The flexibility of an LG portable air conditioner is incomparable, as you can move with your AC without worrying about the unforgiving heat or cold. But before anything, it’s worth knowing basic LG portable air conditioner troubleshooting just in case your unit malfunctions.
This guide will help you troubleshoot your portable LG air conditioner when it won’t turn on or off, blow cold or warm air, or drain or evaporate water. You can also fix it when its remote or compressor won’t work or when the latter keeps shutting off.
Moreover, the guide will enable you to troubleshoot the various error codes that might pop up on your LG unit. So, I’ll discuss all those issues, indicating what you can do to fix your portable air conditioner DIY.
Hopefully, you’ll manage it without calling experts and save time and money. Let’s jump into the troubleshooting guide for your LG portable air conditioner!
In a rush? Find below nine portable LG air conditioner issues and their fixes.
Quick LG Portable Air Conditioner Troubleshooting Guide
| – | Problem | Likely Cause | Recommended Fix |
| 1. | LG Portable AC Won’t Turn On | Power outage, bad outlet, tripped breaker, loose or faulty power plug, or bad AC unit | Replace a bad outlet, reset a tripped breaker and properly plug in a loose power plug. Replace the power plug if it’s faulty and the AC if none of the fixes work. |
| 2. | LG Portable AC Won’t Turn Off | Dirty condenser coils, or a defective thermostat, thermistor, temp control board, or relay board | Clean the condenser coils if they are dirty and replace a defective thermostat, thermistor, temperature control board, or relay board |
| 3. | LG Portable AC Won’t Blow Cold Air | Wrong temperature setting, leaky vent, windows, doors, or walls, lack of clearance, or dirty filter, vent, or condenser coils. Unstable room temperature, frozen coils, low-speed fan, direct sunlight, low refrigerant, or bad compressor or exhaust fan | Set the AC on Cool Mode, replace a leaky vent, and seal any sources of leaks on the windows, doors, and walls. Create a 20-inch + clearance around the AC and clean a dirty filter, vent, or coils. Thaw out frozen coils, raise the Ac temperature if the room’s temperature is unstable, and increase the fan speed. Avoid direct sunlight and call an expert to check the refrigerant, the compressor, and the exhaust fan |
| 4. | LG Portable AC Won’t Blow Hot Air | Faulty fan motor or burnt circuit board | Replace the fan motor if it’s faulty or the circuit board if it’s burnt (an expert can help you check it) |
| 5. | LG Portable AC Won’t Drain | Disconnected or blocked drain line, dirty coils, bad condensate pump | Fix the drain line if disconnected, and unclog it if it’s blocked. Clean dirty condenser coils and replace a faulty condensate pump |
| 6. | LG Portable AC Won’t Evaporate Water | High humidity, dirty filter, poor drainage, or bad condensate pump | Try lowering the humidity with a dehumidifier, clean the dirty filter, unclog the drain, and replace a faulty condensate pump |
| 7. | The Remote Won’t Work | Dead batteries, long-range, dense barriers, or faulty remote or main control board | Replace the batteries (if you’ve been using them for one year) and avoid dense barriers (or walls). Replace the remote or main control board if faulty |
| 8. | The Compressor Won’t Work | A faulty temperature control board, thermostat, overload, thermistor, capacitor, main control, or compressor | Replace any of those components if they are faulty |
| 9. | The Compressor Keeps Shutting Off | Overheating, dirty condenser coils, low refrigerant, or shorted compressor | Shut down the AC to cool off the compressor, clean dirty coils, replace a shorted compressor, and call an expert to check the refrigerant |
So, How Do I Fix My LG Portable Air Conditioner?
Generally, you can only fix your portable LG air conditioner if you know what’s wrong with it and what to look for. Below is an LG portable air conditioner troubleshooting guide that answers that.
1. LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Turning On
Several issues could stop your portable air conditioner from turning on, and they include:
- Power outage – Unless you have an alternative means of powering your LG air conditioner, you cannot do anything about an outage. So, confirm if there’s power or not. If there is, consider the reasons below.
- Bad outlet – You may need to plug another appliance into the electric outlet to see if the outlet is in working condition. If the appliance does not power up, the outlet is faulty and needs replacing.
- Tripped breaker – There is also the possibility that a tripped breaker could be preventing the AC from turning on. So, you need to check it in the breaker box and reset it if it’s off.
- Loose or faulty power plug – Confirm that the power plug is properly plugged into the socket. If it is not, plug it in. if the AC still won’t turn on, test the power plug with a multimeter and replace it if it lacks electrical continuity.
- Bad AC unit – If you still cannot find out why your LG AC won’t turn on, it could be because the unit itself is defective. So, you can also consider getting another unit.
2. LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Turning Off
What if your portable air conditioner turns on but won’t turn off? If so, then it’s likely because of the following:
- Dirty condenser coils – If the condenser coils are dirty, the AC will work extra hard to compensate for their failure. That, unfortunately, may cause it to run nonstop. So, inspect the coils for dirt and check them.
- Defective thermostat – Once the thermostat malfunctions, it may provide the compressor or the fan motor with uncontrolled voltage, causing them to run nonstop. So, consider checking its continuity with a multimeter to determine if it’s faulty and needs replacing (when it lacks continuity).
- Defective thermistor – A bad thermistor fails to detect the room’s temperature changes, causing the AC to run nonstop. Thus check its continuity to determine if it’s faulty and needs replacing.
- Bad temperature control board – Like a bad thermostat, a bad temperature control board may provide voltage to the compressor and fan motor nonstop. However, you need an expert to help you check and replace it.
- Bad relay board – You may also need an expert to help you check the relay board for faults and replace it, which could be why the AC won’t turn off.
LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Blowing Air
If your LG portable AC won’t blow any air, warm or hot, it’s essential first to confirm that it’s the right size. Below is a table matching residential room sizes to portable AC sizes you can use.
| Room Size (Square Feet) | AC Size (BTU Rating) |
| 200 sq.ft | 7,000 BTU |
| 200 sq.ft | 8,000 BTU |
| 300 sq.ft | 10,000 BTU |
| 450 sq.ft | 11,000 BTU |
| 400 sq.ft | 12,000 BTU |
| 500 sq.ft | 13,000 BTU |
| 600 sq.ft | 14,000 BTU |
If your portable AC is the right size, but it still won’t cool or heat, consider the issues shared below.
3. LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Cooling
As far as an LG portable air conditioner failing to cool goes, there are several possible reasons behind it. They include:
- Wrong temperature setting – Your AC will only cool if it’s on Cool Mode or the lowest temperature setting. So, ensure that’s the case.
- Leaky vent – The vent shouldn’t be loose, cracked, or torn, as cold air will leak out and warm air in. So, inspect the vent and replace it if it shows such signs.
- Leaky windows, doors, or walls – If there are cracks on the windows, doors, or walls, they will leak hot air in and prevent the AC from cooling. So, you need to seal them if present.
- Lack of clearance – Your AC needs a clearance of around 20 inches around it to cool properly. So ensure that’s the case.
- A dirty filter, vent, or condenser coils – If the filter, air vent, or condenser coils are dirty, they’ll prevent the flow of cold air. So, you need to inspect the three and clean them.
- Unstable room temperature – If your room temperature is inconsistent, the best you can do to enable the AC to cool is to raise its temperature.
Other Reasons for an LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Blowing Cool Air
- Frozen coils – A frozen evaporator deters your AC from venting out warm air, and as a result, no cool air blows. You may need to leave your AC turned off for a while to thaw out the coil.
- Low-speed fan – If you want your AC to cool, then the fan should be set at high speed. So, do that if it’s at a low speed.
- Direct sunlight – If the sunlight directly shines on the AC, the AC won’t cool. You’ll need to move it away from sunlight.
- Low refrigerant – If your AC is on low refrigerant (probably due to a leak), it won’t cool. You’ll need an expert to help you detect and fix the leakage.
- Bad compressor – If the compressor doesn’t run, the AC won’t cool. You need to replace it if that’s the case, and an expert can help you.
- Bad exhaust fan – Check the fan for wear and breakage and replace it, as it could be why the AC won’t blow cold.
4. Portable LG Air Conditioner Won’t Heat
Now, if your portable LG air conditioner won’t heat, it’s highly likely because of the following:
- Faulty fan motor – Your air conditioner won’t blow hot air if the fan motor is defective. You’ll need to check it for wear or breakage and replace it if that’s the case.
- Burnt circuit board – The AC will also fail to heat your space if the circuit board is burnt. That may happen following a power surge. But before replacing the circuit board, have an expert inspect it.
5. LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Draining
Sometimes the air conditioner won’t drain water, and the water may even flow backward. In such a case, consider these issues:
- Disconnected or blocked drain line – If the drain line is disconnected or dirt blocked, your air conditioner won’t drain. So, you must check and fix it if it’s disconnected and use a thin wire to unclog it if it’s dirt-clogged.
- Dirty condenser coils – The AC may also fail to drain if the condenser coils are dirty. So, you need to examine them and clean them if they are dirty.
- Bad condensate pump – Lastly, consider replacing the condensate pump if the above fixes don’t work. The pump could be faulty.
6. LG Portable Air Conditioner Not Evaporating Water
If your LG portable air conditioner won’t evaporate water or keeps filling up with water quickly, it’s most likely due to one of these reasons:
- High humidity – If the humidity level is high, especially during the summer, the AC won’t evaporate adequate water. You may need to supplement the AC with a dehumidifier if that’s the case to lower the humidity.
- Dirty filter – A dirty filter can also prevent the AC from evaporating water. So, inspect the filter and clean it if it’s messy.
- Poor drainage – If the water doesn’t drain, it won’t evaporate either. That means you should inspect the drain lines for clogging and clean them.
- Bad condensate pump – Inspect the condensate pump for breakages, wear, and clogging and replace it if that’s the case. A faulty condensate pump won’t pump out water.
7. LG Portable Air Conditioner Remote Not Working
The remote control of an LG air conditioner rarely fails. So you have to consider these possibilities carefully:
- Dead batteries – Replace the batteries, as they could be dead, especially if older than a year. Ensure they are correctly installed.
- Long range – The remote might not work if you hold it more than 10 feet away. If so, you should move closer.
- Dense barriers – If there is a thick barrier, especially a wall, avoid it. It could be blocking the remote’s signal.
- Faulty remote – The remote itself could be faulty. So, consider operating without it, and if the AcCwork, replace the remote.
- Bad main control board – If the remote won’t work even after replacing it, replace the main control board of your AC, as it could be faulty.
8. LG Portable Air Conditioner Compressor Not Working
Lots of the AC’s functions, including cooling, depend on a working compressor. So, it must work. Sometimes it doesn’t – mostly when one of these components fail:
- Temperature control board – If the unit’s temperature control board is bad, it may cut off the compressor s voltage supply and prevent it from running.
- Thermostat – A faulty thermostat may turn the fan motor alone, not the compressor.
- Overload – The overload which protects the compressor from overheating and burning could have blown up (if it lacks continuity), thus resulting in a nonworking compressor.
- Thermistor – Since the thermistor detects temperature changes, it may fail to turn on the compressor if it is faulty (lacks electrical continuity).
- Capacitor – If the capacitor is burnt out, the AC compressor won’t work. Check it with a multimeter to determine if it needs replacing.
- Main control board – The main control board could also be why the compressor is not working. So, have an expert check it.
- Compressor – Sometimes, the compressor itself could be faulty, and you can tell if it doesn’t make any sound indicating it’s running.
- Others – Other components that could be faulty and prevent the compressor from running include the relay board, start relay, and selector switch.
Fix
Consider getting a replacement for any of the above components if faulty.
9. My LG Portable Air Conditioner Compressor Keeps Shutting Off
Sometimes, the compressor would not turn on but run only briefly. That happens because of the following:
- Overheating – If the AC is overheating, the compressor may keep shutting off. If so, you need to turn off the AC to allow it to cool.
- Dirty condenser coils – The compressor could be turning off because it’s unable to breathe because of dirty condenser coils. If so, you’ll need to clean them.
- Shorted compressor – A power surge could have short-circuited the compressor. If so, have an expert check and replace it.
- Low refrigerant – A low refrigerant could also cause the compressor to shut off, and you need an expert’s help.
But How Do I Reset My LG Portable Air Conditioner?
Whether your LG air conditioner won’t turn on or runs nonstop, you can try resetting it, and here’s how to do it:
Option 1 – Press the Test/Reset/Power button on the portable AC’s power plug and wait for the unit to reset.
Option 2 – Press the control panel’s power switch for a few seconds to reset the control panel.
Option 3 – Unplug the air conditioner for about 10 seconds. Then press the power button once you plug it back.
LG Portable Air Conditioner Error Codes
Visit LG’s online error code troubleshooting page to get more information about your unit’s error code. But just an overview, here is a quick LG portable air conditioner troubleshooting table for the most typical error codes:
| Error Code | Meaning | What to Do |
| E1/E2/CH01/CH02 | Auto Stop Protection | Consult an HVAC expert |
| E3/CH03 | No/low refrigerant | Consult an HVAC expert |
| E4 | Defrost Mode | Wait for the defrosting to complete (10 minutes or so) |
| E5 | Full water collector tank | Drain the excess water |
| P2/FL | Full drain pan | Adjust the fan speed (lower it) and set the AC to Cool Mode |
| F1/F2/F3 | Fan Mode | Nothing to do as the fan is running normally |
Closing Thought
Using the above LG portable air conditioner troubleshooting guide, you can fix your AC when it starts to malfunction. That includes when it won’t turn on or off, drain or evaporator water, cool or heat, or when its compressor or remote control won’t work.
So, consider it alongside your LG air conditioner manual before calling an HVAC professional, as most of the issues are DIY-fixable.