How to Reset a Portable Air Conditioner: 6 Easy Methods

Having a portable option to cool individual rooms or smaller spaces is great. However, like with any electronic device, you may encounter an issue — an issue that may leave you wondering how to reset your portable air conditioner.

The process is usually a simple troubleshooting step that will get your air conditioner back up and running at optimal performance.

You can reset your portable AC using several methods, including a power cycle reset, using your remote control to reset, a manual reset button, or even using your circuit breaker. Depending on your unit — and possibly where you live — you may be limited in your choice, but you can always power cycle.

Keep reading, and we’ll discuss everything you need to know.

Try One of These to Reset Your Portable AC 

Before getting into the different ways to reset your AC, it’s important to note that different manufacturers will have different features and settings—and they may even be unique to specific models. So some of the recommendations mentioned below may not be available to you.

The very best way for you to find out how to reset your AC is to refer to your manual. If you don’t have one, there’s a good chance it’s available online. You can refer to our guild to finding product manuals if you need help with that. 

With that out of the way, here are the methods to reset your AC. 

#1 Power Cycle Reset Using the Wall Outlet

Depending on your home, there may be a few ways—other than simply unplugging your unit—to cut and cycle the power. We’ll discuss all three. 

Power cycling is the first and easiest method to reset your air conditioner. Simply follow the steps below. Most of us have probably done this with our computers a time or a hundred. Usually, because something has become unresponsive or is somehow glitching.

Step 1

Turn off your air conditioner and unplug it from the wall outlet.

Step 2

Wait for about five minutes to allow the unit’s internal components to discharge.

Step 3

Plug your air conditioner back in and turn it on.

#2 Power Cycle Reset Using the Wall Switch 

Do you have a wall switch that powers a single circuit? Some homes do. If you do, and your air conditioner is powered by that switch, do the following. 

Step 1

Turn off your air conditioner and flip the power off at the wall switch.

Step 2

Wait for about five minutes for the AC to discharge.

Step 3

Flip the switch back on and then turn your air conditioner back on.

#3 Power Cycle Reset Using the Breaker or Fuse Box 

As a last resort you can power down the air conditioner using your breaker panel or fuse box. But note that, like the wall switch, it will power down everything you have plugged into that circuit. 

Step 1

Turn off your air conditioner and flip the breaker—or remove the fuse—for the circuit it’s on.

Step 2

Wait for about five minutes.

Step 3

Reset the breaker and turn your air conditioner back on.

#4 Remote Control Reset

If your portable air conditioner has a remote control, you may be able to reset your unit using it. However, the steps may differ from those listed below.

Step 1

Ensure your air conditioner is turned on.

Step 2

Look for a “Reset” or “Mode” button on your remote control.

Step 3

Press and hold your “Reset” or “Mode” button for about 5 seconds.

Step 4

Once you’ve released the button, wait for your unit to reset and restart.

#5 Manual Reset Button

Not all portable air conditioners will have this button, and if they do it’s often very small and recessed in order to prevent accidental presses.

Step 1 

Find the reset button — remember, it’s tiny!

Step 2

Using a small, pointed object — like a paperclip — press and hold the reset button for approximately 5 seconds.

Step 3

Release the button and wait for the unit to reset.

#6 Factory Reset Your Portable AC

Not all portable ACs have this ability, so check your manual or maintenance guide. And be aware that a factory reset will wipe out any settings and or programs you might have set up. It will return your AC to the state it was in when you initially unboxed it. 

If you’ve done a lot of customizing or implemented some hacks, make sure you can recreate everything you’ve done before attempting this. 

The steps below are general, so you’ll need to follow the specific directions laid out by the manufacturer. 

Step 1

Find and access your air conditioner’s settings menu or control panel.

Step 2

Navigate to the “Reset” or “Factory Reset” option and select it.

Step 3

Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the reset.

Step 4

Once the factory reset is complete, reconfigure your desired settings.

Why Your AC May Need Resetting

Now that we’ve discussed how to reset your portable air conditioner, it might be a good idea to go over some of the reasons why it needs to be reset in the first place. But keep in mind, if you make an effort to follow a set of portable AC best practices, things will rarely go wrong for you. 

Dirty Filters

Most portable air conditioners will notify you when the filters need to be cleaned. Typically, once you’ve done so, the clean filter light should go out.

If you’ve thoroughly cleaned your filters and reinstalled them properly but your light won’t go out, try one of the reset steps above.

Full Water Tank

Much the same situation as dirty filters above, you may get a notification light when it’s time to empty the condensate reservoir. However, in some instances, despite emptying it the light stays on.

Step 1

Ensure that your portable air conditioner only has one water reservoir. If you have more than one, empty all of them and then restart your air conditioner.

Step 2

If the light stays on despite emptying all reservoirs, unplug your air conditioner to reset it.

Conclusion 

Knowing how to reset your portable air conditioner is essential if you need to troubleshoot common operational problems. To recap, we discussed the following options:

• Power cycling at the wall outlet, wall switch, or breaker box
• Using the remote control reset button
• A manual reset button
• Factory resetting

Hopefully, using the information above, you were able to reset your air conditioner and get it working again. While you’re here, why not check out our related posts below? Perhaps we can help you with something else.