From As the weather begins to heat up and get sticky, you’ll want to make sure your dehumidifier is ready for the season. Dehumidifiers can really make your house more comfortable and deter mildew growth.
If the dehumidifier doesn’t hum to life once you turn the humidistat switch on, check to make sure the unit is plugged into an operating outlet. If it is—and the unit’s water collection pan is empty—test to see if the switch is bad. Use the steps shown in Photos 1 – 3 to test the switch and replace it if it’s defective.
Test for bad switches on “dead” appliances with either a continuity tester or a multimeter ($25 to $50; also known as a volt-ohm meter).
If you need a new switch (about $30), call appliance stores to find the right one. Look in the Yellow Pages under “Appliances, Major, Parts.” When handling the new switch, avoid damaging the piece of plastic that is stretched inside the switch—it acts as a humidity sensor.
Click image to enlarge.
1. Remove the front panel from the chassis by pulling off the knob on the switch and loosening the panel screws. Release the switch’s mounting bracket by unscrewing its four screws. To avoid confusion later, label the two switch wires—for example, “red to front” (of switch)—before disconnecting them.
2. Attach the two probes of a multimeter to the flat prongs on the switch and slowly turn the knob several times from On to
Off. It doesn’t matter which probe attaches to which prong.
FUNCTION SETTING: Ohms (Continuity)
SCALE SETTING: Auto-Ranging
GOOD READING: If the dehumidifier switch is good, each time the switch clicks from On to Off, the reading will switch from “zero” to “0.L” for “infinity.”
3. Unscrew the hex head screws using a 1/4-in. Nut driver, and pull the bad switch out of the mounting bracket. Test the new switch before installing it by following the procedure in Photo 2. Install the new switch and reassemble the dehumidifier.