Troubleshooting dehumidifier - Santa Fe Advanced 90

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Boon
Boon Posts: 263
edited September 22 in THE MAIN WALL

Hi all,

The dehumidifer in my crawlspace doesn't dehumidify. Honestly, I never ran it enough to know if/when it might've stopped working. In the last 9 years I maybe ran it for a total of 20 hours. Not sure how old it is.

The manual doesn't have troubleshooting for the following scenario:

  • Fan runs,
  • compressor gets hot to the touch,
  • capacitor tests ok (46.3µF) according to its rating,
  • coils don't freeze
  • unit doesn't trip on thermal overload,
  • put a thermometer against the coils, fins, capillary tube, that bulb-looking thing, and nothing reads above/below room temp.
  • humidistat turns unit on/off at about the right position on the dial according to a humidity sensor I have.

I assume there is no refrigerant. The blue coil looks sus.

Anything I can try? Is this something any tech would/could service?

EDIT: I just noticed I can probably remove that rating plate. I wonder if there is diagnostic anything behind there. I'll go check that now. Eh, nothing back there except maybe a capacitor for the fan motor

IMG_6554.jpeg IMG_6549.jpeg

Appreciate any guidance,

David

DIY'er ... ripped out a perfectly good forced-air furnace and replaced it with hot water & radiators.

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Posts: 21,169

    I agree it may have lost its charge. Any AC tech with R410A (which is a common refrigerant) can charge it and leak test it. The leak may or may not be repairable. Probably going to have to install a line tap valve to make sure it is empty and then braze in a couple of Schrader access valves.

    BoonGGross
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,231

    welcome to my collection of 4 dehumidifiers since 2010 from which the refrigerant has escaped.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,231

    is it still under warranty? if it has refrigerant in it and the compressor is actually pumping(though possible for the compressor to run but fail to pump, a fairly uncommon failure mode), you should hear it flowing and you should hear it equalize if you turn it off suddenly after it has been running for a bit(you should hear the liquid being released from the capillary tube from the high side to the low side for maybe 10 seconds to a minute or so after the compressor stops).

  • Boon
    Boon Posts: 263

    I definitely don’t hear anything flowing or equalizing. Almost certainly out of warranty - bought the house almost 9 years ago and it came with the house.

    I’d love to use it to teach myself about refrigeration, as if I need something else to do. At least I can’t break it.

    DIY'er ... ripped out a perfectly good forced-air furnace and replaced it with hot water & radiators.
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,231

    you could always add an access fitting to the low side with flare fittings, add some metal leak type stop leak and evacuate it and charge it and see how that goes. according to the epa you need a part 608 certification to buy r410a.

  • GGross
    GGross Posts: 2,071

    On that note if the goal is to learn, the 608 certification is not terribly difficult to obtain, and the large study book for it has some good info and would make a decent reference to use in conjunction with forums like this etc

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Posts: 21,169

    Then you need gauges, vac pump and a recovery machine and tank. harbor freight has some cheap stuff, also Vevor.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,231
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1904439#Comment_1904439

    i think the current manufacturing processes have eliminated the need for a recovery machine…

    PC7060HVACNUT
  • GGross
    GGross Posts: 2,071
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1904446#Comment_1904446

    it's all de minimis when you are the manufacturer 😁

    mattmia2PC7060
  • GW
    GW Posts: 5,257

    same here- I added ref. I don’t recall needing to add a tap fitting. I just charged it to general super heat numbers

    when it lost its charge again, I just got rid of it. Too much hassle taken those things apart.

    I don’t recall if I tried pressure Testing, looking for the leak. I think I did and the leak was buried inside the coil.

    Now I just buy the cheap Chinese import stuff. I’m not spending that kind of money again on a name brand appliance, and getting five or six years out of it.

    Gary Wilson
    Wilson Services, Inc
    Northampton, MA
    gary@wilsonph.com
  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Posts: 7,612

    At 15 years that system had a good run. Most are 7 1/2 - 10 years average life.

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