RECHARGED DEHUMIDIFIER put BACK into service
For the average consumer, repairing relatively inexpensive home devices such as microwaves and TVs just isn’t economically viable. You can hardly blame them when the repair bill could easily be higher than the cost of just purchasing a new model. fortunately for folks like us, that implies you can typically find low-cost or even totally free appliances on the second hand market that can be brought back online with a bit of troubleshooting and some spare parts.
Take for example the non-functional dehumidifier [HowToLou] recently came across. You probably couldn’t find a professional repair shop that would be prepared to bother with one of these things if you tried, but as he shows in the video below, that doesn’t imply the DIY’er can’t run through some probable failure modes and get the unit back up and running. As a bonus, he also walks audiences through how your common compressor-based dehumidifier operates.
The failed thermal switch.
Beyond the lack of water in the collection compartment, the first sign that something was wrong with this dehumidifier was that the compressor wasn’t running. Upon closer inspection, [HowToLou] identified that the thermal cut-off switch had failed and was stuck open. fortunately it had a visible part number so he could purchase a replacement, and in the meantime, all he had to do was cut the switch out of the circuit and wire up the compressor’s power directly.
Unfortunately, even with the compressor running, no water was being collected. Noticing that the evaporator coils weren’t getting very cold, [HowToLou] thought the unit might be low on refrigerant. typically these systems aren’t implied to be recharged, but with a smart piercing tap valve, you can add a quick-connect port to the low pressure side. This particular dehumidifier happened to be filled with the same R134a used in automotive A/C systems, so a quick trip to the car parts store got him a can of refrigerant complete with a useful pressure gauge.
After getting juiced up, [HowToLou] shows ice forming on the coils and plenty of water getting disposed into the tank. Automotive A/C refill cans typically include some substance to stop or decrease leaks in the system, so hopefully this will end up being a long-term fix. It might not be the most fancy dehumidifier repair we’ve ever seen, but it’s certainly the most approachable. If you ever see one of these things laying on the side of the road, maybe you ought to pick it up and see what ails it.