Domestic Humidifier - My Ebac Homedry keeps blowing a fuse!

by Roger
(Stafford, England)

My Ebac Homedry has operated perfectly for many years but recently has started to blow the mains 5amp fuse. It has done this quite a few times and when the fuse is replaced it again operates OK sometimes for a couple of days and very often more than a week. Any ideas to solve this mystery would be welcome.

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Answer

Hello Roger and thank you for your question.

The first thing to say is that a blown fuse may indicate a problem with serious safety implications. For that reason it would be wrong for me to recommend any action on your part other than to consult a qualified electrician who will be able to identify the source of any fault and advise you as to the action you may take without incurring a risk to your safety, that of others or your property

You mention the "mains fuse". As you live in the UK You will have a "consumer unit", previously described as a ""fuse box", somewhere in your home. The "fuse box" literally describes a box which contains fuses which protect the circuits in the home. When the fuse blows it is replaced by inserting new fuse wire in the fuse holder. In more recently installed systems these have been replaced by circuit breakers which may be "tripped" by something as simple as a light bulb burning out. These are reset by returning the circuit breaker switch to its original position.

Wall mounted power sockets in the UK are wired for currents of 13 amps and are typically on a ring circuit protected by a 30 amp fuse or circuit breaker. I assume that your dehumidifier is plugged into a wall socket. If this is the case my assumption is that the fuse you are referring to is in the electric plug of the dehumidifier and not in the consumer unit. If my assumptions are wrong you should consult an electrician immediately.

The current Ebac model named "Homedry" is a 25 litres per day unit and is a version within the Ebac 6000 range. This model requires a 13 amp fuse in the plug. As you refer to having had your Homedry for many years it may be a member of an earlier Ebac range which included units with a lower water removal capacity. It is possible that your model, like other lower capacity models in the current range, only needs a 5 amp fuse in the plug. If you still have your manual you should be able to confirm this. If not I suggest you contact Ebac for advice:

Tel: 0845 634 1392 (Mon-Fri 9.00am to 5.00pm)

Email: customer.services@ebac.com

Address: Ebac Ltd, Ketton Way, Aycliffe Industrial Park, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DL5 6SQ

If you are sure that your electrical supply is sound and that the fuse in the plug is the correct type the most likely explanation is a fault in the dehumidifier, probably a short circuit. This could be in the plug itself, which you could change, the power cable or the dehumidifier.

I do not recommend DIY repairs to dehumidifiers. Electrical faults in a dehumidifier can result in the unit catching fire and an incomplete or incorrect "repair" could increase that risk.

Having first removed the plug from the wall socket you could look inside the dehumidifier to see if there is an obvious cause for a short circuit such as a loose connection or an exposed wire. If so you could ask a qualified person to repair it and the cost should be modest.

If there is no obvious cause you have two choices. Either you take the dehumidifier for repair or you discard and replace it. In my experience it is becoming increasingly difficult to find anyone to undertake repairs and, if you are able to do so, the cost may be prohibitive. Testing a faulty dehumidifier usually incurs a significant cost while any but the most trivial of repairs may require costly parts and costlier labour charges. These tasks should be undertaken by a qualified refrigeration engineer, not an electrician.

I am sorry that I cannot give you more welcome advice. It is cold comfort I know but if your dehumidifier has served you well for many years you have been more fortunate than many other dehumidifier owners and it may simply time to pension off your old friend. :)

Tom (Webmaster)