My three-year old Goldstar no longer works. The coils are cool, but never cold enough to permit condensation. Is it practical to have the unit recharged, or is this cost prohibitive? And, if fixed, will it last? I have already purchaed a new Haier and will start using unless you guys recommend otherwise. Thanks for your help! Frank
Hi,
Have you checked your warranty? Some will have a 5 year system warranty ( gas charge, compressor ) on those items.
jeff. Appliance Repair Aid
From what I've seen, the 5 year warranty is on the can only....
If it's like a lot of other things, it's only economically feasable to fix if you can fix it yourself.
Dissemble the unit and clean it, thoroughly.
this unit cannot be "recharged" in the same sense as recharging your car or home A/C
like a window A/C unit, it does not have ports to screw on a set of charging hoses
generally speaking, low freon is not a problem with a dehumidifier, they are not prone to leaking refrigerant
problem is more likely a dirty or mashed condenser or evaporator coil, or a defective thermostatic switch, or other issue, not low refrigerant
if it did have a leak, and you did weld on a charging port and evacuate/recharge, it would only "last" if you also fix the source of the leak
generally speaking, a dehumidifier that is leaking refrigerant is very rare, and also not worth the hassle of repairing and recharging, for most people.
but I believe your problem lies elsewhere, as noted above, which ~would~ be worth fixing, and that fix will "last"
Hey, just like they have to do Mormons when they wise up and quit the cult.
problem is more likely a dirty or mashed condenser or evaporator coil, or a defective thermostatic switch, or other issue, not low refrigerant.
Comments: The thermostat works, as the compressor does seem to try to turn on. (A short "buzz" is heard when it kicks in.) After the buzz, though, it does not seem that the compressor is running, and the coils don't get cold.. If by "mashed" you mean "crushed", no chance. Dirty I doubt also, as the filter was very clean. Also, it suddenly stopped working (nothing this spring, fine in the fall.) Does this help further pinpoint anything?? Thanks very much!
Well, that changes everything! All of our previous advice is irrelevant, now.
Now that you've changed the symptoms, the diagnosis will of course change.
For your latest list of symptoms, you have a starting problem wtih the compressor. Can be either not getting enough power, or start components problem. On many dehum, it's not dificult for a refrigeration person to wire in a hard start kit for the compressor.
Please remit a second $48.50 for the second diagnosis. First diagnostic fee will not be refunded.
Not so sure about that...I have owned 2 that discharged slowly over time. I know this because I bypass all the electronics and sensors after verifying all the other parts work and test it with direct setup using a light switch to turn the compressor on and off manually. If I do not get a result then it's because there's no coolant.
replying to Actionman, Ceapea wrote: The coils and lines are packed tight in dehumidifiers. Leaks are very common. Find and repair the leak, evacuate the system and recharge.
Sadly, 11 years ago the OP had mold growing in his damp basement. If spread over the entire interior of the hose and the DEP condemned it after his wife and two dogs died from lung infections. The house was burned in an exercise for the local fire department.
To that I'd add that very few DIY homeowner types are going to have the eqpt and knowledge to do what was suggested. And IDK where the leaks typically happen, but if they happen in the evaporator or similar, the cost of the part would make it not worth it. Plus these modern dehumidifiers seem to crap out for one reason or another after maybe just 5 years or less. In short, when you can get one for $150, if it needs to be charged, it's probably ready for the heap.
replying to bubba, Buddy wrote: You are wrong. Modern day, commodity (Sams Club, Wallmart, etc) dehumidifiers leak their coolant routinely, lasting only two years. Compare to dehumidifiers your grandparents had in the basement lasting 10 - 20 years.
replying to frank1492, Buddy wrote: You are wrong. Modern day, commodity (Sams Club, Wallmart, etc) dehumidifiers leak their coolant routinely, lasting only two years. Compare to dehumidifiers your grandparents had in the basement lasting 10 - 20 years.
On Thu 05 Jul 2018 10:14:02a, Buddy told us...
The best dehumidifiers are very well waterproofed, as well as connecting a drainage hose. There is virtually no leakage with those that are built with a direct drain, as oppposed to those that have a drain connection coming from the reservoir.
A friend of mine had a house that also had a sump with a pump because of a high water table. The house was more than 30 years old and had the original dehumidifier with a drainage hose feeding directly into the sump. When they sold the house along with the old still working dehumidifier.
On Thu 05 Jul 2018 10:14:03a, Buddy told us...
BS! Of course if it was a cheap one and not drining with a hose, then all bets are off.
IDK about the leaking refrigerant part, but I've seen countless posts where people complain that dehumidifiers just don't last today and I've had that experience with two different brands myself. A couple years is all I got. They were so bad that I took the extended warranty on the last one and sure enough in two years it failed.
I don't know the cause of failuer either,but two friends of mine have had several units and they only last a couple of years if that long.
And also, the original post from years ago was about possibly getting it recharged. They don't lose charge unless something goes bad and leaks and they don't have recharging ports either. This isn't like an auto AC where there may be a small leak at the compressor shaft seal or a schrader valve and you can easily hook up to a port and check the pressure and charge it. Which is why I doubt loosing refrigerant is the problem. I know on one of mine, a Sears, it was the blower motor that was a POS. The first one failed, I bought a replacement for ~$45, put it in, it didn't last a year. Not having learned my lesson, I ordered another motor put that in and it smoked when I powered it up. Later looking on line I saw a whole lot of people saying the motors were failing.
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