| When your home cannot accommodate a | | | | Won’t Cool |
| traditional air conditioner, you live in an apartment | | | | - Remove the grill and clean the |
| building or you need cooling for your computer | | | | filter. |
| server room a portable air conditioner is the | | | | - Check the evaporator and |
| perfect appliance. They are useful in a variety of | | | | condenser coils for clogs. |
| situations and settings. You don’t have to deal | | | | - If neither of these are the |
| with costly central cooling systems or ineffective | | | | problems, the fan motor may be blown or the |
| fans and portable air conditioners are truly | | | | compressor is malfunctioning so professional help |
| portable. They can be moved from one area to | | | | is necessary. |
| the next and require little to no installation and | | | | 4. Your Portable Air Conditioner |
| maintenance. Sometimes there may be a problem | | | | Won’t Cool in Dehumidification Mode |
| with your portable air conditioner. Before turning | | | | - Check for excess frost on |
| to a professional, why not save money by | | | | evaporator or coils. If present, allow defrosting to |
| troubleshooting the problems yourself? Here are | | | | take place. |
| some common issues and the solutions: | | | | - To prevent ice buildup, clean the |
| 1. Your Portable Air Conditioner | | | | dirty air filters. Also, in weather conditions colder |
| Won’t Start | | | | than 60 degrees, defrost the coil by turning the |
| - Make sure your power cord is | | | | selector switch to the fan position and let it run |
| plugged in correctly and undamaged. | | | | until the ice melts. |
| - Check wall plug and circuit | | | | 5. Your Portable Air Conditioner Is Not |
| breaker. Reset the circuit breaker at the box. | | | | Providing Enough Cooling |
| Change the socket or outlet. | | | | - Keep in mind that portable air |
| - If neither of these solutions work, | | | | conditioners should be used for supplemental |
| take it to a qualified electrician and have the fuse | | | | cooling and for small areas like bedrooms or living |
| replaced. | | | | rooms. |
| 2. Your Portable Air Conditioner Stops | | | | - Make sure you have the right |
| Operating on its Own | | | | sized portable air conditioner. They are sized by |
| - Make sure the timer is not on. | | | | BTU rating. If the BTUs are too high the unit will |
| - Make sure the temperature in the | | | | cycle off too quickly. If the BTUs are too low, the |
| room is not lower than the set temperature. | | | | unit will not adequately cool the area. |
| - Wait until the room temperature | | | | - Excessive sunlight and extremely |
| rises to operate unit. | | | | low or high ambient temperatures can also affect |
| 3. Your Portable Air Conditioner | | | | the cooling capacity. |