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dehumidifier not draining through hose

Dehumidifier Not Draining Through The Hose? 9 Causes & Solutions

Connecting a drain hose to a dehumidifier is ideal for people who find manually emptying the water bucket a chore. While the setup is very simple, it is possible that your machine just can’t drain through the hose as you expect. 

Don’t worry! Fixing it is very easy in most cases. In this post, I’ve summarized 9 causes and solutions for dehumidifiers not draining through the hose and will show you how to prevent it from happening again.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Why does my dehumidifier not drain through the hose? (solutions included)

The working principle of a dehumidifier is not complicated. However, a dehumidifier may be unable to drain through the hose for a variety of reasons.

1. Gravity drain setup issue

Most dehumidifier models drain through the hose by means of gravity. That is to say, you should make sure the water can flow downhill. 

When the floor drain or other types of drainage ports are located on a level above the machine, the collected water will not have enough pressure to rise and may even backflow.

To solve this problem, you can either elevate your device or put the end of your hose in another drainage port that is lower than the machine. Give it a few tries, and you can get it done.  

2. Bended hose

This is a similar issue that affects the water flow. The bends and kinks can decrease the water velocity, making it difficult for water to reach the floor drain.

You can either find a different drain or cut the excess drainage hose so that the water flows directly to the drain.

3. Clogged hose 

If you have used a hose to drain your dehumidifier for a while and notice that the water flow starts to decline or the machine stops draining. There is a good chance that the hose is blocked. 

Bacteria, mold, and other germs will grow and thrive inside the hose over time, and algae will also colonize it. As a result, these impurities will clog the hose, preventing the dehumidifier from draining through it.

You can disconnect the hose, tap it lightly against the wall, and then wash the impurities away with high-pressure water. If the problem persists, fill the hose with a vinegar-water or cleanser solution and rinse it with high-pressure water again.

4. Failed pump 

Some dehumidifiers have a built-in pump or can work with an external pump to make draining through a hose easier. As a result, the machine no longer needs to rely on gravity to drain the water.

When the pump fails, it cannot pump water above your machine’s level, resulting in no water coming out of the hose.

If you are using an external pump, you can replace it with a new one, whereas you may need to hire a pro to replace or repair it if you have an internal pump. The latter option could be expensive. 

5. The plug is not removed 

Many dehumidifiers have a plug and cap on the drain port that prevents water from draining when the hose is not in use.

You should remove the hose and inspect it for any plugs or caps that prevent the water from draining. If so, uninstall it and try again.

6. Loose hose adapter 

When the connection between the dehumidifier and the drain hose becomes loose, water leaks and continues to enter the water bucket.

You can test it by emptying the bucket and then restarting the machine to see if any water appears in the bucket.

Tighten the adapter with a plier to see if the machine drains through the hose again.

7. Dehumidifier bucket is full

Many units will turn off automatically when the bucket is full via a water level sensor. Even if you choose to drain the water through a hose, the machine will continue to shut off as long as the tank is full. 

Emptying the bucket before connecting it to the hose will solve this problem. 

8. Dehumidifier bucket is removed

Likewise, the dehumidifier may stop draining water when the bucket is removed. Once the hose is connected to the machine, you need to replace the bucket. Otherwise, the machine will stop collecting water.

9. The hose end is in the standing water

There is standing water under the floor drain or sink. Some people like to insert the end of the hose into the standing water, which may inhibit the water from draining due to the water pressure. 

You can pull out the hose from the standing water to see if the problem is alleviated.

How to make the dehumidifier drain through the hose properly?

Based on the issues we discussed above, I have come up with some tips that can help your dehumidifier drain the water through the hose smoothly.

1. Dump the water in the bucket before connecting the hose to the dehumidifier. 

2. Make sure the hose adapter is securely attached to the drain port on the machine.

3. Put the water bucket back before running the device. 

4. Ensure the water can go downhill to the floor drain without bends. 

5. Clean the drainage hose on a regular basis to keep impurities at bay. 

Conclusion 

Many people choose to drain a dehumidifier through a hose since you can frequently save time on dumping the water. However, it can go wrong at some point. 

When you notice your dehumidifier can’t drain through the hose properly, you can troubleshoot the abovementioned problems. In most cases, the clogged hose and wrong positioning are the culprits. 

Except for replacing the internal pump, you can fix it on your own. 

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Liz Yang is the founder of Airsmartly. She has been working at home for a few years and realizes that the performance of the HVAC system plays such an important role in our life. She has tested more than 150 products in person, including humidifiers, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and ACs, and wants to share tips about using or troubleshooting these products with you. Her uncle is an HVAC expert with over 30 years of experience in the field, and often offers assistance when she is unsure how to handle a situation. He is also in charge of reviewing the articles on this site.

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