Question: My dehumidifier coils freeze up when I run it in the spring where the temperature in the room is 60 degrees. Is this normal? What can I do about it??

60 degrees F is on the low end of the specification for dehumidifiers to run without freezing up. The evaporator coils in the dehumidifier get cold in order to cause condensation of the moisture in the room so that it can dry out the air. If the air going in to the system is cold then the coils can freeze up like yours does. I have the same problem in the spring when the basement is cold. My solution is to put a 40 watt light bulb in front of the inlet of the dehumidifier to warm the air slightly. I also keep the setting a bit higher when the room is cold. That gives the system a chance to cycle out and let the ice melt. Remember that cold air doesn't hold as much moisture in it as warm air does so you can afford to set it a bit higher without the danger of rusting your equipment or incurring mildew and mold formation. When the air warms up you can adjust the setting accordingly.   Put the unit up as high as you can, on a shelf or suspend it from the ceiling with heavy chains supporting a hanging platform.  The air at the ceiling level will have the highest amount of water in it since it is warmer than at floor level.

Another solution is to connect your unit to a timer which gives the dehumidifier a two or three hour break every day to give the ice build-up a chance to melt off.  Use a commercial grade timer which is capable of handling the load rated on the name plate of your dehumidifier.

Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast and you have to live with it or work around it like I do.

Back to Brother Bob's Home Page

Copyright © 1996-2007 by Bob Hewitt - All rights reserved