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Yesterday, I bought a GE dehumidifier from Home Depot. I need to return it for a long dumb reason. But when I move it around, it keeps sloshing around and I don't want this thing to leak all over the place. I would prefer to deliver to Home Depot a completely dry, very nearly-unused dehumidifier. What do I need to do? Just turn it upside down (like the packaging told me not to)? Open some secret compartment?

Andrew202
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  • Did the dehumidifier come with a manual? See the chapter on How to Empty Your GE Dehumidifier. – MTA Sep 06 '23 at 19:41
  • It should have a drain tube/pipe or a way to dump/take out the tank/water holder. – crip659 Sep 06 '23 at 19:41
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    I'll let others chime in since I'm not sure, but it could be the refrigerant that you are hearing sloshing around inside the piping not water. If there is water inside somewhere then it should dry out as there can't be much left once the pan is empty. If it is the refrigerant sloshing about then that's not going anywhere since it is sealed inside. – MacGuffin Sep 06 '23 at 19:43
  • @MTA if comments could be downvoted, I would. The manual will tell you how to tip out the bucket, but it won't say anything about the parts that feed into it, which is the op's problem – Chris H Sep 07 '23 at 07:10
  • As so many people have assumed you haven't emptied the bucket, which isn't how I read your use of "completely", can you confirm you've done that? – Chris H Sep 07 '23 at 07:20
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    @ChrisH If we ever hear back from the OP, we'll know what his problem was. We both know our way around dehumidifiers, and I say that the only thing that will "slosh" when you roll a dehumidifier is the bucket that he was unaware of. If my tongue-in-cheek comment helps convert him from one of the 64% of men who never open a manual for their device to one of the 36% who do, I've done my good deed for the day. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8346810.stm – MTA Sep 07 '23 at 12:40

2 Answers2

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The collection container should be well-described in the manual, not in any way a "secret compartment" - remove it and dump it.

All the GE dehumidifiers I see at HD right now (since you didn't give a model number) seem to have a rather obvious "bottom front pulls out" collection bucket.

Ecnerwal
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Unlike some responses, I'm going to assume that you've done the obvious step of taking out the collection bucket and emptying that, and you can still hear water further up.

That wouldn't be surprising as there's a sort of tray or wide, flat funnel to catch the water falling off the cold coils and take it to the bucket. I've dismantled a couple to repair them, so know my way around.

With the bucket in, tilting the whole thing from side to side and front to back will encourage the water to reach the outlet. If there's a connection for a continuous drain hose, try opening that and tilting. Tipping it over, even right onto the side, back, or front, is a bad idea. It could easily get water into the electrics.

If you have a wet vacuum cleaner, you can try holding it tight to the drain hose hole, or, looking in where the bucket sits, there should be a hole in the ceiling of that area. You could also blow air through the hose hole if you have the means.

A quick and easy, at least partial, solution is to pack the bucket with a towel, open the hose connector (if present), wrap it in another towel, and transport like that, repacking when you get back to the store.

If you want total dryness, after the above, leave it in a warm sunny place for a couple of days, perhaps with a fan blowing into the front.

Chris H
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    I noted (before answering) that the question does not mention the OP dumping any water. Not "I dumped the bucket, but I still hear water." And a little in the tray won't "slosh." – Ecnerwal Sep 07 '23 at 15:06
  • @Ecnerwal but they do say "completely" rather than the very naive "how do I get any water out". And the one I got rid of recently (after cleaning compressor oil off my kitchen floor) did hold enough to slosh around audibly if moved with the bucket empty or removed, I think where the catching tray went towards the hose connector I didn't use – Chris H Sep 07 '23 at 15:22