I stumbled across this video because I was having an issue with something related but not exactly this, and I just wanted to say thank you for what you're doing.
Hi SoloisticCloud - Thank you for your kind words! You might also want to check our follow up video on how to drain WITHOUT lifting the unit, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
I also ran mine for the past 3 years about 9hrs a day. This year I noticed it wouldn't go below 78 which is comfortable but I like to freeze lol. I took mine to the tub and drained it which wasnt much. THANK U SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!
They should make these portable units with a higher base, at least 4" higher, so that people, especially seniors, who can't lift heavy things, could drain it much easier by just slipping a Tupperware container under the lower drainage plug.
Hi OMG, - Thank you for watching and your comment. You're absolutely right that higher base would be helpful. We made a second video about how to drain without elevating. That's mainly for self-evaporating units which don't accumulate much water, because you can only fit a shallow container under the bottom drain. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks again!
I have made my own base, of wood..... sitting 8" off the floor.... which just fits the plastic drain pan I use. Curios, though.... that mine did not require draining until the unit was almost 2 years old.... and I live in hot and humid area. Now I get the E5 error every time I turn it off... too strange.
Higher/taller casters solve this problem. Yet they never include them, nor do they design the units so the casters are replaceable. Poor engineering decisions.
Yes!!! I put mine on one of those furniture dollys with wheels so if I want to move it to another room or out of the way to clean, it just glides, and it's high enough to easily drain. It was a nightmare before. I don't drain into a bin but I open the cap and put a large collage cheese container under the spout. When it's full, I need to have 2 containers on hand. I keep a hand towel on hand to wipe up any spills. Works!!
Great idea! You may want to check out our follow up video on draining without lifting the unit - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
@@ZLhow2 My way is much simpler and you don't have to deal with a bin. You put it up on the dolly and leave it there. Since I have my a/c in the corner, I can easily slide it away from the wall to empty it into 2 cottage cheese containers. i'm 75 and this made my life a zillion times easier.
Thanks for the tips! We just successfully drained ours and now it is working again. We just rolled ours to the bathtub and did it there. The only thing I'm wondering is we used the a/c all last summer because it was so hot and we never drained it once...not sure why all of a sudden it needs to be drained but anyway just glad it's working.
Hi Tricia, - Thanks for the good news! Not sure why your AC is collecting more water this year. Maybe the weather is more humid or, if your unit has a "dry" mode, maybe you were using that - it pulls more moisture out of the air. Anyways, glad to hear that it's draining well. If your AC goes back to collecting very little water, you might want to check out our other video for draining without lifting the unit. th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you. Had my unit for 2 and a half years and I needed to do this today. It spilled water like no tomorrow and took multiple small containers trips back and forth between the unit and the sink. Also for those interested, the upper back of the unit could be removed on mine, and it was so dirty, you couldn't see past it. ave it a good cleaning as well. Unit works like a charm now, and no longer flashes stop and beeps. +1
Hi Francois -Glad your unit is in good shape again! We have never had that issue with our Frigidaire - we were draining it every two weeks and there was a very little water. So we decided to drain it every month or two at the most.
Golly, thank you so much! We had to use a portable air conditioner and really miss our window unit. The portable ones take up so much space. Your video really helped and was very concise in draining the unit. We need to put it away for the year and I really appreciate your video so we feel good about storing it. The tip of putting plastic over the vent is also good , I certainly didn’t think of it. :-) Thanks again.
You're very welcome and glad we could help. We made a follow up video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
My friend, im about to buy a Portable A/C and my question was going to be, how often do I need to drained? but I already see other comments and understand that is every day until find out how much water makes. Thank you, not many guys like you, answering people’s questions, God Bless!!!
Hi Muscle car Garage - Thanks for watching and your comment. Regarding the draining how often you need to drain depends on a few factors. The climate (dry vs humid), and the type of AC (self-evaporating or not). So yours is probably self-evaporating.
Thank you for the video it’s a great tip. I was wondering why my new unit wasn’t getting as cold. Draining top and bottom like this was easy and solved the problem.
Hi Travis - You're very welcome! We also have a follow up video on how to drain the unit WITHOUT lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching, and stay cool!
Hi Nemphs - You're very welcome! By the way, here is our follow up video on how to drain your AC WITHOUT lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching, and stay cool!
Hi Anthony, We elevated the unit for draining the same day we bought it after testing a few minutes, because the Manual said to drain it after the initial use. We couldn't think of any other way to do it since the AC came without a hose and we didn't have one of our own. Later we came up with the way to drain without lifting the AC and without using hoses. It's much easier and safer than lifting. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Hope you'll find it useful.
I just attach the hose that come with it and let it drip in a bucket. Drain it when it’s full. You can let it run all night and not have to worry about the bucket over filling. Pour out the bucket in the morning.
I literally had to attach a small hose at the bottom I'm running out the front door because if not I will be emptying my bucket the size you have every 15 minutes. I'll never understand why they put the drain hose so close to the floor.
Hi, The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included then), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. (see below for the link). After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well even in a very hot and humid days. Here is the ling for draining without lifting a unit -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for posting this. Unrelated but we Southerners enjoyed y'alls accents while you explained how to do it. Dripping in sweat already at the beginning of April but hey, we laughed!
I have water collecting up by the front where the air come out, opened the 2 ports on the back got some of the water out having a hard time getting all the water out tho
Hi, if you're still having this issue, you might try tilting your unit a bit. Having a little bit of water in the tank is OK - it will eventually evaporate if the weather is dry. Hope this helps.
Hi Stout - Glad we were able to help. We have a follow up video showing how to drain the unit without lifting. It's much easier way to drain. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and stay cool!
Thanks very much and glad we could help! Sometimes simpler is better. By the way, you might also be interested in our follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting - much easier and safer. Thanks again, here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Alondra - Glad we could help. This video was based on our first time draining our AC. We found that there was very little water and we decided to drain WITHOUT lifting the unit and made a follow up video. It's easier and safer. Here is the link to the video - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and you comment.
How quick should the full light come on? Have had mine a few weeks, light hasn't come out, decided to try draining, and only a very short stream came out.. seems it's not cooling like it should either.. feel window A/c works wayyyyyy better
Hi Lee - if you have very little water, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating AC (SE). The light will come on if the tanks are full, but with SE unit it's very rare for the tanks to fill up. (The drain tanks in our SE unit have never gotten full in 6 years of use.) As for the "not cooling" there could be several reasons: the unit is too "big" or "small" for your room, or dirty filter, or dirty/frozen coils. Your User's Manual may detail other possible causes and you can always contact the manufacturer's customer service. If you find that your filter or coils need cleaning, here are links to our videos on those topics: for cleaning the filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html for cleaning the coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html
Hi Jeremy - It sounds like you have the same kind of remote as ours. They are tricky - you have to aim it just right or be in the right spot to hit the sensor. It does seem to work a bit better when the battery is brand new, but just for a very short time. We didn't make a video on this topic, we think it's just he way they come from the manufacturer. BTW, we have a video on how to drain your AC WITHOUT lifting it. It's much safer and easier. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
You're very welcome! Glad we could help. BTW, In case you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer.
Hi Xeric - Thanks for watching and your question. Most portable ACs have two drainage ports - for dehumidifying and for cooling. On our unit the top drain is for the dehumidifier function ("Dry" mode). The bottom drain is for the cooling function ("Cool" mode). Each drain is from a separate tank. Also, for easier and safer draining we made a follow up video on how to drain WITHOUT lifting the unit. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks again, and stay cool!
@@ZLhow2 really? Because when using only “cool mode” i still get water in BOTH tanks after a few days. After some disassembly, i found out that the top tank is a drip tray for water that drips off the fins on the back of the condenser. This dripping also happens during “cool mode” not just dehumidifying. The bottom tray I’m not sure I assume that ones for dehumidifying but since it’s filling even on cool mode, i’ll assume it’s actively dehumidifying even on “cool mode”
Hi Xeric - Thanks for your observations. It could be that regardless of which mode you are using, some condensation will occur throughout the unit. It's just that more water will collect in the top or bottom depending on which mode you are using. We are writing from our experience with our AC and what we've read about ACs in general. Different brands and models may vary.
Most portable ACs have two containers that collect the condensed water. You don't need to add any. You drain from the bottom as well as the top. We have a video that shows how to drain without lifting your unit without lifting it. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Regarding how often to drain a portable AC, it depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank.
I have had my AC almost 5 years ang never had water in it the first year (and never heard any any other time I moved it) today was the first time some water came out (and a lil mold). I’m assuming I have one that doesn’t need emptying often 😅
Hi, We suggest that you try cleaning your coils and filter first, that might be the cause of the problem. You probably do have a self-evaporating or partially self-evaporating unit. Ours is a self-Evaporating and after draining it once when it was brand new (as shown in the video), we haven't had to drain it since - if there is some water, it evaporates by itself even on very hot and humid days. So your could be the same type, and the water may be coming from dirty coils.
Hi, How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, we made a follow up video on how to drain without lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and stay cool!
OMGosh! You/your video saved my okole! I just knew there had to be a remedy! Mahalo, from a Tutu in the Hawaiian Islands! PS I found your update to an easier way very helpful...thankfully I did have someone to lift my a/c, but next time I know how to take care of this myself.
Hi - How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
On all the ACs we have ever encountered, there are separate top and bottom tanks. If yours is different , you can check in your Owner's manual to see about yours.
Thx fir the video. Was thinking about buying one this year. It only produces water if you are using the dehumidifier and not if you are only using the air conditioning system?
Hi - Both tanks collect water depending on which mode you use. If you're using "Dry" (dehumidifier) mode, the water collects in the top tank, if you’re using "Cool" mode, the water collects in the bottom tank. It’s a good idea to check both tanks when you’re draining. Thanks for watching!
Hi I bought this AC two summers ago and I just set it up again the other day, because I put it away in the winter time, and I have it on Cool and the water is coming out of the top tank. I have the hose attached and it is draining out into a container I have in the back but I am concerned because it has never drained from that top tank before and I am concerned. I am going to take the filters out and clean them and put them back and see if that helps. Any other suggestions?
Hi Keren, We're not sure why it's draining from the top tank on 'Cool" mode, you might want to check with your manufacturer on that. In the meantime we think the most important thing is to keep draining it on a regular basis. (We always check both tanks when draining just to be on the safe side. And most of the time the top tank has no water, probably because we use "Dry" mode very occasionally.) Would you care to get back to us and let us know what you hear from the manufacturer? Thanks for your comment and hope it works out well.
My portable AC is having an issue where its leaking from the bottom, but there's still water coming out of the hose. i tried to fix this problem by cleaning it and checked if there's clogging, still did not solve the issue we just bought this 2 months ago
Hi Aaron - One possible cause is that the unit is not leveled: just a slight tilt to one side can cause leaks. Another possibility is dirty filter or dirty/frozen coils. If you haven't cleaned them already, here are links for both: filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and coils: th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html . If none of them works, you can check this site, which discusses many other possible causes and how to fix them. applianceanalysts.com/leaky-portable-air-conditioner/ Also, for an easier and safer way to drain your unit, here is our follow up video on how to drain it without lifting it - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Good luck with your issue.
I just bought a brand new supposedly self-evaluating one and it keeps filling up. As soon as I move it to drain it its already coming out the bottom sides. If the sucker wasn't so heavy I would return it. I should have just kept my old one if I knew I would have to drain it everyday still.
Hi - It's sounds like your unit is not self-evaporating , or if it is, it's not working properly. If you decide to keep it, you might like our follow up video on how to drain the unit WITHOUT lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html We hope this helps.
@@ZLhow2 Thanks. I'll check it out. I think part of the reason is it's because it's humid where I live. It works really well except for the whole draining thing.
Hello, thanks for a very nice tutorial. I have a question regarding the draining. When/ how often should I do it? Should I do it after everytime I use it once? Please help me here. Thanks
Hi Ahmad, I would suggest checking every day or so. After awhile you'll develop a sense of how often to drain. Our unit generates little or no water to drain, but we still check it once a month and more often when the weather gets very hot or humid. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
I bought mine 2 months ago I can never get water to drain fire 3 or 4 days it's made a crazy loud noise and today it just went cabuy. I need help please!!!!😢
after 6 months of use I decided to store it for the winter, I never got any drain code and when I tried to drain it there was no water at all from either plug. Slightly confused, It still works fine however.
I don't have the same model, but I have a similar setup (I have a Linea Air Con Unit 99 bought cheap here in the UK for £88) However, I was having the FT error code up and the manual kept on saying to drain it BUT via the top Black part. After watching your video and seeing the bottom place to empty it, Sure enough, I had one of them too. I raised it up, popped the pipe in there and bam, it drained. Thank you so much for your vid and the step in the direction I needed :)
Hi, Glad it worked well, but we wanted to let you know that we made a follow up video a few years ago on how to drain the unit without lifting it - much easier and safer. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Awesome to see you reply to every question, good on you. I had a quick one myself, purchased my first portable ac unit. It is located on my second story next to a window. What is stopping me from attaching the included hose to the top port and putting said hose outside the window, this will mean I'll never need to drain the unit as all water will automatically drip out. Unsure if this is a good method or if I should plug it up and do it every so often. Thanks!
Hi Tektah, thank you for your kind words, and your question. You can run the hose out the window and that should take care of draining the top tank. If the hose needs to go upward to get out the window you might want to check on getting a condensate pump to move the water along. Remember that you will still need to drain the bottom tank occasionally. As we mentioned recently to another person, we also have a video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it - much easier and safer! Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html This is not in the video, but you can also use a cookie pan with low sides for draining the bottom tank. Just be sure to keep a bucket nearby so you can empty the pan without spilling. One further item - if your AC is a Self-Evaporating model, you may never need to drain it after the first time you use it. If that's the case, you may want to reconsider using the hose.
Hi Big - Here is what we found online (the link is below) as a likely reason for your problem: "The primary reason for your portable AC filling with water too quickly is humidity in the region you live. However, excessive water deposit may also be due to dirty filter or clogged condensate line. Due to clogging flow over the evaporator coil is blocked leading to ice that continuously melts and fills the water container." Here is the link to the site - hvacrguy.com/why-portable-ac-is-filling-with-water-quickly/ If your AC is not brand new, we suggest checking your filter and coils, and cleaning them if necessary. How to clean them (it's very easy) you might want to check our videos: for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html and for filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html You may want to check for leaks as well. Also, if your AC is not a Self-evaporative unit, then we would suggest using a hose. Hope this is helpful.
You're very welcome! You might want to check our follow up video on how to drain without a hose and also without lifting the unit. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and stay cool!
Hi, How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
Hi Kurtis - Great news! Hope you enjoy your new AC. BTW we suggest that you also watch our follow up video which shows how to drain the unit without lifting. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching, and stay cool!
It's the Bostonian version of a garrrden ; ) BTW, have you checked our follow up video on how to drain without lifting the unit? If not, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Stay cool!
thank you for putting this up, just been able to afford my very own second-hand portable AC unit and this video is exactly what I was looking for...:-))
Hi Ali Khan - We're glad to be helpful! Also, we would recommend our follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and stay cool!
Hi, sorry for the delayed reply, we just saw your question recently. Regarding your question the answer is yes , you may be able to drain your AC's top port with a garden hose. Check first to see if you will need an adapter. Hope this helps,
Glad we could help! How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is fully or partially self-evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, if you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer. Thanks for watching,and stay cool!
Hi, In our very first video how to drain, we tilted our unit just to see how much water was left in the bottom tank after draining the AC. There was very little water left. Later we learned that it would evaporate on its own especially if you have a Self-Evaporating unit. Also, we have developed a follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting it - much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and your question.
Hi! Thank you for posting this!!! We have the Ocean Breeze brand but it has the same drainage ports as this one! Our drainage hose got cut so we had to throw it out but this helped!!! We were trying to drain it on the floor on towels but sure enough a few days later it came up with the P1 error which is a full drainage pan! We did this method over the tub and seemed to work, we tipped it a little to make sure it all came out. We clean the filters every time we drain it too so those are clean. I’m wondering if the humidity we’ve been experiencing is making more accumulation of condensation and water in the pan but we will be doing this method from here on out! Thank you again for posting the drainage without the hose, it’s much appreciated!!!! Have a great day and rest of the summer!!!!
Hi DillOFFICIAL - You're very welcome! And thank you for your kind note. We are glad that this video was helpful. We want to let you know that we made a follow up video on how to drain your AC Without Lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html This next tip is not in the video, but you can also use a cookie pan with low sides for draining the bottom tank. Just be sure to keep a bucket nearby so you can empty the pan without spilling. Hope this saves you some energy and heavy lifting. Regarding the humidity, you're right! Higher humidity definitely increases the amount of water that ACs will generate. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
May i suggest a possible easier way to drain... I just put mine in the bath tub. It may be easyier then finding a stool and drain pan or pans. It is the way i do it and works well for me.
Hi, we are glad that your method works for you. We wouldn't recommend it to others because this ACs are very heavy, plus they don't have any lifting handles. We did make a video on how to drain portable ACs without lifting - much easier and safer. Here is the link - -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Appreciate this videp. I needed the walkthrough as the book wasn't complete. I had to empty my tank twice now in a month, roughly. It doesn't drain a LOT but it seems empty. Do you know how much water it can hold? Didn't seem like much. Thanks again for the video.
Hi, Thank you for watching and your questions. If you only have to drain twice in a month and you still don't get much water, your unit is probably partially Self-Evaporating - this gets rid of most of the water for you. Regarding the tank size it all depends on the make and mode of your unit. If the manual doesn't give the size, you can call your manufacturer's customer service line. Also, for when you do need to drain, we made a follow up video on how to drain without lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
You're very welcome! You may want to check out our follow up video on draining without lifting the unit - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Hi, you may have clogged drainage spouts. You can check this by just poking a plastic straw into the spouts, which would dislodge any built-up dirt or debris. If none of them works, we would suggest contacting your manufacturer's customer service department. Hope this helps.
I have one on a half height crome wire shelving. The kind you can adjust height with plastic wedges along the side posts. Bottom shelf I put a clear plastic tote like in video. Used a lighter to soften lid to poke holes for hose. I had a water pump from a water filtration system. Every three, four days I turn on pump. I have huge water tank to save the water in case emergency or wash car with.
Hi Travels- We're glad if your arrangement works for you, but we encourage people to keep their portable ACs on the floor for safety. We even made a follow up video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it. It's much easier and safer. If you are interested, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and your comment.
Hi, Sorry for the delayed response. If you are not finding water in your AC, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating unit, like ours. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included then), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. We made a follow up video on how to do this, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well at least in a climate that is not very humid (we're in Boston). Thanks for watching and your comment.
I have one similar to this but I have a hose on the top drain and it discharges several liters a day. I don't understand why it also shuts off intermittently and needs the lower one drained?
Hi - On hot and humid days air conditioners generate much more water, so it’s ok. Regarding shutting off the AC, most likely your bottom tray is full of water and needs to be drained. When it’s full the AC usually shuts off. So turn off the AC, and drain it. We have a follow up video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it, which is much easier and safer. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html This is not in the video, but you can also use a cookie pan with low sides. Just be sure to keep a bucket nearby so you can empty the pan without spilling. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
same here! I need to empty a big bucket (maybe 10-20 litters) at least once or twice a day. My dad has one too (same city) and it barely has the bottom of a plate of water. How can that be?!
You're very welcome! Glad we could helped. BTW, we have developed a follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting - much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Stay cool
Hi Clara, Thanks for the kind words! Glad we were able to help. You might want to check our follow up video on how to drain without a hose and also without lifting the unit. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Hope that will make things even better. Thanks for watching and stay cool.
I have a hisemse Dual-hose Portable AC that i keep having to drain every night, only 5 months old.. why does it keep having to drain? The E5 drain error code always comes up
Hi, sorry for the delayed reply. In case you didn't find the solution to your problem, we found a site online which gives information on your issue, and hope it helps. Here is the link - www.luceaircon.sg/blog-article/e5-error-code-on-hisense-air-conditioner
Has anyone got experience with Cowsar or Zafro units? The first sold by Home Depot the second by Amazon. I am a little afraid to buy something that seems this touchy from Amazon. It only has a 30 day return policy unless you buy an extended warranty which is pricey.
Great video but I was wondering if it’s necessary to drain it like this when my portable ac comes with a drainage bucket. For some reason the bucket stays bone dry but when I pull the plugs out the back, water comes pouring out.
Hi Nico - Don't worry - what you describe is how it's supposed to be. Also, Also we have a follow up video on how to drain without lifting the unit, here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thank you for watching and your comment.
Ummmm…. I just did this to try and make it work more efficient, and no water came out at all. I used the stool and all. I even tilted it a tad to see if that will drain anything out and nothing. There is a desert inside my portable ac unit. But I think it’s because I never use the dehumidifier mode just ac mode.
Hi Andrey - If you are not finding water in your AC, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating unit, like ours. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. We made a follow up video on how to do this, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well at least in a climate that is not very humid (we're in Boston). Thanks for watching and your comment.
Hi, You don't need to lift the unit to drain it. We made a video on how to drain without lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Also, one of the commenters made a great suggestion to put a towel in the drain tray that we show in the video. That will soak up the water and make it easier to get rid of it.
I havent had to drain mines at all and used it last summer and the past month for this summer. LG ARE ONE OF THE BEST PORTABLE AC UNITS! as far as the top drainer I never used dehumidifier so I don't think I need to drain it?
Z L thank you. I actually just drain both top and bottom a few minutes ago. Top didnt have much water but bottom had a bit more. I didn't wait for the light to come on to drain the fluid but the ac works much better now and cooler. I'll prob drain it once a month from now on. Thank you for your awesome video.
We also don't wait for the light to come on before draining. We just drain it every once in a while, and more often if we're using it a lot. BTW you may want to check our our more recent video, showing an even easier way to drain. Thanks again!
Just got one with no removeable drain. Never had one like this. So me or my wife have to lift a 110 lb unit on a stool everytime we drain it if we can't facilitate a hose drain. I think its going back
Hi, In our video we were draining our new Self-Evaporating AC for the first time a few hours after using it. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we lifted our unit. And we made a follow up video on how to drain the unit without lifting it. It’s much easier and safer. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html After a while, we stopped draining the unit altogether as there was hardly any water. So if you have a Self-Evaporating AC like we do, then you may also not need to drain yours. Hopefully all this will give you another option to consider before returning your AC. If you do return it, you might look at a lighter weight model. Ours is 10000BTU and weighs 53 lb. Best of luck!
@@ZLhow2we have the same model as you do. I purchased the hose from amz. I noticed before, when the plugs were close, the ac is too loud and it shut down on us from time to time. I got scared cause i thought it might break the ac. When i put the hose while using the ac, it didn’t do that anymore. But it produces a lot of water 😢 it fills up our home depot big bucket in just 8-10hrs of use during the night 😢 should i just keep the plugs close? It’s tiring to dispose the water everyday 😭
Hi, If your AC is new and it’s an SE (Self-Evaporating) AC like ours, then we would suggest contacting your manufacturer’s Customer Service line, or just return it. None of the issues that you've encountered have happened to us. Since the initial draining we’ve had hardly any water, even after using it in “Dry” mode for many hours on humid days. Also, the unit shouldn't get loud and stop working regardless of whether the plugs are closed or open. If your AC has been used for a while, then there are several possible reasons for your unit’s problems. While searching to solve similar issues for other users in our channel, we’ve learned that a dirty filter and/or dirty coils could be the reason for a portable AC turning off and on and generating too much water. This is how it happens: a dirty filter blocks the airflow, causing the temperature of the evaporator coils to drop below the minimum setting. As a result the coils will freeze up and your AC will shut off. The ice on the coils will then melt, and the water will fill up the tank very quickly. If the coils are dirty, then even more ice will form, resulting in more water in the tank. If your unit has dirty filter or coils, we have videos on how to clean them, here are the links: for filter- th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html If the cleaning doesn’t help, you may have more complicated issues such us Freon loss or condenser problems. Research thoroughly before deciding whether to make these kinds of repairs - the repair costs may be higher than the cost of purchasing a new unit. Hope this is helpful.
Thank you Z L for taking the time to video, how to drain Frigidaire AC, I noticed when I was draining the top plug, the vent was covered in large amounts of dust, can I unscrew the screw it? I want to keep the dust consumption away from the AC unit or should I just use a cloth or feather duster . I feel that that area should be kept clean, yes? Thank you. Lisa Kennedy
Hi Lisa - Good question. You definitely want to keep your AC clean. If the vent is covered with dust, then there could be dust on filter and coils as well. You could start by vacuuming the dust of the vent cover with a hand vacuum. Then you can unscrew and remove the vent cover which will probably expose the filter and the coils behind it. If you are not sure how to clean these, here are links for cleaning both items: For filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html For coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching, and stay cool.
Hi Quan,- This is a nice "problem" to have! There are two possible answers to your question - either you have a "self-evaporating'" unit, or your area is dry enough that the water naturally evaporates on its own. Thanks for your question.
No, the cooling process creates water that collects in the tank. If it doesn't evaporate by itself, then you need to drain it. You should check every day or so when you first get the unit to see how much water is collecting. Thank you for watching and for your question.
hello! very informative video. question though, how long does this unit last? i've owned this same unit in the video for the past 3 years. i only use it occasionally whenever it gets too hot in the room for only 2 hours at a time. it works great right now but im worried that ill need to recharge it or worry about needing to buy a new one cause its old. thank you in advance!
Hi Alexis - Thank you for your kind words. We've used ours for four full seasons and will be starting our fifth soon. It's still working fine, and we use it between 10 and 14 hours a day during the summer. We would suggest that you just enjoy yours and take good care of it, and it will probably be good for a few more years. As for recharging you may want to check before you try that. It's not easy for an amateur, and for a professional job, you may end up spending more than half the price of a new AC. Thanks for watching and stay cool.
Hi Carlos, we would suggest getting a replacement of the "cap". Here is the link with different kinds of the drain spout plugs which we found in google. Here is the link - www.youtube.com/@ZLhow2/community
Hey man.. thank you for sharing.. indeed its helpful. Wanna ask.. what water is this? coz there is no water supply into my portable aircon, and it seems to be too much to be condensation, and i doubt its refrigerant..
Hi, If you are not finding water in your AC, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating unit, like ours. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. We made a follow up video on how to do this, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well at least in a climate that is not very humid (we're in Boston). But if you have a Non self-evaporating AC, and especially if you live in a hot humid climate, you may find plenty of condensed water in your tanks. Thanks for watching and your comment!
Hi, you only need to drain if there is water built up in the tank. Some units have an indicator light for draining, but it's a good idea to check the tank every few days. And always drain it at the end of the cooling season. Thanks for watching.
Does anyone on here can tell me if there air conditioner after you are done draining it does yours get full again super fast after starting it up again after draining it? Mine is getting full every few hours and that just seems like that's way to soon or too fast to be getting full again after draining, but if anyone see this and can respond and help me I would truly appreciate it please and thank you
Hi, If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then draining every few hours in hot and humid weather is normal. With this type of AC we would suggest continuous draining with a hose as a possibility. When using continuous draining, make sure your hose goes either to a large bucket, or out the window to the outside. If the hose needs to go upward to get out the window, then you might need to get a condensate pump to push the water out. But if your AC is a Self-Evaporating unit and it generates lots of water frequently, then we would suggest that you check your filters and coils to make sure they are clean. How to clean them , here are the links to our videos: for filter- th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html If cleaning them doesn't help, then we would recommend calling customer service or a technician.
I live in SoCal. Depends on the humidity level. Usually mine will go a week or two without draining, but during a heat wave, like right now, I'm sometimes emptying it every 2 hours. It's a pain but since I have it up on a furniture dolly, I slide my cottage cheese containers under the spout and get it drained in maybe 2 minutes.
You're welcome! How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, if you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer. Thanks for watching,and stay cool!
I have this same AC & I drained my Ac the best I could but wen I turn it on a code E-4 keeps popping out n won’t throw any air out 😭 anybody else have this problem?
Hi - The code E-4 , for Frigidaire portable AC (if that's what you have), means the unit's systems are not talking to each other, so you might not get important warnings like you need to drain the tank, or it's time to clean the filter. Frigidaire suggest that you call them if you see E-4 code. You can check codes for Frigidaire at this site - acerrorcode.com/frigidaire-room-air-conditioner-error-codes.html
Hi ZL, I have a general question regarding a portable AC. I’m planning to buy one and did a lot of research on some brands. Some of them mentioned that the water doesn't need to be drained due of the humidifier is in it. is this true? I want to make sure before I purchase the unit. Thank you so much.
Hi Ed - Thank you for watching and your question. There are air conditioners that need almost no draining they are called fully self-evaporative models. So you would want to check and see if that’s the one you are considering. Regarding your question about “humidifier” , many ACs have dehumidifiers (dry mode) this does not remove the need to drain. It’s the self- evaporative function meaning that the water evaporates from the tank on its own. Hope this helps you to find the right AC.
Not a good idea. In my climate the unit would have to be drained every few hours or it stops cooling the air. PVC tubing attached with a zip tie and directed out the window provides continuous drainage 24/7. Plus it avoids the strain of lifting the bucket and emptying it plus the inevitable mopping up when you spill it.
Hi Moses - Thank you for watching and your comments. We agree that draining with the tube can work fine. For people who don't have that option, or are lazy like us :) we made a follow up video on how to drain the unit Without Lifting it. It's much easier and safer. In case you missed that suggestion on this video, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
@@ZLhow2 My method is lazy i.e. attach the hose, point it out the window, and forget it for the season. Your method involves a lot of work and lifting buckets of water will lead to spills and strained backs.
Hi - You are right, but if your drain tube needs to go up to get out of the window, then you can buy a condensate pump to get the water up and out. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Jamie, this might be caused by a dirty filter or dirty coils, or possibly something else. We would suggest that you call your manufacturer's customer service line. Hope it helps and thank you for watching.
Hi Robert, Thanks for watching and your comment. If you don't want to lift your unit, we have our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Hi, thanks for the video but can I just point something out. If this unit is the AEG chillflex pro I have just bought one. The top drain plug has a rubber bung in the end which you need to remove after you unscrew the cap, I just found out! You can pull it out it is a small black thing and has ribs. Just thought I'd let you know!
Hi Phil - Thank you for your note, but our unit is not an AEG , and the top drain is slightly different from yours. BTW, you might like to check our video on the easier and saver way to drain - NO lifting! Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Alex- Thanks for your question and sorry for this late reply. Changing the refrigerant is unusual in a home AC. It's not a routine maintenance procedure like cleaning the filter. We've used our unit intensively for five heating seasons and there has never been a need to change the refrigerant. In answering this question for another commenter, we learned that the cost of the refrigerant, plus getting a technician to do the job, gets so high that it probably makes more sense just to buy a new AC. Hope this is helpful.
Hi, thank you for watching and your question. We searched online and found the site which gives some information related to your issue. They say that ".. The evaporative coils can ice up, and when the ice melts, water may drip from the front of the unit, and again, the force of the fan may turn the drip into a spray. " Here is the link to the site www.hunker.com/12575736/why-is-my-air-conditioner-spitting-water Hope this helps, and good luck!
I have a portable AC and it got the same 2 holes. I let the upper hole open and it drain continous flow of water but when I leave the ac open for more than an hour it says already full. Should open both holes and let the water flow out while using it?
As long as you have drain hoses leading to a safe spot, then you can leave both spouts open. As for the sigh that the unit is already full, we would suggest to check your filters and coils to make sure they are clean. We have videos on how to clean them. Here are the links: for filter- th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html Hope this helps.
So it looks like I have the same model as yours and I only had it for 4 months. FT keeps showing on the screen after I use it for a day. I drain it everyday because FT keeps showing. Do you have any suggestions on how I can resolve it?
Hi Marco - Thank you for watching and your question. We checked our User's Manual, and searched online, but couldn't find any information about the FT code for the Frigidaire portable AC. How about checking the display panel to see if there is a fine print under the flashing code saying to reset, it might stop the flashing. Otherwise, we would suggest contacting customer service.
hi, for my cooler, normally i using cool mode. but last week got one problem coming out. keep showing me water full indicator. i need drain every hour .let say i don't drain it when i sleeping. then the wind become warm...
Hi - We believe that the unit will shut itself off if the tank becomes full, but we suggest that you check with your seller or manufacturer to be sure. Thank you for watching.
Buy a Danby a/c and your troubles are over, Danby has a built in drain, that fits into a special space in the unit. It holds a quart of water and is removeable to drain in your sink, so easy.
Thank you for your comment. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included then), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the first and last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. (see below for the link). After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, and never have drained the unit since there was almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well even in a very hot and humid days. Here is the link for draining without lifting a unit -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Hi Kurt , How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code. If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, if you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer. Thanks for watching,and stay cool!
It’s sad I needed a video to figure this out but glad it’s here thanks 👍
Thanks for watching!
chris kelley You aren’t the only one :-)
Seems like commons sense but the heat left me senseless. So glad for this video so hot here in Illinois these last couple of days.
Thanks for your comment, and hopefully your weather cools off a bit soon.
Was thinking the same! Ha!
I stumbled across this video because I was having an issue with something related but not exactly this, and I just wanted to say thank you for what you're doing.
You are very welcome!
Gives this guy some love, found the video I was searching for!! Kudos 🥳👍
Hi SoloisticCloud - Thank you for your kind words! You might also want to check our follow up video on how to drain WITHOUT lifting the unit, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
I also ran mine for the past 3 years about 9hrs a day. This year I noticed it wouldn't go below 78 which is comfortable but I like to freeze lol. I took mine to the tub and drained it which wasnt much. THANK U SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!
Hi Demetria, - Thank you for your comment and you are very welcome! We're glad that things are going well.
They should make these portable units with a higher base, at least 4" higher, so that people, especially seniors, who can't lift heavy things, could drain it much easier by just slipping a Tupperware container under the lower drainage plug.
Hi OMG, - Thank you for watching and your comment. You're absolutely right that higher base would be helpful. We made a second video about how to drain without elevating. That's mainly for self-evaporating units which don't accumulate much water, because you can only fit a shallow container under the bottom drain. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks again!
I have made my own base, of wood..... sitting 8" off the floor.... which just fits the plastic drain pan I use. Curios, though.... that mine did not require draining until the unit was almost 2 years old.... and I live in hot and humid area. Now I get the E5 error every time I turn it off... too strange.
Higher/taller casters solve this problem. Yet they never include them, nor do they design the units so the casters are replaceable. Poor engineering decisions.
Yes!!! I put mine on one of those furniture dollys with wheels so if I want to move it to another room or out of the way to clean, it just glides, and it's high enough to easily drain. It was a nightmare before. I don't drain into a bin but I open the cap and put a large collage cheese container under the spout. When it's full, I need to have 2 containers on hand. I keep a hand towel on hand to wipe up any spills. Works!!
Great idea! You may want to check out our follow up video on draining without lifting the unit - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
@@ZLhow2 My way is much simpler and you don't have to deal with a bin. You put it up on the dolly and leave it there. Since I have my a/c in the corner, I can easily slide it away from the wall to empty it into 2 cottage cheese containers. i'm 75 and this made my life a zillion times easier.
Thanks for the tips! We just successfully drained ours and now it is working again. We just rolled ours to the bathtub and did it there. The only thing I'm wondering is we used the a/c all last summer because it was so hot and we never drained it once...not sure why all of a sudden it needs to be drained but anyway just glad it's working.
Hi Tricia, - Thanks for the good news! Not sure why your AC is collecting more water this year. Maybe the weather is more humid or, if your unit has a "dry" mode, maybe you were using that - it pulls more moisture out of the air. Anyways, glad to hear that it's draining well. If your AC goes back to collecting very little water, you might want to check out our other video for draining without lifting the unit. th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you. Had my unit for 2 and a half years and I needed to do this today.
It spilled water like no tomorrow and took multiple small containers trips back and forth between the unit and the sink.
Also for those interested, the upper back of the unit could be removed on mine, and it was so dirty, you couldn't see past it. ave it a good cleaning as well.
Unit works like a charm now, and no longer flashes stop and beeps. +1
Hi Francois -Glad your unit is in good shape again! We have never had that issue with our Frigidaire - we were draining it every two weeks and there was a very little water. So we decided to drain it every month or two at the most.
Golly, thank you so much! We had to use a portable air conditioner and really miss our window unit. The portable ones take up so much space. Your video really helped and was very concise in draining the unit. We need to put it away for the year and I really appreciate your video so we feel good about storing it. The tip of putting plastic over the vent is also good , I certainly didn’t think of it. :-) Thanks again.
You're very welcome and glad we could help. We made a follow up video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
My friend, im about to buy a Portable A/C and my question was going to be, how often do I need to drained? but I already see other comments and understand that is every day until find out how much water makes. Thank you, not many guys like you, answering people’s questions, God Bless!!!
I’ve been using my GE portable for 2 months and only drained it once
You're very welcome Bradway IASD, and thank you for your kind words.
Hi Muscle car Garage - Thanks for watching and your comment. Regarding the draining how often you need to drain depends on a few factors. The climate (dry vs humid), and the type of AC (self-evaporating or not). So yours is probably self-evaporating.
Thank you for the video it’s a great tip. I was wondering why my new unit wasn’t getting as cold. Draining top and bottom like this was easy and solved the problem.
Hi Travis - You're very welcome! We also have a follow up video on how to drain the unit WITHOUT lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching, and stay cool!
Thank you. You saved me from a night without AC. You are a boss!
Hi Nemphs - You're very welcome! By the way, here is our follow up video on how to drain your AC WITHOUT lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching, and stay cool!
love how at 1:40 the subtitles say "[Applause]" but in fact it's just the sound of liquid coming out
Don't know if this was mentioned, but to prevent the unit from falling while elevated, I use 1.4" door stoppers wedged deep on each side.
Hi Anthony, We elevated the unit for draining the same day we bought it after testing a few minutes, because the Manual said to drain it after the initial use. We couldn't think of any other way to do it since the AC came without a hose and we didn't have one of our own. Later we came up with the way to drain without lifting the AC and without using hoses. It's much easier and safer than lifting. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Hope you'll find it useful.
I just attach the hose that come with it and let it drip in a bucket. Drain it when it’s full. You can let it run all night and not have to worry about the bucket over filling. Pour out the bucket in the morning.
Thanks for this video. I now am interested in purchasing a portable unit, and this way seems easy to drain. This encouraged me.
You are welcome!
I literally had to attach a small hose at the bottom I'm running out the front door because if not I will be emptying my bucket the size you have every 15 minutes. I'll never understand why they put the drain hose so close to the floor.
That's a great idea!
Too bad the manufacturers of these portable AC units aren’t as smart as this guy. Great job! You just made this task much easier. Have a great day!
Hi James, Thanks for your kind words. Have a cool day!
I just bought the air conditioner and it never mentioned the hose or draining at all. So do you just drain occasionally?
Hi, The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up.
The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included then), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. (see below for the link).
After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well even in a very hot and humid days.
Here is the ling for draining without lifting a unit -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for posting this. Unrelated but we Southerners enjoyed y'alls accents while you explained how to do it. Dripping in sweat already at the beginning of April but hey, we laughed!
Hi, What accent?! :) Loved y'alls too. Stay cool!
I have water collecting up by the front where the air come out, opened the 2 ports on the back got some of the water out having a hard time getting all the water out tho
Hi, if you're still having this issue, you might try tilting your unit a bit. Having a little bit of water in the tank is OK - it will eventually evaporate if the weather is dry. Hope this helps.
You may also need to clean out the drain hole with a pipe cleaner or something of the sort. As it's sounds like it could be clogged with debris.
Great helpful video, that tilting the ac a lil bit to get that bit of water made big difference
Hi Stout - Glad we were able to help. We have a follow up video showing how to drain the unit without lifting. It's much easier way to drain. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching and stay cool!
the manual had terrible instructions. you and your sexy accent saved my ass, dude. liked, subscribed. thank you!! 😊
Thanks very much and glad we could help! Sometimes simpler is better. By the way, you might also be interested in our follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting - much easier and safer. Thanks again, here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for this video I had no idea why my air conditioner was leaking !! 🙌🏼
Hi Alondra - Glad we could help. This video was based on our first time draining our AC. We found that there was very little water and we decided to drain WITHOUT lifting the unit and made a follow up video. It's easier and safer. Here is the link to the video - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and you comment.
How quick should the full light come on? Have had mine a few weeks, light hasn't come out, decided to try draining, and only a very short stream came out.. seems it's not cooling like it should either.. feel window A/c works wayyyyyy better
Hi Lee - if you have very little water, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating AC (SE). The light will come on if the tanks are full, but with SE unit it's very rare for the tanks to fill up. (The drain tanks in our SE unit have never gotten full in 6 years of use.) As for the "not cooling" there could be several reasons: the unit is too "big" or "small" for your room, or dirty filter, or dirty/frozen coils. Your User's Manual may detail other possible causes and you can always contact the manufacturer's customer service. If you find that your filter or coils need cleaning, here are links to our videos on those topics: for cleaning the filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html
for cleaning the coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html
Thank you. Pretty straight forward. Any videos on getting the remote to work?
Hi Jeremy - It sounds like you have the same kind of remote as ours. They are tricky - you have to aim it just right or be in the right spot to hit the sensor. It does seem to work a bit better when the battery is brand new, but just for a very short time. We didn't make a video on this topic, we think it's just he way they come from the manufacturer. BTW, we have a video on how to drain your AC WITHOUT lifting it. It's much safer and easier. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Omg ty!!! I had no idea that FL meant "full" it didn't even cross my mind that it had water in it 😅 ty ty ty ♡
You're very welcome! Glad we could help. BTW, In case you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer.
I am a stay at home mother and wife of a trucker so I have to do a lot by myself I thank God for TH-cam!
Glad you find it helpful!
Why are there two places to drain from? Are they coming from separate tanks?
Hi Xeric - Thanks for watching and your question. Most portable ACs have two drainage ports - for dehumidifying and for cooling. On our unit the top drain is for the dehumidifier function ("Dry" mode). The bottom drain is for the cooling function ("Cool" mode). Each drain is from a separate tank. Also, for easier and safer draining we made a follow up video on how to drain WITHOUT lifting the unit. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks again, and stay cool!
@@ZLhow2 really? Because when using only “cool mode” i still get water in BOTH tanks after a few days. After some disassembly, i found out that the top tank is a drip tray for water that drips off the fins on the back of the condenser. This dripping also happens during “cool mode” not just dehumidifying. The bottom tray I’m not sure I assume that ones for dehumidifying but since it’s filling even on cool mode, i’ll assume it’s actively dehumidifying even on “cool mode”
Hi Xeric - Thanks for your observations. It could be that regardless of which mode you are using, some condensation will occur throughout the unit. It's just that more water will collect in the top or bottom depending on which mode you are using. We are writing from our experience with our AC and what we've read about ACs in general. Different brands and models may vary.
Great video!, thanks. Are there two containers that need water? Why not just drain from the bottom ? How ofeten do you drain/hours of run time?
Most portable ACs have two containers that collect the condensed water. You don't need to add any. You drain from the bottom as well as the top. We have a video that shows how to drain without lifting your unit without lifting it. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Regarding how often to drain a portable AC, it depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank.
I have had my AC almost 5 years ang never had water in it the first year (and never heard any any other time I moved it) today was the first time some water came out (and a lil mold). I’m assuming I have one that doesn’t need emptying often 😅
Hi, We suggest that you try cleaning your coils and filter first, that might be the cause of the problem. You probably do have a self-evaporating or partially self-evaporating unit. Ours is a self-Evaporating and after draining it once when it was brand new (as shown in the video), we haven't had to drain it since - if there is some water, it evaporates by itself even on very hot and humid days. So your could be the same type, and the water may be coming from dirty coils.
Thank you for explaining literally everything. My dad taught me nothing 😢 hehe 👍
how often do you have to drain the water, if using the unit on aircon mode?
Hi, How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, we made a follow up video on how to drain without lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and stay cool!
OMGosh! You/your video saved my okole! I just knew there had to be a remedy! Mahalo, from a Tutu in the Hawaiian Islands!
PS I found your update to an easier way very helpful...thankfully I did have someone to lift my a/c, but next time I know how to take care of this myself.
Aloha! Mahalo for your kind words! We're always glad to hear that we were able to help someone. Thanks again, and stay cool!
How often should this be drained?
Hi - How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
I wonder if i can just leave the plug off and do a continuous drain into a pan, or if that would effect the ac?
so...why bother with the top plug if all the water will drain out the bottom anyway?
On all the ACs we have ever encountered, there are separate top and bottom tanks. If yours is different , you can check in your Owner's manual to see about yours.
Thx fir the video. Was thinking about buying one this year. It only produces water if you are using the dehumidifier and not if you are only using the air conditioning system?
Hi - Both tanks collect water depending on which mode you use. If you're using "Dry" (dehumidifier) mode, the water collects in the top tank, if you’re using "Cool" mode, the water collects in the bottom tank. It’s a good idea to check both tanks when you’re draining. Thanks for watching!
Hi I bought this AC two summers ago and I just set it up again the other day, because I put it away in the winter time, and I have it on Cool and the water is coming out of the top tank. I have the hose attached and it is draining out into a container I have in the back but I am concerned because it has never drained from that top tank before and I am concerned. I am going to take the filters out and clean them and put them back and see if that helps. Any other suggestions?
Hi Keren, We're not sure why it's draining from the top tank on 'Cool" mode, you might want to check with your manufacturer on that.
In the meantime we think the most important thing is to keep draining it on a regular basis. (We always check both tanks when draining just to be on the safe side. And most of the time the top tank has no water, probably because we use "Dry" mode very occasionally.)
Would you care to get back to us and let us know what you hear from the manufacturer? Thanks for your comment and hope it works out well.
My portable AC is having an issue where its leaking from the bottom, but there's still water coming out of the hose. i tried to fix this problem by cleaning it and checked if there's clogging, still did not solve the issue we just bought this 2 months ago
Hi Aaron - One possible cause is that the unit is not leveled: just a slight tilt to one side can cause leaks. Another possibility is dirty filter or dirty/frozen coils. If you haven't cleaned them already, here are links for both: filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and coils: th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html . If none of them works, you can check this site, which discusses many other possible causes and how to fix them. applianceanalysts.com/leaky-portable-air-conditioner/
Also, for an easier and safer way to drain your unit, here is our follow up video on how to drain it without lifting it - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Good luck with your issue.
I just bought a brand new supposedly self-evaluating one and it keeps filling up. As soon as I move it to drain it its already coming out the bottom sides. If the sucker wasn't so heavy I would return it. I should have just kept my old one if I knew I would have to drain it everyday still.
Hi - It's sounds like your unit is not self-evaporating , or if it is, it's not working properly. If you decide to keep it, you might like our follow up video on how to drain the unit WITHOUT lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html We hope this helps.
@@ZLhow2 Thanks. I'll check it out. I think part of the reason is it's because it's humid where I live. It works really well except for the whole draining thing.
You're right, with high humidity, especially for a long time you get more water in the tank.
Hello, thanks for a very nice tutorial. I have a question regarding the draining. When/ how often should I do it? Should I do it after everytime I use it once? Please help me here. Thanks
Hi Ahmad, I would suggest checking every day or so. After awhile you'll develop a sense of how often to drain. Our unit generates little or no water to drain, but we still check it once a month and more often when the weather gets very hot or humid. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
I bought mine 2 months ago I can never get water to drain fire 3 or 4 days it's made a crazy loud noise and today it just went cabuy. I need help please!!!!😢
after 6 months of use I decided to store it for the winter, I never got any drain code and when I tried to drain it there was no water at all from either plug. Slightly confused, It still works fine however.
Hi, It looks like you have a self-evaporating unit, so all you have to do is clean it, and store it.
@@ZLhow2 Thank you for the reply!
You're welcome!
I don't have the same model, but I have a similar setup (I have a Linea Air Con Unit 99 bought cheap here in the UK for £88)
However, I was having the FT error code up and the manual kept on saying to drain it BUT via the top Black part.
After watching your video and seeing the bottom place to empty it, Sure enough, I had one of them too.
I raised it up, popped the pipe in there and bam, it drained.
Thank you so much for your vid and the step in the direction I needed :)
Hi, Glad it worked well, but we wanted to let you know that we made a follow up video a few years ago on how to drain the unit without lifting it - much easier and safer. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
What’s a godden hose?
Up in Bawston, it's what we use to put watah on the flowahs! =)
😂😂😂@@ZLhow2
😂
Awesome to see you reply to every question, good on you. I had a quick one myself, purchased my first portable ac unit. It is located on my second story next to a window. What is stopping me from attaching the included hose to the top port and putting said hose outside the window, this will mean I'll never need to drain the unit as all water will automatically drip out. Unsure if this is a good method or if I should plug it up and do it every so often. Thanks!
Hi Tektah, thank you for your kind words, and your question.
You can run the hose out the window and that should take care of draining the top tank. If the hose needs to go upward to get out the window you might want to check on getting a condensate pump to move the water along.
Remember that you will still need to drain the bottom tank occasionally. As we mentioned recently to another person, we also have a video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it - much easier and safer! Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html This is not in the video, but you can also use a cookie pan with low sides for draining the bottom tank. Just be sure to keep a bucket nearby so you can empty the pan without spilling.
One further item - if your AC is a Self-Evaporating model, you may never need to drain it after the first time you use it. If that's the case, you may want to reconsider using the hose.
my ac is producing a lot of water every 10 mins its a 50% humid day is this normal?
Hi Big - Here is what we found online (the link is below) as a likely reason for your problem: "The primary reason for your portable AC filling with water too quickly is humidity in the region you live. However, excessive water deposit may also be due to dirty filter or clogged condensate line. Due to clogging flow over the evaporator coil is blocked leading to ice that continuously melts and fills the water container." Here is the link to the site - hvacrguy.com/why-portable-ac-is-filling-with-water-quickly/ If your AC is not brand new, we suggest checking your filter and coils, and cleaning them if necessary. How to clean them (it's very easy) you might want to check our videos: for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html and for filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html You may want to check for leaks as well. Also, if your AC is not a Self-evaporative unit, then we would suggest using a hose. Hope this is helpful.
more helpful than the official "installation" and maintenance tutorials, I thank you sir
You're very welcome!
You might want to check our follow up video on how to drain without a hose and also without lifting the unit. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching and stay cool!
How often, should I be draining? ..or does it really depend? .
Hi, How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
So glad I watched this video. My 12000 BTU Emerson quiet cool is arriving tomorrow. Super excited!
Hi Kurtis - Great news! Hope you enjoy your new AC. BTW we suggest that you also watch our follow up video which shows how to drain the unit without lifting. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching, and stay cool!
What's a gaaden hose?
It's the Bostonian version of a garrrden ; )
BTW, have you checked our follow up video on how to drain without lifting the unit? If not, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Stay cool!
@@ZLhow2 I know man, Being on the west coast. I just had to pull your chain a bit. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome, from coast to coast : )
I laughed way too hard at this
:D
thank you for putting this up, just been able to afford my very own second-hand portable AC unit and this video is exactly what I was looking for...:-))
Hi Ali Khan - We're glad to be helpful! Also, we would recommend our follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and stay cool!
Hello can you hook a garden hose up to the top port and clean it that way?
Hi, sorry for the delayed reply, we just saw your question recently. Regarding your question the answer is yes , you may be able to drain your AC's top port with a garden hose. Check first to see if you will need an adapter. Hope this helps,
This was helpful, thanks man! Quick question, how often should this be done?
Glad we could help! How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is fully or partially self-evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, if you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer. Thanks for watching,and stay cool!
Mine isn't draining at all, we have to tilt it (hard as it's heavy) and a little bit dribbles out at a time, do you know how to fix this?
Hi, In our very first video how to drain, we tilted our unit just to see how much water was left in the bottom tank after draining the AC. There was very little water left. Later we learned that it would evaporate on its own especially if you have a Self-Evaporating unit. Also, we have developed a follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting it - much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and your question.
Hi! Thank you for posting this!!! We have the Ocean Breeze brand but it has the same drainage ports as this one! Our drainage hose got cut so we had to throw it out but this helped!!! We were trying to drain it on the floor on towels but sure enough a few days later it came up with the P1 error which is a full drainage pan! We did this method over the tub and seemed to work, we tipped it a little to make sure it all came out. We clean the filters every time we drain it too so those are clean. I’m wondering if the humidity we’ve been experiencing is making more accumulation of condensation and water in the pan but we will be doing this method from here on out! Thank you again for posting the drainage without the hose, it’s much appreciated!!!! Have a great day and rest of the summer!!!!
Hi DillOFFICIAL - You're very welcome! And thank you for your kind note. We are glad that this video was helpful. We want to let you know that we made a follow up video on how to drain your AC Without Lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html This next tip is not in the video, but you can also use a cookie pan with low sides for draining the bottom tank. Just be sure to keep a bucket nearby so you can empty the pan without spilling. Hope this saves you some energy and heavy lifting. Regarding the humidity, you're right! Higher humidity definitely increases the amount of water that ACs will generate. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
May i suggest a possible easier way to drain... I just put mine in the bath tub. It may be easyier then finding a stool and drain pan or pans. It is the way i do it and works well for me.
Hi, we are glad that your method works for you. We wouldn't recommend it to others because this ACs are very heavy, plus they don't have any lifting handles. We did make a video on how to drain portable ACs without lifting - much easier and safer. Here is the link - -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks!!!
Or push it into a walk in shower if you have
Appreciate this videp. I needed the walkthrough as the book wasn't complete. I had to empty my tank twice now in a month, roughly. It doesn't drain a LOT but it seems empty. Do you know how much water it can hold? Didn't seem like much. Thanks again for the video.
Hi, Thank you for watching and your questions. If you only have to drain twice in a month and you still don't get much water, your unit is probably partially Self-Evaporating - this gets rid of most of the water for you. Regarding the tank size it all depends on the make and mode of your unit. If the manual doesn't give the size, you can call your manufacturer's customer service line. Also, for when you do need to drain, we made a follow up video on how to drain without lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for this video. It was a huge help, God bless!
You're very welcome! You may want to check out our follow up video on draining without lifting the unit - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
What is a "gaden"?
Garden, accented
So the Wahta doesn't need to go through a Gahden hose?
Mine says it needs to be drained but no water is coming out. It’s pretty much stuck now and can’t use it
Hi, you may have clogged drainage spouts. You can check this by just poking a plastic straw into the spouts, which would dislodge any built-up dirt or debris. If none of them works, we would suggest contacting your manufacturer's customer service department. Hope this helps.
Same problem its not draining but it's full of water it's brand new run a few days and quit
I have one on a half height crome wire shelving. The kind you can adjust height with plastic wedges along the side posts. Bottom shelf I put a clear plastic tote like in video. Used a lighter to soften lid to poke holes for hose. I had a water pump from a water filtration system. Every three, four days I turn on pump. I have huge water tank to save the water in case emergency or wash car with.
Hi Travels- We're glad if your arrangement works for you, but we encourage people to keep their portable ACs on the floor for safety. We even made a follow up video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it. It's much easier and safer. If you are interested, here is the link -
th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching and your comment.
I have one like this, it's new. A while ago it stopped draining the water. it's normal?
Hi, Sorry for the delayed response. If you are not finding water in your AC, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating unit, like ours. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up.
The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included then), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. We made a follow up video on how to do this, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well at least in a climate that is not very humid (we're in Boston). Thanks for watching and your comment.
I have one similar to this but I have a hose on the top drain and it discharges several liters a day. I don't understand why it also shuts off intermittently and needs the lower one drained?
Hi - On hot and humid days air conditioners generate much more water, so it’s ok. Regarding shutting off the AC, most likely your bottom tray is full of water and needs to be drained. When it’s full the AC usually shuts off. So turn off the AC, and drain it. We have a follow up video on how to drain a portable AC without lifting it, which is much easier and safer. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html This is not in the video, but you can also use a cookie pan with low sides. Just be sure to keep a bucket nearby so you can empty the pan without spilling. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and stay cool!
same here! I need to empty a big bucket (maybe 10-20 litters) at least once or twice a day. My dad has one too (same city) and it barely has the bottom of a plate of water. How can that be?!
Couldn't figure out why the lower drain wasn’t draining until i saw the secondary plug you pulled out. Thanks!
You're very welcome! Glad we could helped. BTW, we have developed a follow up video on how to drain your AC without lifting - much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Stay cool
@@ZLhow2yep this video saved me a lot of unforeseen trouble - thank you
You're very welcome!
How do you know when your air conditioner needs water where do you put the water
Hi Donna - You don't need to add any water. The cooling process generates water that ends up in the tanks. Hope this is helpful.
i have to keep mine propped up and that bottom plug off at all times draining into a bucket...
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Now, our portable AC is functioning again.
Hi Clara, Thanks for the kind words! Glad we were able to help. You might want to check our follow up video on how to drain without a hose and also without lifting the unit. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html Hope that will make things even better. Thanks for watching and stay cool.
I have a hisemse Dual-hose Portable AC that i keep having to drain every night, only 5 months old.. why does it keep having to drain? The E5 drain error code always comes up
Hi, sorry for the delayed reply. In case you didn't find the solution to your problem, we found a site online which gives information on your issue, and hope it helps. Here is the link - www.luceaircon.sg/blog-article/e5-error-code-on-hisense-air-conditioner
I have one too and it hasn’t been a month and it’s leaking why ? Someone help me
Hi, if your AC is still within the return period, we suggest that you return it immediately and get a new one.
@@ZLhow2 turns out there's a lot of moisture in my room, it works fine
Has anyone got experience with Cowsar or Zafro units? The first sold by Home Depot the second by Amazon. I am a little afraid to buy something that seems this touchy from Amazon. It only has a 30 day return policy unless you buy an extended warranty which is pricey.
Great video but I was wondering if it’s necessary to drain it like this when my portable ac comes with a drainage bucket. For some reason the bucket stays bone dry but when I pull the plugs out the back, water comes pouring out.
Hi Nico - Don't worry - what you describe is how it's supposed to be. Also, Also we have a follow up video on how to drain without lifting the unit, here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for watching and your comment.
Ummmm…. I just did this to try and make it work more efficient, and no water came out at all. I used the stool and all. I even tilted it a tad to see if that will drain anything out and nothing. There is a desert inside my portable ac unit. But I think it’s because I never use the dehumidifier mode just ac mode.
Hi Andrey - If you are not finding water in your AC, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating unit, like ours. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up.
The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. We made a follow up video on how to do this, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well at least in a climate that is not very humid (we're in Boston). Thanks for watching and your comment.
I have mine on a stool but I do worry it might tip! However lifting it up onto a stool every time you drain it is a pain!
Hi, You don't need to lift the unit to drain it. We made a video on how to drain without lifting - it's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Also, one of the commenters made a great suggestion to put a towel in the drain tray that we show in the video. That will soak up the water and make it easier to get rid of it.
On mine the water does not come out of that drain hole it goes out at the bottom 😢
Same with mine :(
means the tanks mostly empty
I havent had to drain mines at all and used it last summer and the past month for this summer. LG ARE ONE OF THE BEST PORTABLE AC UNITS! as far as the top drainer I never used dehumidifier so I don't think I need to drain it?
Hi Sam , you may not need to drain the top spout, but you may want to give it a try just to see if there is any water collected. Thanks for watching
Z L thank you. I actually just drain both top and bottom a few minutes ago. Top didnt have much water but bottom had a bit more. I didn't wait for the light to come on to drain the fluid but the ac works much better now and cooler. I'll prob drain it once a month from now on. Thank you for your awesome video.
We also don't wait for the light to come on before draining. We just drain it every once in a while, and more often if we're using it a lot. BTW you may want to check our our more recent video, showing an even easier way to drain. Thanks again!
Just got one with no removeable drain. Never had one like this. So me or my wife have to lift a 110 lb unit on a stool everytime we drain it if we can't facilitate a hose drain. I think its going back
Hi, In our video we were draining our new Self-Evaporating AC for the first time a few hours after using it. The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we lifted our unit. And we made a follow up video on how to drain the unit without lifting it. It’s much easier and safer. Here is the link th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
After a while, we stopped draining the unit altogether as there was hardly any water. So if you have a Self-Evaporating AC like we do, then you may also not need to drain yours. Hopefully all this will give you another option to consider before returning your AC. If you do return it, you might look at a lighter weight model. Ours is 10000BTU and weighs 53 lb. Best of luck!
@@ZLhow2we have the same model as you do. I purchased the hose from amz. I noticed before, when the plugs were close, the ac is too loud and it shut down on us from time to time. I got scared cause i thought it might break the ac. When i put the hose while using the ac, it didn’t do that anymore. But it produces a lot of water 😢 it fills up our home depot big bucket in just 8-10hrs of use during the night 😢 should i just keep the plugs close? It’s tiring to dispose the water everyday 😭
Hi, If your AC is new and it’s an SE (Self-Evaporating) AC like ours, then we would suggest contacting your manufacturer’s Customer Service line, or just return it. None of the issues that you've encountered have happened to us. Since the initial draining we’ve had hardly any water, even after using it in “Dry” mode for many hours on humid days. Also, the unit shouldn't get loud and stop working regardless of whether the plugs are closed or open.
If your AC has been used for a while, then there are several possible reasons for your unit’s problems. While searching to solve similar issues for other users in our channel, we’ve learned that a dirty filter and/or dirty coils could be the reason for a portable AC turning off and on and generating too much water.
This is how it happens: a dirty filter blocks the airflow, causing the temperature of the evaporator coils to drop below the minimum setting. As a result the coils will freeze up and your AC will shut off. The ice on the coils will then melt, and the water will fill up the tank very quickly. If the coils are dirty, then even more ice will form, resulting in more water in the tank. If your unit has dirty filter or coils, we have videos on how to clean them, here are the links: for filter- th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html
If the cleaning doesn’t help, you may have more complicated issues such us Freon loss or condenser problems. Research thoroughly before deciding whether to make these kinds of repairs - the repair costs may be higher than the cost of purchasing a new unit. Hope this is helpful.
Thank you Z L for taking the time to video, how to drain Frigidaire AC, I noticed when I was draining the top plug, the vent was covered in large amounts of dust, can I unscrew the screw it? I want to keep the dust consumption away from the AC unit or should I just use a cloth or feather duster . I feel that that area should be kept clean, yes? Thank you. Lisa Kennedy
Hi Lisa - Good question. You definitely want to keep your AC clean. If the vent is covered with dust, then there could be dust on filter and coils as well. You could start by vacuuming the dust of the vent cover with a hand vacuum. Then you can unscrew and remove the vent cover which will probably expose the filter and the coils behind it. If you are not sure how to clean these, here are links for cleaning both items: For filter - th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html For coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching, and stay cool.
@@ZLhow2 Thank you for your response, link and help .
Lisa Kennedy
You're very welcome!
Why my AC doesn’t have any water to drain? Even though it runs well and cooling.
Hi Quan,- This is a nice "problem" to have! There are two possible answers to your question - either you have a "self-evaporating'" unit, or your area is dry enough that the water naturally evaporates on its own. Thanks for your question.
Do you need to fill it with water?
No, the cooling process creates water that collects in the tank. If it doesn't evaporate by itself, then you need to drain it. You should check every day or so when you first get the unit to see how much water is collecting. Thank you for watching and for your question.
Z L I already filled the tanks is it bad
Ok thanks so no water for cool thanks bro
What's a godden hose?? 🤔
Up in Bawston, it's what we use to put watah on the flowahs! =)
"Garden" hose my friend.
Garden.
hello! very informative video. question though, how long does this unit last? i've owned this same unit in the video for the past 3 years. i only use it occasionally whenever it gets too hot in the room for only 2 hours at a time. it works great right now but im worried that ill need to recharge it or worry about needing to buy a new one cause its old. thank you in advance!
Hi Alexis - Thank you for your kind words. We've used ours for four full seasons and will be starting our fifth soon. It's still working fine, and we use it between 10 and 14 hours a day during the summer. We would suggest that you just enjoy yours and take good care of it, and it will probably be good for a few more years. As for recharging you may want to check before you try that. It's not easy for an amateur, and for a professional job, you may end up spending more than half the price of a new AC. Thanks for watching and stay cool.
I lost the cap for the bottom drain...is that gonna be an issue 😅😅
Hi Carlos, we would suggest getting a replacement of the "cap". Here is the link with different kinds of the drain spout plugs which we found in google. Here is the link - www.youtube.com/@ZLhow2/community
Hey man.. thank you for sharing.. indeed its helpful.
Wanna ask.. what water is this? coz there is no water supply into my portable aircon, and it seems to be too much to be condensation, and i doubt its refrigerant..
Hi, If you are not finding water in your AC, then you probably have a Self-Evaporating unit, like ours. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up.
The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. We made a follow up video on how to do this, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, because we were finding almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well at least in a climate that is not very humid (we're in Boston).
But if you have a Non self-evaporating AC, and especially if you live in a hot humid climate, you may find plenty of condensed water in your tanks. Thanks for watching and your comment!
you are in Boston? I couldn't even tell! 🤣
Not to be confused with Watahtown or Somahville :)
*Really works well and Easy to instal **Fastly.Cool*
We don't know, but it's been working without any issues for 5 seasons. Hope it will work the same way for another 5 seasons.
When should it be drained? How often? I have a honeywell 3 in one, it looks exactly like urs. Thank u for showin!!
Hi, you only need to drain if there is water built up in the tank. Some units have an indicator light for draining, but it's a good idea to check the tank every few days. And always drain it at the end of the cooling season. Thanks for watching.
Does anyone on here can tell me if there air conditioner after you are done draining it does yours get full again super fast after starting it up again after draining it? Mine is getting full every few hours and that just seems like that's way to soon or too fast to be getting full again after draining, but if anyone see this and can respond and help me I would truly appreciate it please and thank you
Hi, If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then draining every few hours in hot and humid weather is normal. With this type of AC we would suggest continuous draining with a hose as a possibility. When using continuous draining, make sure your hose goes either to a large bucket, or out the window to the outside. If the hose needs to go upward to get out the window, then you might need to get a condensate pump to push the water out. But if your AC is a Self-Evaporating unit and it generates lots of water frequently, then we would suggest that you check your filters and coils to make sure they are clean. How to clean them , here are the links to our videos: for filter- th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html If cleaning them doesn't help, then we would recommend calling customer service or a technician.
I live in SoCal. Depends on the humidity level. Usually mine will go a week or two without draining, but during a heat wave, like right now, I'm sometimes emptying it every 2 hours. It's a pain but since I have it up on a furniture dolly, I slide my cottage cheese containers under the spout and get it drained in maybe 2 minutes.
many thanks for sharing. How often do we have to drain it ?
You're welcome! How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, if you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer. Thanks for watching,and stay cool!
I have this same AC & I drained my Ac the best I could but wen I turn it on a code E-4 keeps popping out n won’t throw any air out 😭 anybody else have this problem?
Hi - The code E-4 , for Frigidaire portable AC (if that's what you have), means the unit's systems are not talking to each other, so you might not get important warnings like you need to drain the tank, or it's time to clean the filter. Frigidaire suggest that you call them if you see E-4 code. You can check codes for Frigidaire at this site - acerrorcode.com/frigidaire-room-air-conditioner-error-codes.html
Hi ZL, I have a general question regarding a portable AC. I’m planning to buy one and did a lot of research on some brands. Some of them mentioned that the water doesn't need to be drained due of the humidifier is in it. is this true? I want to make sure before I purchase the unit. Thank you so much.
Hi Ed - Thank you for watching and your question. There are air conditioners that need almost no draining they are called fully self-evaporative models. So you would want to check and see if that’s the one you are considering. Regarding your question about “humidifier” , many ACs have dehumidifiers (dry mode) this does not remove the need to drain. It’s the self- evaporative function meaning that the water evaporates from the tank on its own. Hope this helps you to find the right AC.
Hi Z L, thank you so much for your info, appreciate it.
Glad we could be of some help!
Not a good idea. In my climate the unit would have to be drained every few hours or it stops cooling the air. PVC tubing attached with a zip tie and directed out the window provides continuous drainage 24/7. Plus it avoids the strain of lifting the bucket and emptying it plus the inevitable mopping up when you spill it.
Hi Moses - Thank you for watching and your comments. We agree that draining with the tube can work fine. For people who don't have that option, or are lazy like us :) we made a follow up video on how to drain the unit Without Lifting it. It's much easier and safer. In case you missed that suggestion on this video, here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
@@ZLhow2 My method is lazy i.e. attach the hose, point it out the window, and forget it for the season. Your method involves a lot of work and lifting buckets of water will lead to spills and strained backs.
Seems like your AC is not a Self-Evaporating model if it generates so much water. In that case attaching a hose is better solution. Stay cool.
How is this an option, gravity doesn't get in the way of going up and out a window?
Hi - You are right, but if your drain tube needs to go up to get out of the window, then you can buy a condensate pump to get the water up and out. Thanks for your comment.
I bought my portable unit use last year it worked perfectly fine but now it is not getting cold as it used to any suggestions
Hi Jamie, this might be caused by a dirty filter or dirty coils, or possibly something else. We would suggest that you call your manufacturer's customer service line. Hope it helps and thank you for watching.
These should have came with a stand that is also a bucket
Hi Robert, Thanks for watching and your comment. If you don't want to lift your unit, we have our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting it. It's much easier and safer. Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
Hi, thanks for the video but can I just point something out. If this unit is the AEG chillflex pro I have just bought one. The top drain plug has a rubber bung in the end which you need to remove after you unscrew the cap, I just found out! You can pull it out it is a small black thing and has ribs. Just thought I'd let you know!
Hi Phil - Thank you for your note, but our unit is not an AEG , and the top drain is slightly different from yours. BTW, you might like to check our video on the easier and saver way to drain - NO lifting! Here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
@@ZLhow2 Sorry to jump the gun there, I hadn't seen the back of any other PAC and thought it looked identical to mine! Thanks
No problem, and you're welcome ; )
He sounds like Kwipkey from Big bang lol
Sounds like a Boston accent. Or some where around that area.
You're right! We "ahh" from the Boston area ; )
But what about the refrigerant? How often dose it need replacing And how do you replace it
Hi Alex- Thanks for your question and sorry for this late reply. Changing the refrigerant is unusual in a home AC. It's not a routine maintenance procedure like cleaning the filter. We've used our unit intensively for five heating seasons and there has never been a need to change the refrigerant. In answering this question for another commenter, we learned that the cost of the refrigerant, plus getting a technician to do the job, gets so high that it probably makes more sense just to buy a new AC. Hope this is helpful.
Mine sounds like it's a fountain and it's spitting up water....like a fountain
Hi, thank you for watching and your question. We searched online and found the site which gives some information related to your issue. They say that ".. The evaporative coils can ice up, and when the ice melts, water may drip from the front of the unit, and again, the force of the fan may turn the drip into a spray. " Here is the link to the site www.hunker.com/12575736/why-is-my-air-conditioner-spitting-water Hope this helps, and good luck!
I have a portable AC and it got the same 2 holes. I let the upper hole open and it drain continous flow of water but when I leave the ac open for more than an hour it says already full. Should open both holes and let the water flow out while using it?
As long as you have drain hoses leading to a safe spot, then you can leave both spouts open. As for the sigh that the unit is already full, we would suggest to check your filters and coils to make sure they are clean. We have videos on how to clean them. Here are the links: for filter- th-cam.com/video/sBNkEtdXkJs/w-d-xo.html and for coils - th-cam.com/video/87agpQfojrk/w-d-xo.html Hope this helps.
I ran mine for two months straight without ever having to drain it, then all of a sudden I'm having to drain it twice a day. :|
So it looks like I have the same model as yours and I only had it for 4 months. FT keeps showing on the screen after I use it for a day. I drain it everyday because FT keeps showing. Do you have any suggestions on how I can resolve it?
Hi Marco - Thank you for watching and your question. We checked our User's Manual, and searched online, but couldn't find any information about the FT code for the Frigidaire portable AC. How about checking the display panel to see if there is a fine print under the flashing code saying to reset, it might stop the flashing. Otherwise, we would suggest contacting customer service.
hi, for my cooler, normally i using cool mode. but last week got one problem coming out. keep showing me water full indicator. i need drain every hour .let say i don't drain it when i sleeping. then the wind become warm...
Hi - We believe that the unit will shut itself off if the tank becomes full, but we suggest that you check with your seller or manufacturer to be sure. Thank you for watching.
Buy a Danby a/c and your troubles are over, Danby has a built in drain, that fits into a special space in the unit. It holds a quart of water and is removeable to drain in your sink, so easy.
Thank you for your comment. The water that you see in our video was from the first time we ever drained it, just a few hours after setting it up.
The Manual had said that there might be lots of water after the initial use, and since we didn't have a hose (the hose wasn’t included then), we put it on a stool and placed a large container under the bottom spout to prevent any splashing. But there was not much water, and that was the first and last time that we had that much water - about a cup or less as you can see. Also, that was the first and last time we lifted it - we found a way to drain without lifting, much easier and safer. (see below for the link).
After couple of weeks, we stopped checking altogether, and never have drained the unit since there was almost no water in the tanks. So the Self-Evaporating feature does its job very well even in a very hot and humid days.
Here is the link for draining without lifting a unit -th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html
How often should i drain my air conditioner?
Hi Kurt , How often to drain depends on the type of your air conditioner. If you have a Non-Self-Evaporating AC, then the best way to tell when to drain is to check the tanks every day. After a while you'll get a sense of how often to drain. Or, you could simply wait until the unit shows the code that says you need to drain it. Many portable ACs use code P1 indicating a full tank, but you should check your Owner's Manual for your unit's draining code.
If your AC is Fully or Partially Self-Evaporating, then it evaporates most of the water in the tank. BTW, if you haven't seen our follow up video on how to drain your unit Without Lifting, then here is the link - th-cam.com/video/q7APzY39Vn8/w-d-xo.html It's much easier and safer. Thanks for watching,and stay cool!