4
3 Maintenance
3.1 Air Filter
The Phoenix 300 is equipped with a 4” thick, 35%
efficient pleated fabric air filter that must be checked
regularly. Operating the unit with a dirty filter will reduce
the dehumidifier’s capacity and efficiency and may
cause the compressor to cycle off and on
unnecessarily on the defrost control.
Two optional filters are available: A) a 2” pleated filter
that has the same efficiency as the 4” standard filter,
but less surface area. This filter would need to be
changed more often than the 2” version. B) a 95%
efficient 4” filter that acts as an air scrubber to catch
mold and mildew spores.
The filter can generally be vacuumed clean several
times before needing replacement. Replacement filters
can be ordered from the factory or purchased locally if
available.
DO NOT
operate the unit without the filter or
with a less effective filter as the heat exchange coils
inside the unit could become clogged and require
disassembly to clean.
3.2 Blower Oiling
The blower motor is lubricated for life from the factory
and does not require oiling by the owner.
3.3 Storage
There are two issues to consider when the Phoenix
300 is stored between uses and both pertain to the
water trapped in the unit: damage caused by freezing
and biological growth. The effect of the trapped water
can be greatly reduced if precautions are taken to
remove as much as possible before storage.
1. Use the pump purge switch (see Sec. 2.7 & Fig. 4)
to reduce the water level in the reservoir.
2. Stretch the hose flat to drain it completely.
If the unit will not be exposed to freezing temperatures,
an alternative way to reduce biological growth is to
flush the unit with a bio-fungicide that is approved for
use with copper, aluminum and polyethylene. To flush:
1. Run the hose to a drain.
2. Plug in the unit but do not turn it on.
3. Remove the air filter. Slowly pour a quart of the
chemical through the top grille so that it drains into
the white plastic slots.
4. Hold in the pump purge switch to reduce the water
level in the reservoir.
4 Service
CAUTION
: Servicing the Phoenix 300 with its
high
pressure
refrigerant system and
high voltage
circuitry
presents a health hazard that could result in
death
,
serious bodily
injury
, and/or
property damage
. Only
qualified service people should service this unit.
4.1 Warranty
A warranty certificate has been enclosed with this unit;
read it before any repair is initiated.
If a warranty repair is required, call the factory first at 1-
800-533-7533 for warranty claim authorization and
technical assistance.
4.2 Technical Description
The PHOENIX 300 uses a refrigeration system similar
to an air conditioner's to remove heat and moisture
from incoming air, and to add heat to the air that is
discharged (see Fig. 2).
Hot, high pressure refrigerant gas is routed from the
compressor to the condenser coil (see Figure 2). The
refrigerant is cooled and condensed by giving up its
heat to the air that is about to be discharged from the
unit. The refrigerant liquid then passes through a
filter/drier and capillary tubing which cause the
refrigerant pressure and temperature to drop. It next
enters the evaporator coil where it absorbs heat from
the incoming air and evaporates.
The evaporator operates in a flooded condition, which
means that all the evaporator tubes contain liquid
refrigerant during normal operation. A flooded
evaporator should maintain constant pressure and
temperature across the entire coil, from inlet to outlet.
The mixture of gas and liquid refrigerant enter the
accumulator after leaving the evaporator coil. The
accumulator prevents any liquid refrigerant from
reaching the compressor. The compressor evacuates
the cool refrigerant gas from the accumulator and
compresses it to a high pressure and temperature to
repeat the process.
