EcoSeb DD122EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier Maintenance

To my knowledge, no public service manual exists, for our EcoSeb DD122EA-SIMPLE Desiccant Dehumidifier, 15-Pint, White, 120V. EcoSeb has a 2-year warranty, and you can initiate warranty service here:
http://ecoseb.com/warranty-service.html

After ~18 months of use, it made a intermittent, high-pitched, rubbing/squeaking noise. Maintenance below resolved the issue.

If new to this, you'll probably want to start by oiling the small motor which turns the zeolite collector wheel. I think that did it, for me. You can also maintain the other things, as well, as below, but I'm guessing that's secondary.

TOOLS USED

• Phillips screwdriver...removes most screws
• 3-In-1 8oz Household Oil...got mine from local Ace Hardware
• Pliers/wrench/spanner...to remove a hex nut
• Vacuum cleaner and dusting brush attachment...cleans zeolite concentrator wheel, and so forth
• Cotton swabs...apply oil, clean ports, and so forth
• Old toothbrush...cleans smaller parts
• Soft surface...I used bath mats

PARTS MAINTAINED

1. Motor powering fan over the zeolite concentrator wheel - opened, oiled
2. Motor turning zeolite concentrator wheel - oil applied to gear with cotton swab (note: couldn't see easy way to remove, without first removing large plastic cover, wiring bundles, and so forth)
3. Zeolite concentrator wheel
1. Vacuumed with dusting brush, removing heavy dust buildup (both sides)
2. Be gentle, can dent/scratch zeolite material, if not careful
4. Motor powering condenser fan - cleaned fan blades with toothbrush and casing with cotton swab, oiled motor shaft
5. Condenser ports - cleaned with cotton swab
6. Spot dusting, cleaning, as seemed reasonable

Most of the parts above need no detailed explanation...some additional notes on the following, for future reference.

REMOVING TOP COVER 

• Unplug unit
• At the top, gently remove plastic airflow director, by bending slightly, in the middle, then removing each side from hole
• Lift the carrying handle, then, using a screwdriver, gently press on the carrying handle retaining tabs, on each side, to release each side of the carrying handle...pull to remove
• Remove seven Phillips screws:
• 2x - behind carrying handle
• 3x - sides of unit, in plastic wells
• 2x - bottom of unit
• Remove water tank, from bottom of the unit
• Remove dust filter, from rear of unit
• Place unit with top-side facing up, then gently separate the top cover and set aside

REMOVING BOTTOM COVER

• Remove screws attaching interior to back cover (2x-3x ???)
• Remove top dial and switch:
• Remove humidistat dial gently by using small flat-blade screwdriver...pull up off shaft
• Remove Economy/Turbo switch gently, by using small flat-blade screwdriver...gently push in plastic tabs on each side and lift out
• Gently (note: a bit sketchy, but it works...) pull up top control panel plastic and slide humidistat shaft under...now you can pull out the entire control panel module
• Remove bottom cover

OIL MOTOR POWERING FAN OVER ZEOLITE CONCENTRATOR WHEEL

• Remove hex nut
• Pull up on black plastic fan cover, to remove
• Vacuum fan cover
• Note: not sure if needed...might just oil motor shaft (?)
• When cool, oil motor:
• Remove four Phillips screws holding motor to plastic cover
• Remove two Phillips screws holding motor case together
• Gently remove metal retaining clip--I used screwdriver
• Pry open motor
• Oil bushings, motor shaft, and so forth
• Re-assemble

OIL MOTOR POWERING CONDENSER FAN

• Remove back cover (??x Phillips screws...I think 2 or 3? Do not force)
• Remove plastic condenser (4x Phillips screws)
• Remove small motor and black plastic fan assembly
• Remove 2-3 Phillips screws holding black fan assembly to case 
• Gently bend back power cord mount and remove fan assembly...a bit tricky, but it does come out
• Remove screws holding silver plate on back of black fan assembly
• Remove silver backing plate (note: some adhesive)
• Clean exposed condenser fan with toothbrush and cotton swab
• Oil motor shaft
• Re-assemble

TESTING

I loosely re-assembled the core into either front/back case, then put in the water tank, then plugged-in and tested, to see if rubbing/squeaking noise resumed.

RESOLUTION

I suspect the small motor turning the zeolite collector wheel represented the source of the rubbing/squeaking noise. After oiling both the motor shaft and the gear, as well as parts of the zeolite collector wheel's gear teeth (note: not the zeolite itself), no more noise. It's great.

Chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef's Nine Basic Needs

Noting, for future reference only:

1. Sustenance
2. Safety
3. Love
4. Understanding
5. Community
6. Recreation
7. Autonomy
8. Creativity
9. Meaning

An elaboration:

ROSENBERG: Let me give you all nine of them, because, according to the Chilean economist, Manfred Max-Neef, we only have about nine needs. Needs are very important to Max-Neef, because his whole, economic system is based on human needs. How do we measure them, so we really gauge our economy, its success, on the meeting of human needs - and not the tragic way we have been measuring it? 

The first one he calls, "sustenance:" food, shelter, and water - the basic, physical needs. Next, "safety:" protection. Next, "love." Next, "understanding." Next, "community." Next, "recreation:" play, rest; he lumps those as one. Then, one of the most important needs of all, "autonomy." Look in the newspaper on any, given day and see how many wars are going on over that need. Human beings have a strong need to be in charge of their own lives, to not have somebody claiming to know what they have to do or should do. Anybody who says that to them, it threatens his or her autonomy. You see all the wars going on between nations. Listen in on any family with children. You will hear autonomy wars. "It's time to go wash up for bed." "No, I don't wanna." "Did you hear me?" "No!" See? An autonomy war. Another need, "creativity." Then, according to Victor Frankl, probably the most important need of all, a need for "meaning:" purpose in life. How sad, how few people on the planet are getting that need met. They are educated to misrepresent needs, according to Michael Lerner. We have been educated to misrepresent our needs. We have been educated to think we have a need to consume, a need for money, a need for status - not realizing those are not needs.

Via:
http://www.goodradioshows.org/peaceTalksL36.html

More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_human_needs

Emily Chaffee

Recommended by a friend:
http://www.empathicspace.com/