LG/Goldstar/Kenmore/Friedrich dehumidifier

[jay]

I returned a Friedrich 40 pint electronic dehumidifier because it had the
tendency to cycle too much. I got a 2nd Friedrich unit (same model) and it
has the same issue. Like the Kenmore and Goldstar units, this is made in
China by LG electronics. This 40 pint electronic unit seems to have a rule
where the unit MUST frequently turn itself on for 2 minutes at a time to
measure the humidity, AND during this period the compressor IS turned on.
For example, if the relative humidity is only in the 40s or 50s (according
to digital hygrometers) , and I set the humidistat all the way up to 70%,
the unit repeatedly cycles. It goes on for 2 minutes, and then shuts off
usually for 2.5 to 3 minutes, but *sometimes* off as long as 6 minutes.
When maintaining a moderate humidity this same type of frequent cycling
happens too (which can be 2 mintues on and 2 or 3 minutes off).

How this thing got an Energy Star rating with all the frequent cycling is a
mystery.

I'm just wondering if the LG made "mechanical" units (with a dial for the
humidistat) would be less prone to the frequent cycling, or are they
"electro-mechanical" units that are still programmed to cycle very
frequently when the room humdity is "less than or equal to" the current
setting?

By the way, this particular unit makes a whistling sound (kind of like a tea
kettle whistle) for a few seconds when the compressor starts up (but this
only happens if the unit hasn't been powered down for a while). The one I
returned didn't seem to make the whistling noise, or if it did it wasn't as
noticeable.
Is the whistling normal?

J.

 

[GregS]

In article <_YWwe.12325$JM6.5925@trndny05>, "jay" <jaynews@verizon.net> wrote:

I returned a Friedrich 40 pint electronic dehumidifier because it had the
tendency to cycle too much. I got a 2nd Friedrich unit (same model) and it
has the same issue. Like the Kenmore and Goldstar units, this is made in
China by LG electronics. This 40 pint electronic unit seems to have a rule
where the unit MUST frequently turn itself on for 2 minutes at a time to
measure the humidity, AND during this period the compressor IS turned on.
For example, if the relative humidity is only in the 40s or 50s (according
to digital hygrometers) , and I set the humidistat all the way up to 70%,
the unit repeatedly cycles. It goes on for 2 minutes, and then shuts off
usually for 2.5 to 3 minutes, but *sometimes* off as long as 6 minutes.
When maintaining a moderate humidity this same type of frequent cycling
happens too (which can be 2 mintues on and 2 or 3 minutes off).

How this thing got an Energy Star rating with all the frequent cycling is a
mystery.

I'm just wondering if the LG made "mechanical" units (with a dial for the
humidistat) would be less prone to the frequent cycling, or are they
"electro-mechanical" units that are still programmed to cycle very
frequently when the room humdity is "less than or equal to" the current
setting?

By the way, this particular unit makes a whistling sound (kind of like a tea
kettle whistle) for a few seconds when the compressor starts up (but this
only happens if the unit hasn't been powered down for a while). The one I
returned didn't seem to make the whistling noise, or if it did it wasn't as
noticeable.
Is the whistling normal?

Never heard a whistle. Maybe an internal relief valve?

I would replace the control unit with a relay and external humidistat or humidstat
depending on a Google search. You could add a box to the side for HV
control or just run a wire pair for low voltage sending back to a internal
relay. Since the sensor is so close to the water storage
tank and other humidity inside the dehumidifier, a fan going
off and on is a good thing, if the sensor has to be part of the unit. Mechanical units
I've seen don't cycle, and therefore are less than ideal.They should
just include a wireless remote sensoring of the humidity and do it right.

greg

 

[jay]

The problem with the fan going on and off to sense the humidity is that the
compressor goes on and off too (even when I set the humidistat all the way
up to 70%).

When you say that mechanical units don't cycle...do you mean the don't cycle
at all or don't cycle very frequently. The mechanical units have a dial,
and presumably they cycle in response to changes in humidity depending on
the setting. Are you saying this doesn't really happen?

Thanks,

J.

<Never heard a whistle. Maybe an internal relief valve?

I would replace the control unit with a relay and external humidistat or
humidstat
depending on a Google search. You could add a box to the side for HV
control or just run a wire pair for low voltage sending back to a internal
relay. Since the sensor is so close to the water storage
tank and other humidity inside the dehumidifier, a fan going
off and on is a good thing, if the sensor has to be part of the unit.
Mechanical units
I've seen don't cycle, and therefore are less than ideal.They should
just include a wireless remote sensoring of the humidity and do it right.

greg>

 

[Mike Berger]

Cycling like that is usually a symptom of an inappropriately
sized unit for the space. Are you following the manufacturer's
guidelines?

jay wrote:

I returned a Friedrich 40 pint electronic dehumidifier because it had the
tendency to cycle too much. I got a 2nd Friedrich unit (same model) and it
has the same issue. Like the Kenmore and Goldstar units, this is made in
China by LG electronics. This 40 pint electronic unit seems to have a rule
where the unit MUST frequently turn itself on for 2 minutes at a time to
measure the humidity, AND during this period the compressor IS turned on.
For example, if the relative humidity is only in the 40s or 50s (according
to digital hygrometers) , and I set the humidistat all the way up to 70%,
the unit repeatedly cycles. It goes on for 2 minutes, and then shuts off
usually for 2.5 to 3 minutes, but *sometimes* off as long as 6 minutes.
When maintaining a moderate humidity this same type of frequent cycling
happens too (which can be 2 mintues on and 2 or 3 minutes off).

 

[jay]

<<Cycling like that is usually a symptom of an inappropriately
sized unit for the space. Are you following the manufacturer's
guidelines?>>

Cycling, per se, isn't the problem. The problem is the tendency for very
short cycles when maintaining a moderate humidity (2 minutes on and 2
minutes off). The 40 pint unit isn't so oversized that it really needs to
be cycling *that* frequently. Even if I set the humdistat as high as 70%,
the unit still cycles very frequently although the Off intervals vary, but
it's still cycling on and off like crazy. That can't be good for the
compressor. Clearly, when I tested it with the humidistat at 70%, it
SHOULD NOT have needed to engage the compressor at all, since the room
humidity was low when I did the test (low 50s or lower) , but yet it did
engage the compressor when the room humidity was as much as 25% lower than
the 70% setting, and so very frequently!

 

[jay]

&lt;<I have the same problem with a friedrich window a/c unit,in energy save
mode after the room has cooled and shut down it will "test" the air
about few minutes by running the fan briefly. I find this annoying.
another thing is NO hysterisis in the thermostat,well maybe 1 degree.
it cools ok but wont sit still for a while like the model it replaced
does anyone make units with the bulb type thermostat these days?>&gt;

At least it's not running both the fan AND compressor, like the dehumidifier
does. The dehumidifier actually engages the fan AND compressor when
sampling the air.

My Honeywell digital thermostat, for the Heat and Central A/C, has virtually
no hysteresis either. Even when "smart response" is disabled, It actually
seems to attempt to maintain the temperature precisely to the degree. The
cycling isn't too much, because I think it has some type of built-in
protection against overcycling....however I liked my older Hunter digital
thermostat's algorithm....it was simple to understand....if you set it for
75, and the temperature hit 76 for maybe 15 seconds or more, it would call
for cooling...then cooling will remain on until the air temperature hits 74
for roughly 15 seconds, and then it would shut off until 76 is reached
again.

I just find it strange that the Honeywell will begin calling for cooling
when the air temperature readout is already the same as the target
temperature. It's working out okay, but I think it's trying to be a bit too
clever.

J.

 

[Luddite]

jay &lt;jaynews@verizon.net&gt; wrote:

Cycling like that is usually a symptom of an inappropriately
sized unit for the space. Are you following the manufacturer's
guidelines?

I have the same problem with a friedrich window a/c unit,in energy save
mode after the room has cooled and shut down it will "test" the air
about few minutes by running the fan breifly. I find this annoying.
another thing is NO hysterisis in the thermostat,well maybe 1 degree.
it cools ok but wont sit still for a while like the model it replaced
does anyone make units with the bulb type thermostat these days?

Cycling, per se, isn't the problem. The problem is the tendency for very
short cycles when maintaining a moderate humidity (2 minutes on and 2
minutes off). The 40 pint unit isn't so oversized that it really needs to
be cycling *that* frequently. Even if I set the humdistat as high as 70%,
the unit still cycles very frequently although the Off intervals vary, but
it's still cycling on and off like crazy. That can't be good for the
compressor. Clearly, when I tested it with the humidistat at 70%, it
SHOULD NOT have needed to engage the compressor at all, since the room
humidity was low when I did the test (low 50s or lower) , but yet it did
engage the compressor when the room humidity was as much as 25% lower than
the 70% setting, and so very frequently!