TCL portable AC runs but doesn't cool: hose, room and timing checks

Why a running TCL portable may not cool

When a TCL portable runs but the room stays warm, TCL’s manuals point to a short list of causes: the unit isn’t actually in a cooling mode or is set too warm, it has only just started, the exhaust hose is off, bent or too long, the room is letting heat in, the filter is dirty, or the cooling coils have iced up. Work through the checks below in that order. The first ones take seconds and need no tools.

Which notes apply depends on the model family, so check the model number on the label on the back or side of the unit. TPW and TPC-HA means TPW06CR19, TPW08CR19, TPC-08C/HA, TPC-10C/HA and TPC-12C/HA. KA means the TPC-…/KA series (TPC-08C/KA to TPC-14E/KAB).

Check the mode, the set temperature and the timing

1. Make sure Cool is selected. In Fan mode only the fan runs, and Dry is meant for lowering humidity, with a fan speed the unit sets itself. On TPC-HA units (and the TPW08CR19, according to its manual), Auto doesn’t cool when the room is below 73 °F (23 °C): it runs the fan, or heats on heat-pump units.
2. Set the temperature below the room temperature. TCL’s quick-start guide lists a set temperature that’s too high as a cause; lower it. The KA manual adds that the unit stops cooling by itself once the room is at or below the set temperature. That’s normal.
3. KA units: check for Eco. KA units start out in Eco the first time they’re used. In Eco, once the room reaches the set temperature, the compressor stops and the fan keeps running for 3 minutes, then runs for 90 seconds every 10 minutes until cooling starts again. With the compressor off, those fan runs move air without cooling it. If the room still feels too warm, lower the set temperature; the manual describes this fan cycling only for Eco, so you can also switch to Cool with MODE.
4. Check whether Sleep is on. Sleep raises the set temperature by about 2 degrees over two hours, according to TCL’s full manuals, and fixes the fan at Low, so the room is meant to get a little warmer. (TCL’s 2021 quick-start guide for the TPW models says the temperature goes down instead; the remote guide explains the conflict.) Press Sleep, Mode or Fan speed to cancel it.
5. Give it time. On TPW and TPC-HA units, a compressor safety delay stops the unit cooling for about 3 minutes after it’s turned back on; that’s normal. The KA manual says to wait 3 minutes before restarting after a power cut. A hot room also needs time to cool down after you first start the unit.

Check the exhaust hose

In Cool mode a portable pushes the heat it removes out through the exhaust hose and window kit. If that hot air stays in the room, the unit can run without making the room cooler.

1. Is the hose attached at both ends? TCL lists a detached exhaust hose as a cause of “works, but does not cool the room”. Refit it into its housing at the back of the unit, and make sure the other end is in the window kit.
2. Is it straight and short? Bends and sags cause bottlenecks. TCL says to keep the hose as short as possible, without sharp bends or sags. The TPW and TPC-HA manuals tie bends to a unit that “works for a short time only”.
3. Is anything in front of the hose outlet or the air outlet? Clear anything blocking the hot-air discharge outside the window or the unit’s grilles.
4. Is the window kit sealed? The kits come with foam seals, and TCL says to use them to close any gaps around the panel.

Check the room

• Close doors and windows, and partly close curtains or blinds against direct sun. If the unit is installed semi-permanently, TCL says to leave a door open slightly, as little as ½ in. (about 1 cm), for ventilation.
• Remove heat sources such as an oven or hair dryer, and check for open furnace or floor registers and cold-air returns that let cooled air escape.
• Give the unit space. Don’t block the air intake or outlet, don’t put anything on top of it, and keep curtains and furniture away from the grilles. The TPW and TPC-HA manuals ask for about 18 in. (45 cm) of space around the unit; the KA manual says at least 12 in.
• Check the room is within the unit’s limits. The TPW and TPC-HA manuals give a cooling range of 64–95 °F (18–35 °C) room temperature. The TPW06CR19 manual adds a room humidity range of 30–80 %. TCL also says not to use these units in very damp rooms such as a laundry room or bathroom.
• Check the unit suits the room. If the unit is too small for the space, TCL’s TPW and TPC-HA tables give no fix; the KA manual says to ask your dealer what capacity the room needs.

Check the filter

A dirty filter restricts the airflow. An unpleasant smell while the unit runs is another sign it’s clogged.

1. Switch the unit off with its power button, wait a few minutes, then unplug it.
2. Take the filter out from the back of the unit and vacuum it. If it’s very dirty, wash it in warm water (TPW and TPC-HA: no hotter than 104 °F/40 °C; KA: with a little dishwashing detergent).
3. Let it dry completely before you refit it, then restart the unit.

TCL’s cleaning sections say to clean the filter every week of use; the safety pages say every two weeks or more often if needed. Weekly meets both.

If ice forms or a code appears

• The cooling coils have iced up: this can happen in cool, humid weather when the unit runs a lot. The quick-start guide and the KA manual say to set the fan to High and raise the set temperature. On TPW and TPC-HA units, Lt on the display means frost protection is working; the unit restarts by itself when it has defrosted.
• Ft (or P1 on KA units): the internal tank is full and the unit has stopped. Drain it.
• PF, AS or ES: a sensor has failed. See TCL portable AC error codes; these need TCL service.

If it still doesn’t cool

If the mode, hose, room and filter all check out and the unit still doesn’t cool, the manuals offer no further owner fix. Don’t open the unit: TCL says repairs other than those in the manual should be left to a qualified technician. Contact TCL (the manuals give 1-800-825-6747) with the model and serial numbers from the label on the back or side of the unit.

If the problem is that the unit won’t start at all, that’s a different symptom. Check that it’s plugged in and the outlet has power. On TPW and TPC-HA units, TCL says the internal safety device may have tripped: wait 30 minutes, and if it still won’t come on, contact TCL customer service. The quick-start guide also says to press RESET on the power plug, and to stop using the unit and call a qualified technician if RESET won’t stay in.

Common questions

Does the exhaust hose need to be attached in every mode?

No. In Fan mode it doesn’t need to be connected. In Cool it must lead outside through the window kit, and the TPW and TPC-HA manuals say to keep it attached in Dry as well, so the moist air is vented outside.

Can I make the exhaust hose longer to reach a window?

The hose extends, but the manuals recommend keeping it as short as possible and free of sharp bends or sags. The KA manual says its hose stretches from 15 in. up to 59 in.; the TPW and TPC-HA manuals give no maximum length.