Electronics > Repair
Dehumidifier not collecting water
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EHT:
Hello, I have hopefully fairly easy question about a Prem-I-air PDB-16 Dehumidifier. It recently suddenly stopped collecting water. To start with I thought this maybe a faulty sensor, but then realised it has a continuous mode, in which it still doesnt collect water. The compressor and fan are running, however, the evaporator and condenser coils are not changing temperature. The compressor is actually getting pretty hot (seems too hot...).

I'm guessing that it has lost its refrigerant gas, in which case I'm not sure if its possible to refil (can't see any valve), and anyway it must have a leak. As such its probably junk now. Pity because its in quite good condition and was doing a good job. WDYT?
Tomorokoshi:
Can you post a picture of the evaporator coil?
CaptDon:
It has more than likely lost its charge. It won't due to simply recharge it until the leak can be found. Without the cool refrigerant returning from the evaporator the compressor will indeed overheat and damage itself. There is about a 99% chance the unit will cost more than new to repair. If the leak can be found then the unit can be fixed. Once the leak is repaired a saddle valve can be used to evacuate and then recharge the unit. All at an insane cost. It is now very common for refrigeration devices of all types to only last 3 to 5 years mainly due to leaks in areas you can't get to. Chinese junk has invaded every market and I have seen something as simple a normal vibration from the compressor wear holes in the copper tubing and I don't know how they do it but worse yet is aluminum tubing that fatigue cracks after just a couple of years. Look at the hate General Electric appliances (mostly imported from china) are getting on Lowes and Home Depot reviews!!!! Not even lasting for a year!!!
BradC:

--- Quote from: CaptDon on January 16, 2024, 04:02:13 am ---\Without the cool refrigerant returning from the evaporator the compressor will indeed overheat and damage itself.
--- End quote ---

Worse, with hygroscopic oils the compressor will be drawing in and compressing ambient air/humidity. Unless the thing is 30 years old and using CFC and mineral oils it'll need an oil change and new dryer fitted. I did this to an expensive bar fridge years ago. The aluminium superheat condenser used to warm the door seals failed due to the blown in foam insulation turning acidic and eating the pipe. It worked for another few years, but eventually the damage from the original acidic oil did the compressor in.

It required modification to take the door seal heater out of the loop, plus an oil change and a new dryer. Had I not been able to do the work myself then it'd have been uneconomical to repair the first time. Fast forward 4 years and a seized compressor it was well and truly uneconomical to repair.

Buy a new one.
EE-digger:
Humidifiers seldom last more than a year and a half.  Occasionally two years.  It's the only product for which I buy an extended warranty because they WILL die.  Generally the coils start freezing part way up because of partial loss of charge.

I worked with a software contractor from Pakistan whose friends worked at a cooling system manufacturer used by many.  They told him that the all the soldered joints get hit with a grinder or sander to knock down high spots, then slobbered with the gloss black paint you see.

If true, it's no wonder that micro cracks at the joints would cause them to bleed out shortly.

One of the big names had a warehouse in Philly full of broken units, then decided no more repairs and handed out coupons instead.  Kind of says where they are at.
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