Hi-- One of my dehumidifiers, a Sears model that's about 10 years old, gets very hot when it runs. I believe it's the fan motor, not the compressor motor, that heats up. The plug gets hot as well. I've oiled the motor, but that had no effect. The humidifier functions fine, but it definitely gets hotter than it should. Any ideas on what could be causing this, and what I could do about it? Thanks in advance... Eric
dehumidifier running hot
Jul 23, 2006
5 Replies
I had the same problem with a sears dehumidifier that had a moulded plug on the cord. I replaced the plug with a heavy duty one and the plug quit getting hot. The dehumidifier still runs hot though.
LJ>
Does the fan spin freely?
Mark
The fan motor may be on the way out. Possible the bearings are beyond what oil can do for them. That can make a motor run hot, pull more amp, making the plug hot, and increase your electric bill also. Check out the cost of a fan motor versus a new humidifier. With the unit unplugged, spin the fan. if you have any resistance, it is time for a new motor.
Put an amp meter on it it could be the compressor or fan motor is worn, new units also use alot less energy
How about unplugging the thing after it is hot, and putting your hand on the fan motor? Then you'll know if it is the fan motor that is hot.
The plug should never get hot. You have a non-springy receptacle, or maybe a non-springy plug, or a bad connection in the receptacle or the plug. Can you plug it into another receptacle for testing. Even the other half of the current receptacle might exclude one of the receptacle problems.
If the cord won't reach another receptacle, if you have a good heavy duty extension cord try that for a while. (Don't leave it alone, but you can run it for an hour to see if it get's hot.) The wire might get hot but if the female end of the extension cord is good, the plug won't get hot unless there is a problem with the plug. If so, cut it off and put another plug on it.
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