LG mini split error code CH01

Common causes

• The indoor air (room) temperature thermistor has failed (they do drift and fail with age and heat cycling).
• Its plug has worked loose from the control board, or a pin has corroded.
• The sensor lead is chafed, pinched or chewed, giving an intermittent open or short.
• The control board's sensor input has failed (rare compared with the sensor itself).

How to fix it yourself

Work through the checks below first; they resolve most cases. If they do not, the repair itself may need a technician.

1. Reset the system: switch the breaker (or the outdoor disconnect) off, wait a full five minutes so the boards fully discharge, then switch it back on and restart from the remote.
2. If the code comes straight back after a reset, the fault is real and not a glitch.
3. With power off, locate the indoor air (room) temperature sensor behind the front panel near the air inlet. Follow its lead back to the board and reseat the plug firmly.
4. Inspect the lead for damage along its whole length, especially where it passes through the chassis.
5. If you have a multimeter, unplug the sensor and measure its resistance. A reading near zero ohms (short) or infinite (open) confirms a bad sensor. Most mini split thermistors read roughly 5 to 20 kΩ at room temperature, so a value in that range with a steady drift as you warm it in your hand means the sensor is fine and the board is the suspect.
6. Replacement thermistors are inexpensive and plug in. Match the part number from the parts list for your model.

Switch off power at the breaker before opening either unit. Capacitors in the outdoor unit hold a charge for several minutes after power is cut.

When to call a technician

Sensor swaps are a doable DIY job on most units. Call a technician if the sensor tests good and the code persists, because that points at the control board.

Which LG units show CH01

This page applies to LG Art Cool, Standard, Mega and Multi F units. LG's own documentation lists CH01 as "Indoor air (room) temperature sensor fault (open or short circuit)", the same definition used across the LG it is built on. If your unit shows a code with a different shape (for example a four-character code, or a plain number), it is from a different table; use the lookup with your exact code.

Where LG shows this code

The indoor display shows CH followed by a number (CH05, CH38). Units without a display blink the indicator lamps in a pattern; the outdoor board LEDs blink the same number. If someone tells you 'CH 5', that is CH05. CH01 to CH12 are indoor-unit faults, CH21 to CH29 are inverter and compressor faults, CH32 to CH38 are refrigerant-side protections, CH40 to CH48 are outdoor sensors, and CH51 to CH73 are outdoor-unit system faults.

Other LG codes

Same part of the system as CH01:

All LG error codes