Whynter Portable Air Conditioner Troubleshooting

Problem: The portable air conditioner does not turn on

Possible Cause: Power failure / outage. Solution: Restore the power supply Possible Cause: The automatic switch, line fuse, or breaker has been tripped. Solution: Flip the switch / change the fuse / turn the breaker back on. Also note that you may have too many appliances drawing power on one circuit, you may need to move the other appliances to another circuit Possible Cause: The power supply voltage is too low. Solution: Move the unit onto another circuit with the correct voltage Possible Cause: The power cord is damaged. Solution: Contact Whynter Customer Support for service. Only authorized personnel should replace damaged power cord or power plug. Possible Cause: The L.C.D.I. power plug for the unit is tripped. Solution: Press the reset button on the L.C.D.I. power plug. The air conditioner should have it’s own dedicated wall outlet. Possible Cause: The internal water reservoir is full – Red light is flashing, STOP or P1 appears on the display. Solution: Drain the collected condensation from the lower drain port. Note: some models have a rubber stopper and others have a plastic drain cover and rubber stopper. Refer to the user manual for more information. Possible Cause: The internal water reservoir is full – Red light is flashing, STOP or P1 appears on the display. Solution: If after draining the red light is flashing, STOP or P1 still appears on the display, there may be a loose internal connection. Please contact Whynter Customer Support for service.

Problem: The air conditioner turns on, but the compressor does not – the fan runs, but the unit is not cooling

Possible Cause: The room temperature is outside of the operational tolerances of the unit. Solution: Portable air conditioners work best in ambient temperatures of 64°F to 90°F. Close and insulate windows or doors to other rooms. Possible Cause: The unit is not set to Cooling mode. Solution: Press the MODE button until the COOL icon is shown on the display. Possible Cause: The compressor has not turned on. Solution: Give the compressor 3 minutes to turn on after the Cooling mode has been selected Possible Cause: The set temperature is too high. Solution: Set the air conditioner to a lower temperature. The unit has a 5°F temperature cushion; the unit will cool until the ambient temperature reaches within 5°F of the set temperature. Possible Cause: The internal water reservoir is full – Red light is flashing, STOP or P1 appears on the display. Solution: Drain the collected condensation from the lower drain port. Note: some models have a rubber stopper and others have a plastic drain cover and rubber stopper. Refer to the user manual for more information. If after draining the red light is flashing, STOP or P1 still appears on the display, there may be a loose internal connection. Please contact Whynter Customer Support for service.

Problem: The air coming out of the unit is not very cold – the airflow volume is weak

Possible Cause: The filters are dirty or obstructed. Solution: Clean the washable pre-filter. Change the carbon or 3M Antimicrobial filter. Refer to the user manual for more information. Possible Cause: The air intake or exhaust is obstructed. Solution: Ensure there is at least 20 of clearance from the air intake (air filter area). Keep the length of the exhaust hose is as short and straight as possible. Do not block or cover the air exhaust. Possible Cause: The unit is set in DRY or FAN mode. Solution: Set the unit to the Cooling mode. Possible Cause: The air conditioner is set to low fan speed. Solution: Set the unit to a higher fan speed

Problem: The air conditioner is working but the room is not cool

Possible Cause: Windows or doors are open. Solution: Close and insulate all windows and doors to the room when the unit is cooling. Possible Cause: There are too many people or heat-producing appliances in the room. Solution: Reduce the number of people within the room. Turn off unnecessary heat-producing appliances. If possible, do not use the oven to cook. You may need additional cooling or another air conditioner. Possible Cause: There is direct sunlight entering the room. Solution: Close curtains or blinds and try to minimize the amount of direct sunlight entering the room. Close and insulate any windows or doors to other rooms. Possible Cause: There is a server in the room. Solution: Check that the air conditioner is compatible with the square footage of the room. You may need additional cooling or another air conditioner. Possible Cause: The unit was turned on late in the day, after the room temperature became high. Solution: Turn the air conditioner on earlier. Turning the air conditioner on early instead of waiting until the hottest point of the day will allow the unit to be more effective. The air conditioner will not have to work as hard to cool the room down and maintain the set temperature. Add a fan to help circulate the air. Possible Cause: The exhaust hose is too long, has a sharp bend or exhausted air is leaking. Solution: Keep the exhaust hose as short and straight as possible. The exhaust hose removes heat from the room. It should remain as short and straight as possible without sharp bends or twists to maximize efficiency. If the exhaust hose must be extended, do not exceed 9’. Replace or insulate the exhaust hose if hot air is leaking into the room. Possible Cause: The room is too large. Solution: Check that the air conditioner is compatible with the square footage of the room. Close and insulate any windows and doors to the room. You may need additional cooling or another air conditioner.

Problem: The air conditioner is very noisy

Possible Cause: The unit is not level. Solution: Ensure the unit is on hard, level and stable surface. Placing the unit on thick carpet is not recommended. Possible Cause: The surface underneath the unit is uneven. Solution: Move the unit to a location with a level and hard floor. Possible Cause: The air intake or exhaust is obstructed. Solution: Ensure there is at least 20 of clearance from the air intake (air filter area). Keep the length of the exhaust hose is as short and straight as possible. Do not block or cover the air exhaust. Possible Cause: Low power voltage. Solution: Ensure the wall outlet can support the required power consumption of the air conditioner and is not connected to an extension cord.

Problem: The air conditioner is leaking

Possible Cause: The unit is tilted or not leveled. Solution: Ensure the unit is on hard, level and stable surface. Placing the unit on thick carpet is not recommended. Possible Cause: The base of the unit has been damaged. Solution: Unplug the air conditioner and check the base for any cracks or damages. If found, contact the retailer the item was purchased from or contact Whynter Customer Support. Ensure the unit sits upright for a minimum of 4 hours before reconnecting to power. Possible Cause: The rubber drain stopper is not installed. Solution: Install the rubber drain stopper and drain cover, if applicable. Some models include multiple drain ports, ensure all ports are covered. Refer to user manual for more information.

Problem: Fan speed cannot be changed

Possible Cause: Fan speed differences are not very noticeable. Solution: The fan speed difference is not very noticeable when the compressor is on. Try setting the unit to Fan only mode, you should be able to hear the difference between high and low fan speed settings.

Problem: The air conditioner needs to be drained frequently

Possible Cause: The ambient humidity may be high. Solution: Close and insulate any windows and doors to the room. For dual hose models – remove the intake hose if the outside humidity is high or it is raining. Possible Cause: The self-evaporative feature is not working or there is a loose internal connection. Solution: Contact Whynter Customer Support.

Problem: The window slider kit does not fit the window

Possible Cause: The window is smaller than the window slider kit. Solution: If the window opening is smaller than the minimum length of the window slider kit, the window slider kit can be cut to fit the window opening. Never cut into the exhaust or intake hose cut-outs on the window slider kit. Possible Cause: The window is larger than the window slider kit. Solution: If the window opening is larger than the maximum length of the window slider kit, additional material will be needed to cover the open space such as, Plexiglas, PVC plastic, ply wood, etc. Alternately, an additional window slider kit can be purchased to be used in combination with the included kit.

Problem: The exhaust/ intake hose is too short

Possible Cause:

Solution: “The hoses should only be extended to the necessary length, keeping it as short and as straight as possible. If needed, the hose can be extended buy purchasing an additional hose. It should not be extended more than 9′ long.”

Problem: Does the window screen need to be removed?

Possible Cause:

Solution: The window screen does not need to be removed when installing the window slider kit.

Problem: The heating function is not working (applicable models)

Possible Cause: The room temperature is too low. Solution: The heating function of the air conditioner does not operate when the temperature is below 45°F. Ensure the room temperature is above 45°F. Possible Cause: The compressor has not turned on – warm air is not blowing. Solution: Allow the compressor 3 minutes to turn on after the Heating mode has been selected. In heat mode the exhaust fan will start first, followed by the compressor then air output fan into the room. It may take several minutes for the unit to start blowing air into the room. Also, note that turning the unit off and on or switching between modes may cause the compressor to lock. If this happens, turn off the unit for a few minutes to reset it. Possible Cause: The unit is not set to Heating mode. Solution: Press the MODE button until the HEAT icon is displayed. Possible Cause: The set temperature is too low. Solution: Set the air conditioner to a higher temperature. The unit has a 5°F temperature cushion; the unit will heat until the ambient temperature reaches within 5°F of the set temperature. Possible Cause: The internal water reservoir is full – Red light is flashing, STOP or P1 appears on the display. Solution: “Drain the collected condensation from the lower drain port or turn the pump feature on (applicable models). Note: some models have a rubber stopper and others have a plastic drain cover and rubber stopper. Refer to the user manual for more information. It is normal for the unit to collect more condensation and need to be drained more often than it does in Cool mode as the self evaporative feature does not engage in Heat mode. If after draining the red light is flashing, STOP or P1 still appears on the display, there may be a loose internal connection. Please contact Whynter Customer Support for service. ” Possible Cause: The internal water reservoir is full – Red light is flashing, STOP or P1 appears on the display. Solution: Close and insulate any windows or doors to other rooms. For dual hose models: Remove the air intake hose if the outside humidity is high or it is raining. Contact Whynter Customer Support.

Problem: F1 error message

Possible Cause: Air filter needs to be clean. Solution: “Clean the air filer. Once the filter is installed, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to reset the F1 code. A beep sound will indicate a successful reset process. *The F1 message may not go away immediately. If the unit is cooling properly, the F1 message does not affect the performance of the air conditioner.”  

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