Amana PTAC Troubleshooting Guide (5 Issues Solved!)

Without fault, the Amana Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) promises the most comfortable air in a hotel, hospital, apartment, condominium, sunroom, and even add-on room. But once the unit starts malfunctioning, an Amana PTAC troubleshooting guide is necessary.

You can troubleshoot an Amana PTAC when it doesn’t turn on, primarily due to a failed power supply, and when it won’t blow air, cool or heat your space, or drain. What’s more, you can run diagnostic and clear error codes.

So, not only will this guide walk you through the five problems mentioned but also the self-diagnostic, which is critical to uncovering unobvious errors. We’ll also look at how to reset your PTAC, and after that, we’ll break down all five issues to enable you to fix them.

Here we go!

In a rush? The Amana air conditioner troubleshooting guide below can help you fix the common Amana PTAC problems. 

Quick Amana PTAC Troubleshooting Guide

	PTAC Problem	Likely Cause	Troubleshooting
1.	Amana PTAC Won’t Turn On	Power failure, unpowered compressor, wrong thermostat setting, or dead thermostat batteries	Ensure your PTAC has power, turn on the outside compressor, set the thermostat correctly, and replace dead thermostat batteries
2.	Amana PTAC Won’t Blow Air	Non-working fan or associated component	Replace the fan or associated component if any of them is defective
3.	Amana PTAC Not Getting Cold	Wrong settings, unpowered compressor, dirty filter or coils, power failure, clogged drain line, defective fan, low refrigerant, or bad compressor or associated component	Set the PTAC thermostat in cool mode, power on the outside compressor if it’s off, and clean the filthy filter and coils. Ensure the unit has power, unblock the drain line, and replace a broken fan. Call an expert to deal with the rest
4.	Amana PTAC Won’t Heat	Power failure, wrong setting mode, dirty filter, blocked duct, or unpowered compressor	Ensure the PTAC has power, set the thermostat on heat mode, clean the dirty filter, unblock the air duct and turn on the compressor if it’s off
5.	Amana PTAC Won’t Drain	Clogged drain pipe, rusty drain pan, or faulty drain pump	Unclog the drain pipe, replace a rusty drain pan or defective drain pump

 What to Do with an Amana PTAC Not Working

The first thing you should do when your Amana PTAC is not working is to try and find out why. If the reason is not apparent, run the self-diagnostic test.

Here’s how to run a self-diagnostic or self-test on an Amana PTAC:

• Identify the up and down arrow buttons on your PTAC
• Hold down the two buttons simultaneously 
• While pressing down the buttons, tap Cool twice and wait for a few seconds to see if an error code pops up
• Note down any error code that comes on the display and try to find out what it means using your Amana PTAC troubleshooting manual
• But if only dashes appear on display, that means there is no error detected

Typical Amana PTAC Troubleshooting Codes Worth Knowing About

Now, below is a summary of the most everyday PTAC error codes and what to do to clear them:

Error Code	Meaning	Troubleshooting
FP	Freeze Protection	Raise the PTAC’s temperature to above 430F
On/EO	Incorrect configuration	Reset the PTAC
EH	Emergency Hydronic	Check the compressor to ensure its working
C1/C3/C4	Freezing indoor coils	Reset the PTAC
Op/Up	Open window/door	Close the open window  or door
F1	Non-working thermostat and thermistor	Replace the thermostat and thermistor
F2	Non-working thermostat but a working thermistor	Replace the thermostat only
F3	Malfunctioning indoor thermistor	Check the indoor thermistor
HP	Heat sentinel mode	Wait for the unit to cool
LS	Load shedding	Activate the LS switch
L6	Failed condenser fan	Clean/un-obstruct the condenser fan
C2	Failed cooling	Clean the air filter and unclog the vent
C5	Hot outdoor coil	Unblock the outdoor unit
C6	Failing component	Check the compressor and other electrical parts
H1	Excess incoming voltage	Reset the PTAC

How to Reset an Amana PTAC?

We’ve mentioned the reset severally in the above table, and you may be asking how you can do it. Well, here’s how to manually reset an Amana PTAC:

• Ensure your PTAC is plugged in 
• Gently lift the unit’s plastic cover and then power off its master switch on the control panel 
• Wait for 5 seconds or more and hold down the cool and heat button 
• While holding down the two buttons, power the master switch 
• Wait for the red light to appear close to the off button to indicate a successful reset 
• Return the plastic cover and restart the PTAC

5 Common Problems with Amana PTAC Units

Share below are the five most typical air conditioner issues that are common with PTAC units:

1. Amana PTAC Not Turning On

Several issues could prevent your PTAC unit from turning on, with the commonest one being power failure:

Amana PTAC Not Getting Power

If your PTAC does not receive any power, then it won’t turn on. Here are the things to check:

• Unplugged unit – If the power cable is unplugged, the PTAC won’t get any power. 
• Defective power plug or outlet – A faulty power cable or socket will also prevent the PTAC from receiving any power. 
• Tripped breaker – Also, expect the PTAC not to turn on if the breaker has tripped off. 

Fix 

Ensure you properly plug your PTAC into the wall outlet and that the outlet and the power plug are working. If not, replace them. Meanwhile, inspect the breaker box and reset the circuit breaker if it’s off. 

Other Reasons Your Amana PTAC Won’t Turn On 

If the reason your Amana PTAC won’t turn on is not failed power, then it could be one of these:

• Unpowered compressor – Your PTAC won’t turn on if the outside compressor is off. So, check it. 
• Wrong thermostat setting – Preferably, the PTAC’s thermostat should be on Cool Mode for the air conditioner to run. 
• Dead thermostat batteries – If the thermostat batteries are exhausted, the thermostat will fail to turn on the compressor. 

Fix 

Power on the outside compressor and set the thermostat correctly. If it has been a while since replacing the thermostat batteries, replace them. 

2. Amana PTAC Not Blowing Air

If your Amana PTAC doesn’t blow air, it will also fail to cool or heat your space. It’s most likely due to a loose or damaged fan. 

But if the problem is not the fan, it’s one of its associated components, such as the relay board, thermostat, thermistor, blower motor, capacitor, selector switch, or main control board. 

Fix 

Check to see if the fan is loose or damaged, and replace it. But if the motor fan is okay, have an expert check the other parts to see what needs replacing. 

3. Amana PTAC Not Cooling 

Several issues can stop an Amana PTAC from blowing cold air, including a non-working fan (discussed earlier). Overall, here’s why your Amana Ac won’t cool:

• Wrong setting – Your PTAC will blow cold air if it’s set on any mode other than cool mode or auto mode in some units.
• Unpowered compressor – The outside compressor should be on for the PTAC to start running and cooling. If it’s not, then the AC won’t run or cool. 
• Dirty filter or coil – Dirt clogs up the air filter and condenser coils and restricts the flow of cold air. So, your PTAC won’t cool. 
• Power failure – If your PTAC doesn’t get any power, as shared earlier, it won’t turn on and, consequently, won’t blow cold. 
• Clogged drain line – If the drain line is blocked, the air conditioner won’t blow the air. 
• Defective fan – As shared earlier, one of the reasons the PTAC won’t blow air is a faulty fan. So, it could be the reason the AC won’t cool.
• Low refrigerant – A refrigerant leakage could stop the PTAC from blowing cold. It’s, however, not easy to diagnose, and that’s why an expert’s help is necessary.
• Bad compressor or associated component – Components like the thermistor, thermostat, run capacitor, and control board directly affect the compressor’s running. If the component fails, the compressor won’t run. And if the compressor doesn’t run, the PTAC won’t blow cold. 

Fix 

Set your PTAC on Auto or Cool Mode and power on the compressor. Clean the air filter if it’s dirty and ensure the PTAC has power.

Unclog a clogged drain line and replace a defective fan. Leave the other issues (refrigerant leakage and compressor or associated component failure) to an expert. 

4. Amana PTAC Not Heating

Sometimes your PTAC may cool but fail to heat. If so, then it could be due to any of the following:

• Power failure –  You cannot expect your Amana PTAC to heat up if it has no power. So, revisit the issues discussed earlier under ‘Amana PTAC not getting power.’ 
• Wrong setting – While the Cool Mode is for cooling, the heat mode is for heating. So, your PTAC won’t heat if it’s set on another mode. 
• Dirty filter – Dirt blocks airflow and restricts your PTAC from blowing cold air. Thus, it won’t cool the space. 
• Blocked duct – A blockage within the air duct prevents cold air flow stopping your PTAC from cooling. 
• Unpowered compressor – likewise, if the outside compressor is not turned on, it won’t run, and the PTAC will not heat. 

Fix 

Ensure the PTAC has power and the thermostat is in heat mode. Clean the filter and unblock the air duct. And if the outside compressor is off, turn it on. 

5. Amana PTAC Not Draining

Lastly, if your Amana PTAC won’t drain, it’s likely to be due to the following:

• Clogged drain pipe – Sometimes, the drain pipe clogs up with debris, stopping the water from draining. 
• Rusty drain pan – If the drain pan is rusty, the rust may reach the drain pipe and clog it and restrict drainage. 
• Faulty drain pump – If the drain pump doesn’t pump out water, the water won’t drain. 

Fix 

Clean the drain pipe if it’s debris-clogged, and if the drain pan is rust-damaged, replace it. You can, however, clean off the rust if it’s only superficial. But if the problem is none of the two, replace the drain pump. 

Closing Thought:

Above are the basics of Amana PTAC troubleshooting. You can use the guide to self-diagnose your air conditioner, troubleshoot error codes, and fix typical problems. 

The typical problems, as shared, include a PTAC that won’t power on, blow air, cool, heat, or drain. Once you can troubleshoot the issues, you can skip a service call and the cost that comes with it.