Proper maintenance, including correct drainage, is essential to ensure optimal performance and longevity of your Gree portable air conditioner.
Consulting the user manual of your Gree portable air conditioner ensures that you drain your unit correctly to avoid water overflowing into the chassis.
Owning a portable air conditioner means paying attention to what your unit needs to stay functioning optimally and delivering the cooling you desire in the warmer climates.
These units need to be drained of excess water that has accumulated while it is in operation.
If you have one of the Gree portable air conditioners, you likely know that you have two drainage plugs on your portable unit. Each of them needs to be drained to avoid experiencing issues with how the unit functions.
Gree portable AC drainage
Most Gree portable air conditioners have two drain plugs and both of them are crucial for removing excess water that accumulates during your AC operation.
Pay attention to any warning indicators or alerts on the unit that suggest potential water leakage. If the unit signals the need for drainage, it’s essential to address it promptly.
Safety is paramount during maintenance of any appliance, so ensure tha before attempting to drain the water, ensure that the portable air conditioner is turned off and unplugged from the power source.
The best way to go about drainage is to consult the user manual for your Gree portable air conditioner for guidance on how to drain each drain plug, where to drain them into, and the proper placement of the unit for complete water drainage.
Follow the manual’s step-by-step instructions for proper drainage.
How to drain a Gree portable air conditioner
When the Gree portable air conditioner is in cooling mode, the humidity in the air is converted into water which cools down the unit.
About 80 percent of the water is condensed and evaporated outdoors through the exhaust hose. When the unit is in high humidity conditions, water fills up the water tank or drain pan of the unit and needs to be drained.
Some Gree portable units either switch off when the unit needs to be drained or an alarm of sorts will sound, warning you to drain your unit.
To drain the unit, you need to switch it off and be careful not to move the unit with the drain pan full of water. Unclamp the drain hose from the rear grille and place a container under the drain hose, like this one from Diversitech.
Remove the drain cap and let the condensate water drain completely. When the container is full, return the drain cap and then empty the container, repeating the emptying process if necessary.
The second drainage hole in the unit is in the middle of the unit and is known as the continuous drainage hole. To drain this one, you need a drainage hose that attaches to the connector.
Remove the drain cap and the rubber plug from the spout, screw on the drain connector, and insert the drain hose into the connector. The water will then drain itself.
Positioning the drain hose
When using the continuous drainage option through the middle hole of your Gree portable air conditioner, it is important to place the unit on a level surface and make sure there are no impediments around the hose.
The hose needs to be in a downward position in order for the water to flow out without any blockages or anything getting stuck in the process.
Pointing the hose downwards helps avoid the need to tilt the unit for it to drain all the water, as it needs to be upright on surface level.
What if the unit is not properly positioned for continuous drainage?
If your portable air conditioner is not positioned properly for draining, the chassis of the air conditioner will likely fill up with water, which should not happen.
Placing the unit on an uneven surface or installing the drainage hose incorrectly may result in water filling the chassis and causing the unit to shut down.
If this happens, the best option is to empty the chassis completely, then ensure the proper placement of the unit and the correct setup for drainage.
Leaving the hose installed for continuous draining
To avoid having to monitor the draining of your portable air conditioner while it is in continuous drain mode, you can leave the drain hose attached to the condensate tank, which will empty the water from the condensate tank automatically.
You can then attach the hose to the condensate tank and place the other end of the hose outside to drain the liquid.
Using the drain hose prevents your condensate tank from accumulating water at a rapid pace and does not require you to empty the tank manually, though you should still monitor your unit occasionally.