Hisense AP12 portable AC shows E5: drain the water and clean the filter

What E5 means and how to clear it

E5 on the display of the Hisense AP12 portable means the water container inside the unit is full. The unit stops running until you empty it. To clear it, unplug the unit, move it slowly and level to a place where water can run out, remove the cover and plug from the primary drain port at the bottom of the back, let all the water out, refit the plug and cover, then plug the unit in again. After draining you can run it as normal.

Hisense says water only collects in the container when the unit runs in very humid air. If you use Heating on a heat-pump version, connect the drain hose, or the unit will stop again when the water reaches the warning level.

Hisense Chile publishes this manual as the one for the AP12HW4RNPS00-SM, but the manual itself prints no model number. Check that your unit has the two drain ports described below before you follow it.

Before you start

• Get help to move it. Hisense warns that it takes two or more people to move the air conditioner safely.
• Keep it upright. Move it slowly and keep it level so water doesn’t spill. Never lay it on its side or turn it upside down.
• Drain it at a drain or outside. Hisense says to move the unit to a drain location or outside before you open the drain port.
• Do only the owner tasks below. The manual’s flammable-refrigerant (R32) warning says maintenance, cleaning and service should only be done by technicians trained in flammable refrigerants. The same manual’s care section gives owners the draining, filter-cleaning and outside-cleaning steps in this guide, so stick to those: apart from the filter door and the drain covers, don’t open the casing, and don’t drill into the unit or touch the refrigerant tubing.
• Know the two ports. On the back there’s a primary drain port at the bottom and a secondary drain port higher up. The draining steps use only the primary port. The manual doesn’t describe a use for the secondary port, so leave it capped.

Drain the water container

1. Unplug the air conditioner or switch off its power.
2. Move it slowly, keeping it level, to a drain or outside.
3. Remove the primary drain cover, then the primary drain plug behind it.
4. Let the water run out until it stops completely.
5. Push the drain plug back into the primary drain hole, then refit the primary drain cover.
6. Move the unit back into place.
7. Plug it in or switch the power back on, then start it.

E5 should no longer show, and the unit runs again. Your previous settings come back when you switch it on.

Heat-pump units: connect the drain hose for Heating

Hisense warns that in Heating mode the drain hose must be connected, or the unit stops when the water reaches the warning level. The manual lists the drain hose and its clip as parts supplied with heat-pump models, so if your unit came with them, it’s probably a heat-pump version.

1. Uncover the primary drain port.
2. Attach the drain hose to the primary drain port and check the connection doesn’t leak.
3. Put the other end in a drain. The hose should lie flat, without kinks or pinches, and its drain end must be lower than the end at the unit.

Clean the air filter

The filter sits in the filter panel door on the back of the unit, over the upper air intake. Hisense doesn’t give a cleaning interval, but it lists a dirty filter as a cause of poor cooling and of the unit switching on and off too often.

1. Press ON/OFF to turn the air conditioner off. Hisense’s safety list also says to unplug the unit before servicing it.
2. Open the filter panel door on the back and take it off.
3. Take the air filter out of the door.
4. Vacuum the filter. If it’s very dirty, wash it in warm water with a mild detergent. Don’t put it in a dishwasher and don’t use chemical cleaners.
5. Let the filter air-dry completely.
6. Fit the filter back into the filter panel door.
7. Refit the door on the unit.
8. Plug the unit in if you unplugged it, then press ON/OFF to start it.

To clean the outside, turn the unit off and unplug it, take the filter out and clean it separately, then wipe the casing with a soft, damp cloth.

If E5 comes back or water appears

• E5 returns soon after draining: check whether you’re running Heating on a heat-pump unit without the drain hose. Long spells of very humid air also fill the container faster.
• E5 won’t clear after a complete drain: the manual gives no other fix. Contact Hisense customer service.
• The display shows E1, E2, E3, E6, E7 or EA: Hisense says to contact customer service. These codes aren’t something to drain or reset yourself.
• Water drips from the front air outlet: this is different from E5. Hisense says dew can drip from the outlet when the unit runs in Cooling or Dry for a long time with a door or window open and the humidity above 80%. Close the door or window.
• No water comes out of the drain hose: check the hose runs downhill all the way and isn’t kinked or pinched.

Store the unit at the end of the season

1. Drain the water completely, as above.
2. Run the unit in Fan Only for about 12 hours to dry it inside.
3. Unplug it.
4. Remove the exhaust hose and the window kit and store them with the unit in a clean, dry place.
5. Clean the filter and the outside, then refit the filter.
6. Take the batteries out of the remote and store the remote with the unit.

Keep the unit upright in storage too.