Portable Air Conditioner Not Working or Shutting Off

Start at the plug

The button on the plug. GE says to press the reset button on the plug first, to make sure it has not tripped. Hisense says press and release RESET, listen for a click, and the button latches and stays in.

What that plug is. GE calls it an LCDI plug, a leakage current detection and interruption device, designed to prevent fires if the cord is damaged. One button tests it, the other restores power. GE says to press reset every time you plug the unit in.

The breaker or the fuse. GE and Hisense both say to check for a tripped breaker or a blown fuse next. Hisense says the fuse or breaker must be a time delay type of the correct capacity.

The simple ones. Hisense also lists the ON/OFF button not pressed, and a power cut. The full reset steps for every kind of AC are here: how to reset an air conditioner.

Find what trips it

Too much on one circuit. Hisense says to unplug or move other appliances that share the circuit.

A restart too soon. Hisense says to wait at least 3 minutes after turning the unit off before starting it again.

The plug keeps popping. Hisense says disturbances in the electrical current can trip it, and so can overloading, overheating, a pinched cord or an aging cord. Correct the problem, then press RESET. If the cord will not reset, Hisense says contact a service technician.

A breaker that keeps going. What the timing of a trip tells you: a breaker that keeps tripping.

Empty the water

FL on a GE. GE says that in extreme humidity, or when trying to cool several rooms, the unit may not evaporate all the water it removes. It shuts down and shows FL. Close the room’s doors and windows, drain the base as the manual shows, and it runs again.

E5 on the Hisense. On the AP0722CW1W, Hisense says E5 means the water container is full. Drain it, and the unit can run again.

P1 on a Midea. Midea says the bottom tray is full. Connect the drain hose and drain the water away.

In heat mode. GE says a portable can shut down with FL while heating on a humid day. Hisense says its heating models need the drain hose connected in heat mode, or the unit stops when the water reaches its warning level.

Where the water normally goes. GE says its portables evaporate the water and blow it out of the exhaust hose with the heat. Hisense calls it a self-evaporative system that uses the water to cool the condenser.

Check the room and the unit

A door or window open. Hisense says keep them closed.

A busy or hot room. Hisense says a room full of people or heat producing appliances makes it run more. Use exhaust fans while cooking or bathing, and remember portables are designed as supplemental cooling for local areas within a room.

A newer unit. Hisense says a newer, more efficient model may run longer than an old one while using less energy, without the same blast of cold air.

Short runs, room still warm. Hisense says the set temperature is probably close to room temperature. Lower it.

Cycling on and off. Hisense lists a unit too small for the room, a dirty filter, heat or moisture from cooking or showers, and louvers blocked by curtains, blinds or furniture: a portable that is not cooling.