Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Troubleshooting (DIY Guide!)

The brand name Hisense is traditionally associated with premium appliances, and so you expect their portable air conditioner to deliver quality performance. That, however, doesn’t mean that these mobile air conditioning units won’t fail, and that’s why understanding basic Hisense portable air conditioner troubleshooting is paramount

With the right troubleshooting know-how, you can fix a Hisense portable AC that won’t turn on, blow cold or hot, or drain. Moreover, you can troubleshoot a non-working remote, fan, front display, or compressor.

That means you wouldn’t have to call Hisense or take your unit to the local HVAC expert when it fails. All you have to do is identify the reason behind the issue and try to fix it.

Remember, the more you familiarize yourself with these troubleshooting skills, the more you perfect, and the less likely you are to struggle when facing a similar issue. The bottom line is that every successful troubleshooting translates to money saved.

So, let’s jump into it!

In a hurry? Consider the quick fixes for 8 of the most familiar Hisense portable AC problems below:

Quick Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Troubleshooting Guide

Common Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Problems

Below are the most familiar Hisense portable Ac problems to troubleshoot:

1. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Not Turning On

While you expect your Hisense portable AC to turn on once you plug it in, sometimes it just won’t do so. And if it doesn’t, then check for any of these issues:

• Possible blackout
• The power plug could be loosely plugged in
• You probably haven’t pressed the power switch
• Another mode other than Cool Mode is selected
• The circuit breaker could be off (tripped up) to protect the AC during a power overload
• Your power outlet could be the wrong type or defective
• The thermal fuse might have blown up during a power surge

Fix

With the above issues in mind, first, check for a blackout. If that’s the case, then wait for power restoration.

If it’s not a blackout, firmly plug in the power cord, press the power switch, and set the thermostat on Cool Mode.

Check the circuit breaker to flip it ON if it’s OFF and ensure the power outlet works by plugging in another device. If it’s not, replace it. Also, replace it if it’s not a 3-prong grounded outlet.

Then test the thermal fuse with a multimeter for continuity and replace it if it lacks it (electrical continuity). 

2. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Not Cooling Room

Nothing could be more important than an air conditioner that blows cold when sweltering. In some cases, however, a Hisense portable air conditioner won’t cool, and the possible triggers are as follows:

• Wrong AC capacity – The air conditioner won’t cool if the AC’s BTU rating (or cooling capacity) doesn’t match your floor area. And even if it does blow cold air, you may not feel the effect as the room is too big for the unit.
• Restricted airflow – Issues like an obstructed air-intake grille or vent or a dirty air filter restrict airflow, making it difficult for your portable AC to blow cold air.
• Wrong mode – Your air conditioner won’t blow cold air if you set it on heat or fan mode. It’ll only do it on Cool mode (most preferred) or AUTO.
• Air leakage – If the cold air seeps through the windows or vent, the air conditioner won’t cool your room enough.
• Blocked fan – If the fan doesn’t spin, the air conditioner won’t blow cold air. If so, something is likely obstructing the fan.
• Error code – Some Hisense portable air conditioner error codes, such as E5 (full bucket error), EA (control board communication fault), and code 13 (overheating compressor error), can prevent the air conditioner from blowing cold.
• Low refrigerant – If there’s a refrigerant leakage, the portable air conditioner won’t cool your room, as what will be left will not be enough to absorb the hot indoor air.

Fix

Use the table below to check if your Hisense portable air conditioner has the correct cooling capacity (or BTU rating). And if it doesn’t, get another Hisense air conditioner to match your target floor area.

An important note:

You’ll need to increase the specified BTU by 10% if your room is extra sunny and reduce it by the same margin if it’s heavily shaded. Moreover, add 600 BTUs for each additional person if more than two people spend most of their time in the room.

If the AC has the correct BTU rating, check the air-intake grille for obstruction and remove it. Inspect the air vent for kinks and clogging and unblock it. If the air filter is murky, clean it.

Insulate the windows with blinds or curtains if they allow too much sunshine, and if the vent hose is leaky, insulate it with bubble wrap or foam.

Then check the fan for blockage and clear them and if there’s an error code, find its meaning and troubleshoot it. And if you still can’t fix it, call the pros to check and replenish the refrigerant.  

3. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Not Heating

You don’t expect your air conditioner to blow cold in the winter but hot. However, some issues could stop it from blowing hot air, and they include:

• Wrong AC capacity – Just like the wrong BTU will prevent your portable AC from blowing cold, it’ll also stop the AC from blowing hot.
• Failed power – If there’s an interruption in the power supply and your AC fails to turn on, it won’t blow hot air. So, you must ensure your portable unit has power (or is turned on)
• Wrong mode – If the AC is on a different mode other than the Heat Mode (most preferred) or AUTO, it won’t blow hot air. If it’s on Cool Mode, it’ll blow cold air instead of hot air.
• Dirty filter – Since a dirty air filter restricts proper airflow, it stops the air conditioner from blowing cold air.

Fix

Refer to the BTU table above to see if your AC has the correct capacity. If it’s not, replace it. And if it is, ensure it has power.

That means it should turn on, and if it doesn’t, check out the fixes under ‘an air conditioner that won’t turn on’ shared earlier.

Meanwhile, set the portable unit on Heat Mode if that’s not the case and clean the air filter if it’s filthy.

4. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Not Draining

Good drainage is superlative for your air conditioner. That’s why a portable Ac comes with a drain hose. Then you may ask, ‘why does a Hisense portable air conditioner need to be drained?’

Well, that’s because the air conditioner constantly accumulates moisture, which may soak up and attract mold and interfere with the cooling. In that case, the AC should get the condensed water out, and that’s where good drainage comes in.

Consider these issues if your portable unit won’t drain:

• Clogged or loose drain line – The condensed water won’t drain away if the drain is loose or congested. If it’s loose, the condensed water will leak, and if it’s blocked, it may flow back.
• Dirty evaporator coils – Dirt-clogged coils may also prevent the condensed water from draining.

Fix

Unclog the drain line if it’s dirt-congested or kinked, and firmly fix it if it’s loose. And if the evaporator coils are dirty, clean them properly.

5. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Remote Not Working

Your portable AC won’t respond to its remote control if:

• You are operating the remote at a fat distance (10 feet or longer)
• There is a barricade between the remote and the Ac
• The remote batteries are exhausted (if you’ve been using them for more than a year)
• The remote control sensor or control board is defective – which translates to a faulty remote control

Fix

When operating the remote, move close to the AC, and avoid direct barricades. If the remote’s batteries are over a year old, replace them. And if the remote doesn’t work after that, try a different one.

6. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Fan Not Working – Troubleshooting

Your portable AC fan won’t work due to a power glitch. The fan could be blocked or broken if that’s not the case. That means you’ve to inspect it to determine its condition.

Fix

To fix a power glitch, just reset the portable unit. That brings us to this question – How do I reset my Hisense portable air conditioner?

You can reset your Hisense portable air conditioner by unplugging it for at least 30 seconds. But first, you must switch it off before taking it out of the power socket.

If the AC fan is blocked, remove the source of the obstruction. However, replace the fan if it’s damaged.

7. Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Front Display Not Working

If your air conditioner’s front display is not working and it’s all blank, it could be on Dim or Energy Saver mode. And if it’s neither, the display might not work because of a computer glitch.

Fix

Deactivate DIM mode by pressing the DIM button on your remote, and if it’s on screen-saver mode, change its setting. However, if it’s a computer hitch, reset the AC by plugging it out for 30 seconds.

8. Hisense Air Conditioner Compressor Not Working

A proper working and cooling air conditioner depends on a working compressor. If the compressor is not working, then the air conditioner won’t work.

However, before you can assume that the compressor isn’t working, it’s worth knowing that air conditioner compressors go through a protection mode when the ambient temperature is low.

During this mode, the compressor doesn’t kick, but that doesn’t mean the compressor is defective. Once the AC attains its ambient temperature, which should take about 5 minutes, the compressor will start kicking.

Now if it does after that, watch out for any of these issues:

• Lack of power – Check if your air conditioner is turned on. If it’s not, then that’s the reason the compressor doesn’t kick in.
• Insufficient clearance – Your AC compressor requires sufficient room around the AC to operate. If there is inadequate clearance, the compressor may struggle to kick start.
• Dirty air filter – A dirt-clogged air filter could also prevent the compressor from running as it restricts good airflow.
• Leaky vent hose – If air leaks from the vent hose, the compressor may fail to run as it should, and even if it does, it will keep shutting off.
• Electrical fault – An electrical fault will prevent your portable AC from turning on and the compressor from kicking in. This is, however, a fix an expert electrician can help you with.
• Low refrigerant – A leaking refrigerant stops your AC from cooling by first preventing the compressor from running. And even if the compressor runs, it’ll keep shutting down, just like a clogged air filter.

Fix

Check the power supply and fix any issue preventing the portable AC from turning on. Create sufficient clearance around the mobile unit, clean a dirty air filter, and insulate a leaky vent hose (using bubble wrap or foam).

Call an expert to check the other two issues (electrical fault and refrigerant leak).

Other Issues

Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Compressor Keeps Shutting Off – Troubleshooting

Consider these issues if your Hisense portable AC compressor turns on but keeps shutting off:

• Poor airflow – perhaps due to a dirty air filter or condenser coils, or frozen evaporator coils
• Inadequate cooling capacity (lower BTU rating)
• Refrigerant leakage

Fix

Ensure your AC has good airflow. Thus, clean the air filter or the condenser coils if any of them is dirty and thaw out the evaporator coils if iced-up. If the Ac is the wrong capacity, replace it and call an expert for refrigerant leakage.

Hisense Portable Air Conditioner Not Working at All – Troubleshooting

If your Hisense portable AC doesn’t work at all, it could be due to any of these three reasons:

• Wrong Time-Delay or circuit breaker capacity
• Power supply failure
• Electrical fault

Fix

Refer to your Hisense portable air conditioner manual to determine the correct Time-Delay and breaker capacity, and if the capacities are wrong, replace the components.

Meanwhile, ensure your portable unit has power, and if you suspect an electrical failure or are unsure about anything, call an expert electrician.

Closing Thought:

Discussed is a Hisense portable air conditioner troubleshooting guide that comes in handy when tackling the most typical air conditioner problems. Whether your portable AC doesn’t work (at all) or develops a malfunction, you can try this guide – at least before considering calling Hisense or your local HVAC service. While it doesn’t replace your AC manual, it offers a more straightforward alternative.