Have I destroyed my dehumidifier?

Heighway61 · 07-10-2020 7:56pm #1

Had painters in for a week. Ran the dehumidifier for the time they were here. Now there is a chemical smell from it that would kill a horse, too strong to switch on. Filter is clean. Have I wrecked it?

440Hertz · 11-10-2020 10:51am

It's probably condensed the solvents or other chemicals that have evaporated from the wet paint and it's concentrated up in the machine.

If you could put the machine on a porch or in a garage or something, with the door open, and run it on a humid day e.g. a drizzly day and let it run for a long time, it may clear it out by condensing lots of water through it.

The smell you're getting will be coming from the evaporator coils, not the filters as that's where the chemicals will have been deposited.

Just bear in mind those chemicals are not necessarily very good for you, so make sure the machine is well clear of them before using it in any enclosed spaces.

Heighway61 · 11-10-2020 1:16pm

Thanks. Was thinking along those lines myself. Brought it out to the garage and ran it for an hour but then got to worrying that I might be damaging it further by continuing to run it.

Will give it a longer run this time.

440Hertz · 11-10-2020 2:23pm

I doubt you'd do it any damage running it, it is likely going to help it flush out the evaporator surfaces.

It's quite possible you won't get the smell out of it, but it's worth a try. I'd leave it running for 3 or 4 hours with as much humidity as possible i.e. pick a day that's good and damp.

Heighway61 · 11-10-2020 3:08pm

Put a soaked duvet beside it. Should give it a work out. Hopefully the machine can be salvaged.

Heighway61 · 12-10-2020 8:54pm

Overnight in the garage reduced the paint smell, I'd guess around 70% to put some sort of a figure on it. Will leave it running another night.

Heighway61 · 13-10-2020 11:59am

No good. Will have to be a new unit. Lesson learned, keep dehumidifier off when painting.

Have I destroyed my dehumidifier?

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