That brown slime is a collection of everything that is floating around in the air in your basement. The air passes through the humidifier coil and the moisture traps all the impurities etc on the fins and they're washed down into the sump. Kinda makes you want to hold your breath when you go down there now huh? Whatever removes it use.

It also is bacterial growth and algae. Chlorox and rinse very well.

Oh never mind. I just went down there, ready to do battle with the slime, only to find that there is no way of reaching the area where that slime has collected. When I looked for screws to remove or panels to pop off there were none. And the mess is immediately behind the front grill (plastic), on a 3" little 'shelf' in front of the metal fins - an area that you'd think would be easy to service. What the heck?
There are some additional screw on the back but they seem to be actually holding the "guts" in place and I don't want to mess with the electrical and the compressor itself.

You'd think the front grill would just pop off, wouldn't you?
To make matters even worse, when I shone a light in there I saw mouse droppings!!!! I had mice for a while in the old house - what on earth would they be doing in there? This machine has been going for years and never really shut down for very long (except between cycles of course). So now this machine's been blowing out mouse poop for who knows how long! Geez.

I wonder if a small-appliance repair shop would be able to get this thing open and cleaned. I'm afraid if I attempt it, I'll end up with spare parts when it's all done.
At $350 I'd hate to replace something just because it's dirty.

You could always try a hammer and chisle to get that off.........................then go buy another unit. :0

I wonder if using 1/4" wire mesh would keep the critters out?

Run a very strong mix of clorox through that humidifier.

If you or a neighbor put out mouse poision they may have gotten in there to get water.
I wouldnt use it until all that mold is out of there, its a serious health hazard. At that risk if you cant clean it, I say get rid of it and buy a new one.

Cynandjon:

Great minds think alike, but I was still editing so you beat me by 6 minutes.

However, intellect considerations aside, I am still the best looking man on these forums.

Fairyprincess

Umm, can I suck bleach through the unit?? Doesn't that damage it? Also, spraying into the intake (which makes a lot of sense) won't get rid of the solid accumulation of slime blobs and mouse crud.

Where is the Maytag man when you need him?
I found another set of screws that appears to release the front panel but the handles of this unit are set into it so that they appear to hold the front and back side together. I don't think I can just pop them off without damaging them. Who comes up with these designs???

I would rather take the chance of the Clorox destroying the unit then the mold destroying my body.
One thing you can do is use 2 cups of white vinegar and water,

heres some guidelines in maintaining a portable humidifier.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/humidifiers/HQ00076

You know humidifiers arent very expensive anymore. I would condsider a new one. If you got so 5 years out of that unit, you got your moneys worth.

>>>I am still the best looking man on these forumsalrighty then. LOL I guess you are!

cindy

I think I got it.
I got a spray bottle with a strong trigger and blasted the inside of the unit through the filter slot with water to loosen the slime. Using a flashlight and a variety of long, pointy objects, I scraped and manipulated around in there and think I have all the solid stuff out of there. Cleared the drain with a pipe cleaner. What a mess!
Now I'll use a bleach solution to give it another rinse and then let the whole thing dry.

Thanks for the link cynandjon, but this is a DEhumidifier, not a humidifier. I will be more vigilant and check the interior of this thing more often, though.
No one smokes in this house and it's not particularly dusty - if this build-up is expected and avoidable with regular maintenance, then this unit is poorly designed, indeed. Even the manual has no instructions about keeping the inside clean.

Oh my, sorry, LOL guess I copied the wrong link, but its still the same air borne mold. Same applies I guess.
I know the doctor told me, whether its dehumidifier or Humidfier, they need to be cleaned frequently because the bacteria that grows can cause pneumonia.
Clorox is the best for killing mold IMO