An LG dehumidifier draws room air across a cold coil, condenses the moisture out of it and drips the water into a bucket or out through a hose. When it stops, the first question is why the control decided to stop, and the display usually says. LG's dehumidifier code list is short, and the entries owners actually meet are about the bucket, the child lock and the coil.
The Bucket Full Light
The unit stops when a float in the bucket rises, and it also stops when the bucket is not fully seated, because the float switch is only made when the bucket presses home. If the light is on and the bucket is empty, pull the bucket out, check the float moves freely, look for a stray object or a film of slime under it, and push the bucket back squarely until it stops. Empty the bucket with the unit still running if the manual permits, or switch it off first; either way, carry the bucket with both hands, because a full one is heavy and the water is what you have just removed from your basement.
Continuous Drain
Every LG dehumidifier has a port for a garden-hose drain so the bucket is bypassed. The hose must fall continuously to a floor drain or sump lower than the port; a hose that rises or coils fills and the unit stops as if the bucket were full. Some models include a pump that lifts the water to a sink, and those have their own pump fault indication in the manual. Keep the hose short and its end unobstructed.
CL: the Buttons Are Locked
If the display shows CL and nothing responds, the child lock is on. It is released by holding the button the manual names for a few seconds. A unit locked by a child, or by a cleaning cloth, is not faulty.
Frost on the Coil
In a cool room the coil drops below freezing and moisture freezes on it instead of dripping off. LG units have an automatic defrost that pauses the compressor and runs the fan to melt the frost, and the display or a light shows this. It is normal behaviour, and it is also why every model has a minimum operating temperature in its manual, commonly in the low forties Fahrenheit. In a basement colder than that the unit spends most of its time defrosting and removes little water. Warm the space or accept the limit.
The Filter
A filter behind the intake grille protects the coil from dust. With the unit switched off and unplugged, slide it out, rinse it, let it dry and refit it, every couple of weeks in a dusty basement. A blocked filter reduces airflow across the coil and produces both poor performance and premature frosting.
What Is Not an Owner Job
A dehumidifier that runs, moves air and collects nothing in a warm, humid room has a problem in its refrigeration circuit: the compressor, the capacitor that starts it, or the refrigerant. That circuit is sealed and its refrigerant may be handled only by people with EPA certification. Do not open the cabinet, and do not run the unit on an extension cord while you think about it. A burning smell, a scorched plug or a unit that trips its breaker means unplug it and leave it unplugged. Book an LG dehumidifier repair with the model number from the plate on the back or under the bucket, and say how much water it collects in a day and what the room temperature is.