My unit continues to run and the coils frost up. I believe it may be caused by the controller not working any longer. Comfort-aire BHD-501. GF

Capacitor
If your dehumidifier is no longer pulling water from the air and you have verified that the ambient room temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, then the unit's compressor may not be running. The compressor is the pump that circulates the refrigerant through the evaporator to extract moisture from the air. There is a capacitor in the compressor circuit to help the compressor motor to start and if the capacitor has failed then the compressor won't run. If the compressor doesn't run or if the overload device continues to trip, then you may have a defective capacitor. An accurate diagnosis can be determined by a qualified person using special test equipment.
Overload
If your dehumidifier is no longer pulling water from the air and you have verified that the ambient room temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, then the unit's compressor may not be running. The compressor is the pump that circulates the refrigerant through the evaporator to extract moisture from the air. There is a device in the compressor circuit called an overload and it is used to protect the compressor motor from damage. If the overload has failed then the compressor won't start. If you have verified that the compressor doesn't run, then you can test the overload for continuity with a multi-meter. A common cause for the overload to fail is from operating the dehumidifier on long or undersized extension cords.
Fan Motor

If your dehumidifier is not making water and you have verified that the ambient temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, then you may have a faulty fan motor. For proper operation, a dehumidifier needs to have an adequate amount of air blowing across the evaporator coils to prevent frost or ice buildup. If you feel little or no air coming through the grille area and the filter is clean, then remove the cover and check the fan area. Inspect the coils to make sure that they are not restricted with lint or dirt and clean them if necessary. Make sure that the fan motor rotates freely and that the fan blade or blower wheel is firmly attached to the motor shaft. Using caution, operate the unit in a fan only mode and observe the fan motor. If it hums but does not rotate or only rotates slowly then it is defective and will need to be replaced. If the motor does not rotate and does not appear to make any sound, it may still be defective, but will require further testing by someone who is comfortable with using a multi-meter and working with live electrical circuits.
Electronic Control Board or PCB Assembly

If your dehumidifier is no longer pulling water from the air and you have verified that the ambient room temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, then the unit's compressor or fan motor may not be operating. The compressor is the pump that circulates the refrigerant through the evaporator, and the fan motor blows air across the evaporator coils to extract the moisture. On some modern dehumidifiers an electronic control board, often called the PCB, is used to control the compressor and fan motor. The control board has sensors connected to it that monitor the relative humidity and when the level is higher than the control setting, the control board will activate relays to turn on the compressor and fan motor. If you have an electronic control model and the compressor or the fan is not operating, then the electronic control may be at fault. A voltage test, using a multi-meter at the output relays, would be required to help in the diagnosis as well as confirmation that the sensors are operating normally.

Thank you for your post, K!

I understand that your Frigidaire dehumidifier is continuously running and it is not collecting water. This can be caused by a dirty filter. A dirty filter can restrict air flow which will allow your dehumidifier to not pull in air. I would recommend checking your filter to make sure it is clean.

Frost on the coils within your dehumidifier will also cause your dehumidifier to stop working as well. You should check to make sure that there is not frost visible on your dehumidifier. If you do locate frost you would need to perform a manual defrost on your dehumidifier and you can do that by disconnecting power from it for at least two to three hours.

If these steps do not resolve your issue you may need to reach out to the manufacturer for a proper resolution. I hope this information is helpful to you. -Matt

After the unit is totally thawed and dried, turn the unit Off if you haven't already and unplug it. Remove the filter and clean it. If it's really dirty wash it with warm water and dish washing liquid, thoroughly rinse it and allow it to completely dry, before reinstalling. DO NOT operate the unit without the filter in place.

Because the air temperature in a basement is colder at floor level, than at shoulder level, this caused the coils to freeze. Dehumidifiers do not work well at temperatures at or below 60 degrees F. That is, unless, it's a Low Temperature model, designed especially for basement applications. Obviously, yours isn't a Low Temp model.

To overcome this, place the unit up on a sturdy table, counter top, etc, that can handle the weight of the unit, as well as a full bucket of water. The higher off the floor the better. This way, the ambient operational temperature will be higher and the coils will have less of chance to freeze again.

I would suggest that continue to monitor the unit and if you notice that it's doing more than a little frosting on the coils, turn the unit OFF immediately. A little frosting is normal and the deforst mode should kick in and thaw the coils. When this happens, the compressor should automatically shut OFF, but the fan will continue to run. Once it's defrosted, the compressor will start again, if necessary.

I hope this helped you to troubleshoot and solve the problem. Please let me know.

Hi, The unit has leaking freon and is low on charge... not worth fixing...
Here is a tip that I wrote that will help you understand why and what you cando with a dehumidifier that ices up.

Dehumidifier is Freezing up and not working

heatman101

The room temperature is probably too cold, or there's poor airflow
Here's some info that should help you figure out what's causing the problem:

If the evaporator coil is frosting completely and evenly, the most common cause is that the room temperature is too cold. Most dehumidifiers are not meant to be used when the room temperature drops much below 70°F and certainly not below 65°F (depending on humidity). There are however some models called "basement" dehumidifiers which are.

Another possible cause on standard models is poor air flow through the unit. If the fan motor is not turning fast enough (or at all) or the evaporator, condenser or filter (if used) being plugged can also cause this symptom .

Most dehumidifiers have a defrost cycle that they run through, as needed. But, apparently, your is not functioning. Eventually, yours will stop collecting moisture, if this continues. In the interim, I would suggest turning the Master OnN/OFF Switch to OFF and unplug the unit until it thaws. While it's unplugged, remove and clean the air intake filter on the front of the unit. If it's clogged it causes the unit to strain and may cause it to ice up. Once the filter is clean and the unit is un-thawed. Plug the unit back in and turn the Master ON/OFF Switch to ON and set the controls as you normally do. Hopefully, that period of being unplugged will have allowed the unit to reset itself and work properly.

I have included a link to your Owners Manual that you can download and print for future reference.

aire.com/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=436&format=raw">http://www.comfort-
aire.com/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=436&format=raw

If the above link fails go to the following link below and click on Owner Manual, near the top of the page.

aire.com/room-air-conditioners/149-portable-dehumidifiers/122-bhd-301-g">http://www.comfort-aire.com/room-air-conditioners/149-portable-dehumidifiers/122-bhd-301-g

Hope this helps you solve the problem.

It's cold outside. If the temperature is too low, the cold coils will just frost up and you won't get much water 'pulled'.
Check to see if the cold coils actually are getting cold when the unit is running and the control is set to cause the compressor to work-not just the fan.
If the coils are cold and full of frost or ice, the room is too cold for the dehumidifier to work. You'll have to raise the temperature of the room or wait for warmer weather.
If the coils never get cold, the compressor might be bad or the unit might have lost its freon.
I wonder, though, if it's just too cool and dry right now for a dehumidifier to be pulling more moisture out of the air.
Hope this helps!

Dehumdifiers work by cooling a coil below the dew point temperature of the ambient air. When this happens frost or water will form on the coil. Most room dehumidifiers work with the room temperature above 65 deg F. It works well when the temperature of the room is 65 deg F or higher. But when the temp is below 65, it won't work because the coil does not reach the dew point.

There are cold temperature dehumidifiers that are designed to work in colder environments such as basements. They can work in a environment as cold as 40 deg F. Check your owners manual to see what type of humidifier you have to see what is the minimum operating temperature for you unit. Hope this helps you.

need to check freon sounds like it low on charge.

Most dehumidifiers these days have a built in defrost control, which turns the compressor off when the coils frost up while the fan continues to blow to help melt the frost off, so if it is frosting you may need a new defrost control, but first check the following: If your model has an air filter, clean it, as restriction of air flow will contribute to icing. Try to move the unit to a warmer location. Usually the best way to do this is to get it above the floor as far as possible, as the air temp is warmer closer to the ceiling than it is at the floor. Make sure there is plenty of room for air to circulate. (don't push it against a wall)