Dehumidifier capacitor location/ problem?

[Kimkats]

Hello! I ha e a Frigidaire ffad3033r10 Dehumidifier that you helped me fix last fall - the dastardly F0 code?   Relocated the sensor to the cooling tube and no more F0, but it won’t collect water. I know I should probably ditch it, but I’d like to try one more fix for it and see if it works. The fan runs but no water collects. I’ve done a bit of research and the most likely culprit is the compressor capacitor.  This sounds really dumb, but I’m not sure where that *is*..... I’m assuming it’s on the bottom near the compressor but I don’t see anything that looks like one... I see the compressor and to the left of it is a silver colored box that the cord goes into at the bottom... Is the capacitor in there? And how long does it take for o e to discharge on its own? I don’t want to get flipped across the room by touching it!

 

many nu thanks for any help you might offer!

kim 

[ECtoFix]

Start capacitors are normally mounted on or near the compressor.  At least, that's typical for the HVAC & refrigeration equipment that I've worked on.

An audible indicator that a start cap has gone bad is when you can hear the compressor's overload cycling (two clicks) every couple of minutes.  After the overload trips, it takes about that long before resetting.  When it DOES reset and the overload condition still exists, the overload will trip again in about a second.

If you're not hearing that, then I doubt that your problem is a bad capacitor.  It can EASILY be tested using the CAPACITOR TEST mode of your multimeter.

 

According to the diagram below, follow the the yellow and blue wires from the compressor and they will lead to the capacitor:

 

The capacitor will look like this:

 

[ECtoFix]

UPDATE:

That last photo might be incorrect and MIGHT be for the fan motor. 

Repair parts aren't made readily available for that unit since it's cheap and has no service support market.  Therefore, little to no repair parts sales for it.

[Kimkats]

Hi and thanks for your responses!  I did a little more disassembling and capacitor for the compressor in hidden in the silver box.  I opened it up and it’s a round capacitor with “15 u F” on the top.  I have a couple photo of it on my iPad, but not sure how to insert them here?  I’ll close up the silver box next to the compressor and turn it on, and listen for the clicks.

 

if it’s not the capacitor, what else might it be?

[Kimkats]

Also, how long after it’s been unplugged is it safe to mess with hot the capacitor? I don’t want to get zapped by it!   thank you!

[ECtoFix]

7 minutes ago, Kimkats said:

if it’s not the capacitor, what else might it be?

Well...

Are you even certain that the compressor isn't running? 

Especially on small systems like that one, a running compressor can be nearly indiscernible.  An amp clamp would definitely tell you if it IS running.  Otherwise, I'd unplug the blower motor to eliminate its noise and vibration.  With that gone, you could hear the whisper-quiet drone of the compressor and feel its vibration.

8 minutes ago, Kimkats said:

Also, how long after it’s been unplugged is it safe to mess with hot the capacitor?

A capacitor can remain charged indefinitely.   Simply (and carefully) unplug the wires from it, then bridge the terminals with the shank of a screwdriver for a few seconds.  If it IS retaining a charge, that will discharge it.

[ECtoFix]

Forgive me for not stating obvious stuff you should look for.  Since I failed to realize your unfamiliarity with how the system works, I forgot to ask.

• Have you already put your hands on the compressor lines to check for any temperature change when it should be running?
• Have you visually inspected & touched the evap/condenser coils for signs of cooling/heating?

Those two would've been the first things I would have done.

[Kimkats]

I just checked that, based on your reply. I turned on the unit and it took a couple minutes for the compressor to kick on.  It’s been running for a few minutes, and the only tube I feel getting cold is the little stubby one by the coils-  and it’s frosting up - the one I attached the sensor to to fix the F0 problem?  I don’t feel the coils getting cold, but the copper tube that goes into (or maybe out of) the compressor is getting hot.EDIT:  ive left it run a bit longer and some of he coils are starting to frost a bit... is that a good sign? 

Thank you SO much for your patience and help. And tell me if this is more trouble than it’s worth... it starting to sound like it’s going to be a lost cause...

[ECtoFix]

1 hour ago, Kimkats said:

 ive left it run a bit longer and some of he coils are starting to frost a bit... is that a good sign? 

There should be NO frost. 

On a fully charged system, the pressure in the evaporator coil would be in a range where the refrigerant's saturation temperature runs in the forties (°F).   The same range as an air-conditioners do.  As such, the evaporator coil should be uniformly cold and moisture (condensation) should be forming throughout the coil's fins.

Your system has lost a majority of its charge due to a leak somewhere.   The frost you're seeing is where the capillary tubes (the metering device) are feeding the coil.  Because the remaining refrigerant charge is so low, the pressure is also low.  As such, its saturation temperature is running well below 32°F..  What little smidgen of remaining refrigerant there IS - is immediately flashing to gas as it absorbs heat upon entering that stub.

 

1 hour ago, Kimkats said:

it starting to sound like it’s going to be a lost cause...

Yup...

[Kimkats]

Ok, just checked it again, and there’s some frost on the fins and the bottom 2 rows of coils, BUT there’s also some water in the bucket! Not sure how long a lifespan this Dehumidifier will have but is there any harm in running it this way? Figure if there’s not, I’ll just run it til it drops..  thank you again!

[ECtoFix]

44 minutes ago, Kimkats said:

there’s some frost on the fins and the bottom 2 rows of coils, BUT there’s also some water in the bucket!

The extended FROSTED lines simply means that those sections are devoid of adequate heat to be absorbed (it's already frozen).  Within the constraints resulting from the low existing charge, the frost will continue to form until there's a formation of ice restricting airflow in that section.  So...maybe a couple of runs in the coil, but that would be about it.

Water in the bucket?  Well, good luck with that.

[Kimkats]

We’ll, the frost has disappeared now, and there isn’t a lot of water in the bucket, but there’s some... is there any problem runnng the thing til it quits? Is there any danger, like will it overheat or catch ?  If it poses any kind of hazard, I’ll Just get rid of it, but if not, I’ll just run it til it dies for good.  

[Larry Berger]

I get an FO error code and have cleaned the sensor in the tube soldered to the coil. What does this sense do

Does it need to be in the tube or can it be out?

thanks for the reply.