There are numerous processes occurring concurrently inside your dehumidifier. For instance, while the fan in your dehumidifier is running, it draws moist air inside the dehumidifier. The air is passed through a condenser and the water vapor in the air is collected in the dehumidifier’s water tank.
The air is then moved through hot coils before being propelled out of the dehumidifier by the fan. The parts of the dehumidifier involved in regulating these processes have to work correctly to promote effective humidity removal from the air.
If your dehumidifier is leaking, possible issues include having a cracked water tank, poor alignment of the water tank with the other parts of the dehumidifier, using a small hose pipe, bent drain pipe or using a loosely fitted hosepipe, blocked hosepipe, and disconnected drain pipe.
While there are numerous reasons that your dehumidifier might be leaking, this post will address the most common issues that often lead to water leaks.
This post covers the following:
- Why is my dehumidifier leaking from the bottom? Plus possible solutions
- Why is my dehumidifier overflowing?
Below is a summarized list of potential reasons why your dehumidifier is leaking from the bottom.
- Using a small or extra-large hose pipe
- Bent drain pipe
- Using a loosely fitted hose pipe
- Blocked hosepipe
- Cracked water tank
- Misaligned water tank
- Malfunctioning overflow switch
- Malfunctioned dehumidifier
- Full water tank
Why Is my Dehumidifier Leaking From the Bottom? Plus Possible Solution
Using a Small or Extra-Large Hose Pipe
If your dehumidifier has a continuous drain, you are likely to use the hose pipe the dehumidifier came with or buy a hose pipe so that you do not have to keep emptying your dehumidifier manually.
While you are less likely to experience a misfit when using a hosepipe the dehumidifier came with, the same cannot be said for when you buy a hosepipe separately.
If your hosepipe is too small, it will not be able to cover the opening on the water tank well, which means that it might easily leak.
Similarly, if the hosepipe in your dehumidifier is too large, some water might leak through the space between the hosepipe and the dehumidifier’s water outlet.
How to Fix It
When buying a hosepipe for your dehumidifier, ensure that you check the specifications in the dehumidifier’s manual to get an idea of the type and size of hosepipe that would be right for your dehumidifier.
Always ensure that you test the fitting of your hosepipe when you buy it to ensure that it will drain the water in the dehumidifier’s water tank well without leaking.
If you do not want to wait until your dehumidifier is full to test the hosepipe, you can simply fill the dehumidifier’s water tank with water and then test the fitting of the hosepipe. Generally, it is important to buy a hosepipe that fits your dehumidifier perfectly.
Bent drain pipe
A bent drain pipe would not be effective in emptying the water in a dehumidifier. If your drain pipe is bent, the water will accumulate between the dehumidifier and the area where the drain pipe is bent.
The pressure created by the water will lead to leakages at the point where the drainpipe is connected to the dehumidifier. Alternatively, the pressure created by the water in the bent drain pipe could make the dehumidifier’s water tank overflow.
How to Fix It
If you notice that the drain pipe is bent, straighten the pipe to promote proper water drainage. You should also place the drain pipe on a flat surface either on the same ground level as the dehumidifier or below the dehumidifier to ease the water drainage process.
Ensure that you check the entire drain pipe for bents, sharp turns, areas where an object might have been placed on top of the drain pipe, or areas where the pipe is knotted around itself. Resolving these issues will ensure that the drain pipe empties the water in the dehumidifier well.
Using a loosely fitted hose pipe
A loosely fitted hosepipe can be a source of water leakage. Check the area where the hosepipe is connected to the dehumidifier’s outlet for any leaks. The hosepipe might be loosely fitted to the dehumidifier.
Placing a dehumidifier in a busy place can also promote water leaks, especially when someone hits the water pipe or dislodges the drain pipe while standing or passing near the dehumidifier.
How to Fix It
Ensure that the area where the hosepipe is connected to the dehumidifier is fitted tightly to avoid water leaks. If the hosepipe does not fit the dehumidifier’s water outlet well, you should consider getting a new hosepipe that is more suitable for the dehumidifier.
Ensure that you place your dehumidifier away from walkways or busy areas in your home. You should also ensure that you inform the people in your home about the location of the dehumidifier to avoid unnecessary water spills or leaks accidents.
Blocked Hosepipe
A blocked hosepipe can be a source of water leaks. If your hosepipe is blocked, there is a high likelihood that you will notice water leaks near your dehumidifier.
How to Fix It
Unblock the hosepipe by allowing high-pressure water to pass through the hosepipe. You can connect the hosepipe to a tap and then turn the knob on the tap until the water released is at its highest pressure. This should push whatever is blocking the hosepipe out.
You should also consider investing in a flexible pipe cleaner brush for your hosepipe. While you might not be able to push the brush through the entire hosepipe, you can use it to clean the ends of the hosepipe.
Another applicable solution would be to get a much smaller hosepipe that can fit into your hosepipe, connect it to a tap and push it through the blocked hosepipe.
This is a great solution for when you cannot unclog the hosepipe, as it will ensure that the dirt is pushed out with the force of the smaller hosepipe and the water streaming from the smaller hosepipe.
Cracked Water Tank
Dropping your dehumidifier, not handling your dehumidifier well, or exposing your dehumidifier to heat or extreme cold can damage the dehumidifier’s water tank. A crack can be a source of a water leak, especially if it is a big crack.
Check all the sides of the water tank for cracks. Ensure that you also check the lower side of the dehumidifier for any cracks.
If you have been using your dehumidifier for several years, your dehumidifier might be at risk of cracks and other forms of damage.
How to Fix It
If your dehumidifier has a crack, you can either get it repaired or consider buying a new dehumidifier.
You can also reach out to the manufacturer and request a new water tank that matches the model of your dehumidifier. This will save you any additional costs that you might have incurred by buying a new dehumidifier.
The nature of the crack will determine whether the damage can be covered by your warranty or not. If you bought the dehumidifier and noticed a crack when you first used it, the manufacturer can offer you a different dehumidifier or water tank for your dehumidifier.
However, if you dropped or damaged the dehumidifier yourself, you might be required to pay a certain amount of money to cover the cost of the new water tank. Either way, it would be much cheaper to buy a new water tank when compared to getting a new dehumidifier.
Note that using a cracked dehumidifier will expose the areas around the dehumidifier to water spill damage.
Misaligned Water Tank
If you are using a portable dehumidifier, it means you are relying on a removable water tank to collect the water drawn from the air in your home.
Every time the water tank fills up with water it needs to be emptied. If you don’t insert the water tank in the dehumidifier correctly or if you accidentally knock the water tank out of its position during the day, the water in the water tank might start leaking out (especially if the water tank is almost full).
How to Fix It
Unplug the device and then remove the water tank. Empty the water tank and pipe down any spills inside the dehumidifier and on the surface where you had placed the dehumidifier.
Return the water tank to its correct position. You can follow the instructions in the manual to learn how to determine that the water tank is in its correct position.
If you do not have your manual, just ensure that the water tank is lying flat in its allocated position and that it is tightly locked into place.
Malfunctioning Overflow Switch
An overflow switch is a useful component in dehumidifiers as it is designed to prevent water overflows when the water tank is filled with water. The overflow switch works by turning off the dehumidifier to prevent further collection of water in the dehumidifier.
Since a dehumidifier is designed to draw humidity from the air in your home, an overflow of the water in the water tank defeats the purpose of having a dehumidifier in the first place. As such, most dehumidifiers have an overflow switch to prevent these incidents.
Causes of overflow switch malfunctions include the wrong installation of the overflow switch, a switch that has not been reset after emptying the water tank, and a broken switch.
How to Fix It
If your overflow switch has malfunctioned, ensure that you check its position to ensure that it has been installed properly and reset the switch, if you recently emptied your dehumidifier. If these solutions do not work, consider calling your manufacturer for a consult.
Malfunctioned Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier, just like any other appliance in your home can malfunction for many reasons. Common issues that affect the longevity of your device include poor storage when you are not using it, mechanical damage resulting from dropping or kicking the device, and poor maintenance practices.
How to Fix It
If your dehumidifier has malfunctioned and your warranty is still valid, you can contact your manufacturer for a product exchange or a consult on how to fix the dehumidifier.
If it is a dehumidifier that you have had for a while, you might need to replace the dehumidifier, especially if the damage cannot be fixed (either by the manufacturer or someone else skilled in repairing similar products).
Some of the tips that you should consider to prolong the durability of your dehumidifier include cleaning the dehumidifier regularly, emptying the dehumidifier when the water tank is full, and placing the dehumidifier away from a busy area or out of children’s reach.
Full Water Tank
A dehumidifier can leak when the water tank is full. While some dehumidifiers have pre-set timers that turn off the dehumidifier when it is full, some models do not have this feature.
Check your dehumidifier to assess whether it has an auto shut-off feature that turns off the dehumidifier when it is full. Ordinarily, if a dehumidifier has an auto shut-off feature and relies on manual drainage, the dehumidifier will stop working after the water tank is full.
How to Fix It
If the water tank is full, simply empty the water tank and reassemble the dehumidifier correctly. This will fix the problem and ensure that your dehumidifier is ready to collect more water.
Water leakage caused by a full water tank is common in dehumidifiers that do not have a timer or a pre-installed setting for switching off the dehumidifier when the water tank is full.
It is advisable to read the manufacturer’s guidelines that came with your dehumidifier to ensure that you understand how your dehumidifier works and whether or not it has a timer.
If your dehumidifier does not have a timer setting, then you should ensure that every time you use the dehumidifier, you empty the water tank when it is full or about the get full.
Why is My Dehumidifier Overflowing?
Blocked outlet
If you are using continuous drainage, your dehumidifier might be overflowing because the outlet at the bottom of the dehumidifier is blocked.
Some of the reasons that could lead to blockage include, the presence of dirt from the air in your home, soap deposits (if you clean your dehumidifier with soap), and/or an object or dirt that might have fallen in the water tank while the water tank was open.
Solution: Empty the water tank manually, then clean the water tank. After that, fill the water halfway and try to empty the water tank through the water tank’s lower outlet.
If the outlet is still blocked, try unblocking it with a thin pen or the thin end of a spoon. Ensure that anything you choose to use to unblock the outlet can fit in the outlet.
Blocked hosepipe
Your dehumidifier could be overflowing because of a blocked hosepipe. A hosepipe can get blocked if you have not been using it for a long time and dirt accumulated inside the hosepipe.
This can easily happen if there was a flood or hurricane in your area recently. The dirty water and dirt can easily accumulate in a hosepipe.
Solution: If you suspect that your hosepipe is blocked, simply connect the hosepipe to a tap and allow high-pressure water to flow through the hosepipe. This trick will clear any debris or dirt that might have accumulated in the hosepipe.
Alternatively, you could get another hosepipe if you do not want to go through the problem of unplugging the clogged hosepipe or if you are unable to remove the dirt from the hosepipe.
Full water tank
An overflowing water tank can damage your dehumidifier, especially if the water flows towards the electric cord or other internal parts of the dehumidifier.
Solution: If your dehumidifier does not have a continuous drainage option, you will need to empty the water tank manually every time the water tank is full.
Additionally, if you notice that the water tank is almost full, you should empty the dehumidifier’s water tank instead of waiting for the tank to overflow.
Recommended Read: Can you place a dehumidifier on a carpet?
Conclusion
We hope that this post has been insightful and that it has helped you resolve your dehumidifier’s water-leaking problem.
Follow the maintenance guidelines in your dehumidifier’s manual to ensure that you care for your dehumidifier as recommended by the manufacturer. This will prolong the longevity of your dehumidifier.
If you checked everything that we have discussed above and you notice that the dehumidifier is still leaking, consider asking a professional who is skilled in repairing common household appliances to take a look at the dehumidifier. If the dehumidifier has malfunctioned, they might be able to repair it.
