Why do dehumidifiers turn off and stop collecting water? This is something that callers ask us over and over again. I think that once someone has invested in a dehumidifier they want it to collect water on a daily basis and they are disappointed when it stops collecting water. Before I explain why the dehumidifier not collecting water is perfectly normal lets switch to another piece of equipment that we use in the house that we have a greater understanding of – our central heating.
An explanation – with the aid of the central heating example.
When we set the thermostat to say 22°C our radiators become hot, if we were to put our hands on the radiator later and found it to be lukewarm or cool then we would not think that the radiator is faulty, we would just accept that the room temperature is up to 22°C and the radiator has been turned off by the stat. We know that when the room temperature drops the radiators will turn on again and they will once more be hot to the touch.
Back to the dehumidifier and the same thing is happening, albeit in reverse. You select your set point and the dehumidifier dries the air down to this point, when the relative humidity falls below this level the dehumidifier stops working. When the relative humidity rises again the dehumidifier will turn itself on and start to collect water again.
Hopefully that makes sense and you now know why your dehumidifier sometimes stops working.
Products featured: dehumidifiers
311 responses
I’ve just taken delivery of a DD8L Junior. When I switch it on the water tank full light flashes. It’s never worked so there is no water in the tank and I’ve removed and replaced the tank many times to ensure it’s fitted properly. Any advice would be appreciated.
Is the float moving ok in the tank? The white polystyrene piece with the black circle.
Yes the float is moving freely Chris.
I bought a 12L Low energy dehumidifier 2 months ago and now i have a problem. In the beginning it was running normally and now it only runs for 10min and shuts down. I mean the icons light up but you can’t hear it running.Is it normal ?
Kinga
Check the reading on the display when the fan is running and then press the button under the display and make sure that this number is lower than the initial reading.
Chris
Hello, we bought a DD8L on 23/11/2022 and so far it’s been brilliant!
However, I’ve just noticed that when I put my hand near the top of the machine, the air it blows out is much weaker on the right-hand side compared to the left.
I can see the water tank filling still and the fan spinning correctly.
Is the uneven air “blowout” something I should be worried about? It has only just started doing this now.
Thanks in advance.
Emily,
That is the design, and this is common for dehumidifiers, air always comes out stronger on one side of the grill.
Chris
Hello there ,
I have the MeacoDry ABC-10L
I set the damp number to 30 and it shows me the damp is now 34 but after 1 minute it shows me the number 51 and it flashes all the time and doesn’t want to collect water , but Fan continue to work !
Have you any german number or WhatsApp…?
It sounds like it is being used at a cold temperature (below 5°C). Normal behaviour will occur in a warmer space. Our German contact details are here – https://eu.meaco.com/pages/konkakt
Thank you for fast reply! I am not sure when was 5C i turned on , the room is 21C now after one year .
What i need to do to work normal ?
Anything above 10°C should be fine. You can also turn it off, unplug it for 30 minutes, and then start again.
Hello…my Zambezi showed the C2 error message on Saturday, this was after I put it on the x2 speed fan speed (I usually only have it on the x1 speed fan). Basically I wanted a short burst of power, but like I say, it showed the C2 error message after about 20mins. So, that night, I washed the filter (I usually hoover it with the hetty hose normally once a day, I do my best!), but because the manual says don’t wash it, just hoover it…anyways. I washed the filter with cloth and washing up liquid. I replaced the filter and last night I decided to have another short burst with the x2 speed fan. This time it lasted longer, just under an hour, before the C2 error message appeared. I have since had it on at the x1 speed and it works like that. Incidentally there is good space at the back and sides of the dehumidifier. Also when I do change the fan speed to x2, it doesn’t go back to x1 speed when I tell it to on the control and I have to power off, it then does its cooling down, I unplug to reset, then I plug it in, hear the beeps, and can change it back to x1 speed fan. Also when I took off the filter to wash it on Saturday, the plastic tubing behind the filter looks a little dirty? But I can’t clean this…This Zambezi was purchased Dec 2021 w/ a three year warranty. Please help…
C2 is always driven by overheating internally which comes from a lack of airflow through the machine either because it is too close to furniture or the filter needs to be cleaned. This is why you see it on fan speed two (full power and full heat) and not on fan speed one (half heat).
Sounds like you are doing the rights things. I would run the filter through the dishwasher to see if that helps, it might be though that you have a blockage internally. Feel free to call us on 01483 234900 if you wish.
Thank you very much for your help, it’s much appreciated. I am going to reposition the unit and see if that helps. the sides and back of the unit have a lot of space, but the front of the unit not so much, I am now going to give it at least a foot at the front (where the bucket is) and see if that helps. While it appears to still dehumidify fine at the x1 fan speed (which I usually have it on), I am going to leave sending it back to Meaco for the moment, as during these coldest months, I can’t really not have it on. I plan to keep it going like this for the next few months and send in for a warranty service when it gets warmer (after the first quarter of next year). I think I’m ok with washing the filter by hand. I didn’t really want to put it in the dishwasher as I wasn’t aware it was dishwasher safe. Is it true I can reset the PCB if I turn the machine off for four hours?, as like I said in my previous note, this Zambezi follows instruction to increase the fan speed to x2, but I have to switch off and reset to get it back to x1 speed again. Thank you so much for your help Chris, Rob.
Robert,
The resetting will not do anything, this error is due to overheating internally which is all to do with a lack of airflow, this will be a blockage preventing that airflow externally or internally.
Chris
After repositioning the Zambezi, I have just run it in fan speed x2 for 1hr 30mins and there has been no error message appear, the air and everything seems to be circulating, the dehumidifier’s doing its job. So I think I can safely say that it was the front of the Zambezi that required a slightly larger space in front of it, it’s now 45cm space at the front (where the bucket is)…Does this all sound ok to you Chris? Can I be reassured there is no internal blockage? After the 1hr 30mins of running at x2 fan speed, I also placed the palm of my hand on the front of Zambezi just above the bucket and it was cool to the touch, no warmth whatsoever…Thank you, Rob (Sorry if I seemed a little agitated with my messages, it’s just that I have never had an error message appear before, and this would be the worst time of the year to have one) 🙂
Delighted to hear that you have a solution, the extra wash on the filter probably helped most.
Hi Chris we have a 12 ltr meaci
We have a damp gable end room which we are trying to rectify is it better to have the central heating on or off when the dehumidifier is in use. Thankyou
Heating on, but don’t put the dehumidifier in front of a hot radiator.
We have a meaco 12l low energy dehumidifier, it’s around 2 years old. It’s worked fine up to this winter. I put it on when the heating is turned on in the morning and evening and the house is warm. It does collect water but the display numbers dont go down consistently, they go up one then down again, staying on the same number for ages even though the room door is closed and there is no movement. It gets to around 79 then the red frost light comes on. Sometimes it stays on a long time and the numbers go up a few, sometimes I turn the machine off for a few minutes and then it works ok for a while but the lowest I’ve seen it go is 77 even after a few hours use. I appreciate my house is colder than previous years, we dont have the heating on low all day now, but can you advise me? Thanks
Julie,
The machine sounds fine, please don’t turn it off just because the defrost light is on, defrost is an important part of the process. Just let it run and you will find over the coming weeks that the number will fall as the space starts to dry out, this includes the walls, floors, furniture, paper, books etc.
It will be fine.
Chris
Hi. I’ve got a brand new ABC 10L , it’s been running continuously for 48 hours in the living room and only reduced the humidity from around 71 to around 68 (the humidity shown fluctuates) and has collected very little water in the tank (I’ve emptied a half tank a couple of times). It’s been running all that time, apparently working normally. Any thoughts?
Ellie,
This will happen in a new space because it is drying the air and then the furniture, walls and paper based things in the space release moisture into the air as they respond to this change in humidity. You are also adding moisture into the air each day.
Expect things to settle down after a few weeks of this process.
Chris
Hi,
I have the Meaco ABC 12l and it stops working. There is power going to it as you can here it bleeps when plug it in and when you remove the bucket but the unit wont turn on. You can see the dull LED on panel light it is on sleep mode. Bucket is empty. Unplug and plug it to reset no luck. Any thoughts? Cheers
John,
Best guess is that you have your finger on the power button for too long, one quick press is all you need. If you hold your finger down it will not turn on and it will behave as you describe.
Chris
Hi, My zambesi dd8l is showing a.C2 error.and turns itself off. If i unplug it breifly, it will restart and run for a short time and then does the same – switches itself off and the display agains shows c2. I purchased it nearly a year ago (23 November 2021). Is there something i should be doing to reset it? I dont see this error anywhere in the user manual.
C2 errors on Zambezi can be fixed by ensuring good airflow. So give the filter a really good clean, hoover and then dishwasher and ensure that there is plenty of space at the rear for the air to come in.
I have the ABC 12l model. It is working fine, but at night I put it on CO with the slower fan setting (as it is quieter and so more comfortable to sleep). During the night the machine switches to the higher fan setting without warning, runs on the higher setting for a while and then goes back to the slower setting. Is this normal and is there anyway to stop it happening? Many thanks
Lara,
That is the machine going into defrost mode and completly normal. This is something that all compressor dehumidifiers need to do.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the blog. I’ve got a question slightly related to this topic.
I’ve got a zambezi. Maybe it’s my illusion but i found it’s a bit slow in collecting water this year.
In our bedroom (maybe 3×3), it runs for 4hrs to get the number down from 61% to 58%. Is that normal?
I thought it would have dropped to 45% previously (note there’s no water source in the bedroom).
Thanks for your advice in advance.
Thanks.
Lestin,
That could be because there is more moisture from the last few months in the walls and the fabric of the room, or the dehumidifier is standing closer to a wall/furniture or the filter needs cleaning.
It will either be a change in room conditions or a change in the condition of the machine.
Chris