for an AC fan motor to suddenly begin running backwards?

HELP!

Thanks : )

[Art]

Don't even think about it any more. Decade old dehumidifiers are very inefficient. Buy a new one for $200. I believe LG comes with a 5 year parts and labor warranty but you should verify that.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

Hi,

That is correct. Moisture from the air is left on the cooling coils and the air comming out of the dehimidifier is slightly warmer than it went in.

Room temp too cool, dirty coils, slow air fan, low refrigerant charge ( leak ), system restriction are some likely/possible trouble makers.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[DonC]

Over the "waste heat" coils first and then through the cooling cools last? That's my unanswered question.

Room is same temperature as in prior years; coils are freshly cleaned; fan is not slow; no external system restrictions. That leaves internal restrictions or low refrigerant charge. But it's making ice at a very efficient rate : ) That's why I questioned the air flow.

[Olaf]

This would not be a good setup. The dehumidifier must cool the incoming air to below the dew point at the time before the moisture will condense out of the air. If you pre-heated the air it'd have to run longer and it'd pull less moisture out of the air.

Warmer air isn't more moist than dry per se, it's less moist than it'd be if it were cooler.

Your dehumidifier isn't running backward. It's getting old. If it did come with anti-freeze protection perhaps whatever senses a freez-up condition isn't working any more.

A new dehumidifier would be a wise investment. It'd use less electricity when it is running, and it'd have to run less overall.

[Appliance Repair Aid]

**Over the "waste heat" coils first and then through the cooling cools last?**

Other way around...

**But it's making ice at a very efficient rate : )**

New style icemaker :D

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[DonC]

Thanks! Just what I wanted to know. Time for a replacement.

[DonC]

That's what i was looking for! Thanks

[Stormin Mormon]

Warm air holds more moisture, so dumping ehat out the front is normal. After all, the coils are designed to cool the air. Harder to cool warm air.

Sounds like it's low on freon, which will make it run at a lower temp. Very few AC / refrig guys work on dehumidifiers. You may be able to find someone who can juice it up. Some dehumidifiers come with a "freeze stat". Which turns the power off if the coil freezes.

[DonC]

It's been retired : )

[Stretch]

You go over the cooling coils first to drop the air as far as possible below it's dew point. Then you reheat it to get its temperature as far as possible above the new dew point, now that moisture has been removed.

Stretch