Reasons A Dehumidifier Does Not Collect Water

There could be several reasons for a dehumidifier failing to collect water from the air, and lower the humidity level. Off your fingers, you could take your pick.

For instance, perhaps there is no excess humidity. Come to think of it, perhaps you need to switch on the humidifier to increase humidity instead of the dehumidifier.

So, why would a dehumidifier collect little or no water? Check whether you have plugged it into power, or something could be wrong with the dehumidifier. If the dehumidifier compressor fails, the appliance will not work.

There are tens of reasons why a dehumidifier would not collect water. However, here, we are going to look at the most probable ones, the biggest culprits.

Also check out our article on: Does humidifier increase oxygen?

Reasons for dehumidifier failing to collect water

dehumidifier failing to collect water

There are common, simple causes for your LG dehumidifier not collecting water, and then there are the technical ones.

Let’s start with the technical causes of the dehumidifier failing to collect water:

The dehumidifier compressor has failed

If the dehumidifier is not collecting water, the first culprit is usually the dehumidifier compressor.  The work of the compressor is to circulate the refrigerant around the evaporator. It helps to extract the water from the air. If it fails, it is not going to extract moisture from the air.

In our article on why dehumidifier is blowing cold air, we looked at the issue of a failed compressor in deeper detail.

The compressor can also stop working as a fail-safe feature. It has an overload protection function that stops it from working to protect the compressor motor from damage.

When you use the wrong power cords for the dehumidifier, the overload function can stop the compressor from working. Check that the power cord is not undersized or too long.

Also, you can find out whether the temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature dips below that, the dehumidifier might not work.

The Dehumidifier compressor runs but no water – Fan Motor

Image of dehumidifier not collecting water

You could check your dehumidifier compressor and find that it is running just fine. Even the indoor temperature might be above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, what could be wrong? Check the fan motor. If it is faulty, the dehumidifier will seem to be working, but it will not collect water.

The fan motor failure would then mean that the dehumidifier is not pulling in enough air. Remember, for the dehumidifier to collect water, it has to pull in the moist air from the room.

The refrigerant in the evaporator will then condense the moisture, and it will be collected as water.

However, if the motor of the fan is not strong enough, it means less or no air is being whipped into the dehumidifier.

No moist air getting into the evaporator coils means no water being collected.

Dehumidifier capacitor failure

If your Delonghi dehumidifier is not collecting water and you have verified that the fan motor and the compressor are fine, check the capacitor.

By the way, this is not an issue with the Delonghi dehumidifiers. It can occur with any brand name.

The capacitor and the compressor issue are connected because the capacitor is inside the compressor unit. Therefore, it is one of the main causes of compressor failure.

If you find that the overload device that protects the compressor is constantly tripping, the likely culprit is the capacitor.

Why would a dehumidifier not collect water? Simple things to check

Away from the tech things that make a dehumidifier fail to collect water, always start with the simple things.

Low temperature, no excess humidity

Indoor humidity and temperature go hand-in-hand somehow. Therefore, if the humidity level is, say, about 55% and the temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit, the dehumidifier will draw moisture and collect water.

However, if the temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the dehumidifier will not work. There simply is not enough moisture for the dehumidifier to collect water.

The dehumidifier is not the right size for the space

Dehumidifier is not the right size for the space

Dehumidifiers and humidifiers have a space rating. And so do the air purifiers!

Therefore, if a dehumidifier has a manufacturer rating of 300 square feet, and you try to use it for 600 square feet, it is not going to work.

It is better to get a large dehumidifier and not need to use all of its dehumidifying power. For example, a Frigidaire 70-Pint dehumidifier rated for 1500 square feet can do a faster job in 700 square feet, but it will seem to collect little water.

Using a small dehumidifier in a large room will tend to collect quite a lot of water, but it might really not bring the humidity down.

Just find the right dehumidifier for your space. That way, you remove all guesswork from the picture.

Power, humidistat, and filters not working

Make sure that the dehumidifier is plugged into power and that the power cord is working. For all corded home appliances, if it fails, the first thing is to plug it into another power outlet.

Another thing that you need to be sure of is that the humidistat is working correctly. If it is incorrect, it might automatically stop the dehumidifier from collecting water even when the desired humidity level is not attained.

Therefore, you might be asking: Why is my dehumidifier running but not collecting water? It could be the humidistat.

You might also want to check the filters. If they are clogged, the dehumidifier is not going to collect water. You might want to clean the filters or replace them.

Conclusion

Most people who face the problem of their Frigidaire unit not working always ask: Why would a dehumidifier not collect water?

And now, you have seen the answer.

If your dehumidifier is too old, it could have outlived its usefulness. So, if she has been faithful for at least 7 years, it’s time to let her rest.

If yours is fairly new and still under warranty, you can send it back for repair.