Maintenance & Restoration

Mike Magee · 06-24-2016, 09:24 PM

his year I am without a TT, and I decided to do my summer camping with my Lil Hauley cargo trailer. But it's hot on my way to the mountains or the cooler north. So this past April I bought an LG portable AC unit, refurbished, from a local discount store.

I plugged it in and tried it, and I felt it get cool. Ok. I turned it off and put it away.

Now in late June, I'm getting things ready for my July trip. While cleaning the inside of the trailer, I put the AC unit in the Hauley to cool it down while I worked. It came on, and I set the temp control to coldest (62*). The compressor ran for a minute and then stopped... and it ran with fan only for 5 minutes... then the compressor ran and cooled for a minute... then fan only for another 5 minutes... and so on. 90* inside the trailer, and not getting any cooler! After a half hour of this I gave up and put the AC away.

So I put in a warranty repair request online with LG. I specifically mentioned that it was a refurb unit and I gave them the refurb number stickered on the back of the unit. Everything went smoothly, they said they have mobile repair service, expect contact soon to repair under the warranty.

2 days later I get an email stating they need a copy of my receipt, and to submit it I must put in another onlin repair request and attach the receipt to it. I do that, and once again I give them the refurb serial number found on the unit. All looks good, they say I'll be contacted by mobile repair.

2 days later I get another email saying, "...we have attached a pdf copy of the owner's manual to guide you in the operation of your LG portable air conditioner... Have a wonderful day and thank you for trusting LG." That's all they're giving me!

Ok, so now I call their toll free number and I tell LG customer service the situation. The gal (with a heavy accent of some sort) tells me that my receipt wasn't specific enough because it doesn't list the name of the item purchased. I replied that this was a discount outlet that sold me the refurb'd AC unit, and the generic cash register receipt is all they issued to me. Then she tells me, "Oh, there's no warranty on refurbished items."

So, I have a $160 fan. Or a $160 paper weight. Take your pick. It would probably cost another $150 to get it fixed.

As a bit of hindsight, I went to Amazon and looked up this particular LG model, LP1014WNR. Guess what? About 15% of the reviewers give it only 1 star! People were complaining of DOA, or saying it worked for just 3 days, or it worked for only 2 weeks. And people unhappy with LG customer service.

Lesson learned: I will never, ever, ever buy another LG product.

They have lost a customer for life.

Triker · 06-24-2016, 09:54 PM

It might be worth contacting your local discount store and let them know the air conditioner is DOA.

Glenn Baglo · 06-24-2016, 10:03 PM

If you Google "LG Jokes" you find several sites.
LG has earned their bad reputation.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/home...er.html?page=2

Even so, I think your beef is with the company that sold it to you.

Mike Magee · 06-25-2016, 08:35 AM

I called the store. It's a liquidation outlet, to be more precise. Return policy is 30 days and I've had it for 60 days. The clerk said she'd talk to the manager when she comes in, and call me back; maybe they'll take pity on me.

I wrote one last irate email to LG customer service last night, stating that I'd never buy LG again, and a reply came this morning. It said in part:
We do respect your decision to no longer purchase LG products
and will ensure that potential customers are aware
of the little care provided when an appliance breaks
as a result of this unfortunate happening.

Keaner · 06-25-2016, 10:14 AM

Did you check the filter and water level switch? Did you look at the coils to see if they had frost or ice on them?
May be a simple fix.

Timber Wolf · 06-25-2016, 12:28 PM

I put a 6000 BTU LG "window" unit in my old Scamp two years ago and it works fine. I think I paid $170 plus tax from Home Depot. I purchased it over other units as it had a drain connection fitting that worked well in the Scamp closet location.

steve dunham · 06-25-2016, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

I called the store. It's a liquidation outlet, to be more precise. Return policy is 30 days and I've had it for 60 days. The clerk said she'd talk to the manager when she comes in, and call me back; maybe they'll take pity on me.

I wrote one last irate email to LG customer service last night, stating that I'd never buy LG again, and a reply came this morning. It said in part:
We do respect your decision to no longer purchase LG products
and will ensure that potential customers are aware
of the little care provided when an appliance breaks
as a result of this unfortunate happening.

Doesn't their response and concern for your problem make you feel all better. To me it is a polite , corporate way of saying F_ _K YOU. Unfortunately unless they are legally obligated / forced to stand behind their product it's caveat emptor.
Business ethics are a victim of the global economy along with quality.

Mike Magee · 06-25-2016, 06:00 PM

Yes, in lieu of cash in hand, it was the next best thing and I do feel better after telling the world about LG, a/k/a Lucky Goldstar (I just found out about that, BTW).

Tim, I'd use a window unit gladly (first choice!), IF there were a window big enough on the Hauley.

Joe, I can look more closeely at the filter but it seemed ok at first glance. As for water switch, I think that would have told the panel to indicate "water full". The unit couldn't frost/ice up after only one minute of operation, I hope, or it's a complete waste. I'm not too mechanical, though. Maybe I can find a repair tech who will work on it affordably.

Dan Meyer · 06-27-2016, 09:33 PM

How long is your extension cord? This unit might not work very well on low voltages supplied at the end of an extension cord.

--Dan Meyer

Mike Magee · 06-28-2016, 01:33 PM

Oh me, oh my! BINGO. You nailed it, Dan. I was operating it on a 50' 12 Gauge cord. I plugged it directly to an outlet and it appears to work fine that way. Next I tested it with a 25' 12Ga. cord and that worked also.

I am embarrassed! Egg all over my face! It wasn't LG's fault at all, just the dumb user.

But.... to use this thing in a CG, I'll have to make sure I'm parked very close to the electrical outlet, or else maybe buy a larger gauge cord.

Oh dear. I was a dummy!!!

The Minimalist · 06-28-2016, 02:01 PM

That's OK. I think LG will survive.

When all else fails, read the directions. The installation guide recommends against using an extension duct, "as the fan is not strong enough to handle a longer length', so I guess they are assuming you are close to an AC outlet. I looked at the installation manual on line and on page 3 in the installation instructions it says "do not modify or extend the power cord length."

I'm glad you were able to solve your problem. We learn from our mistakes. I'm currently working on my PhD.

Dan Meyer · 06-28-2016, 03:49 PM

A 12 gauge 50 foot cord should be plenty big enough to run your A/C. I run my factory unit on over 100 feet of 16 gauge extension cord all the time (I don't want to hear advice from those who say I will ruin my A/C; I've been doing this since the camper was new in Y2K and my A/C still works fine...).

I wonder if the voltage at your outlet is a little low to begin with, especially with the Air Conditioner load, and adding what little voltage drop you get on your extension cord just adds to the trouble.

In any case, I'm glad it is working for you!

--Dan Meyer