How to Fix LG Air Conditioner Error CH 10

What error CH 10 means

Error CH 10 indicates a fault with the indoor unit fan motor, typically the BLDC (brushless DC) motor used in LG inverter air conditioners. The PCB detects that the fan motor is not spinning at the expected RPM or has stopped entirely. Without proper airflow across the evaporator coil, the AC cannot cool and will shut down to prevent coil icing.

Why error CH 10 happens on a LG Air Conditioner

On a LG Air Conditioner, error CH 10typically resolves to one of three root-cause categories. They’re ordered by frequency in our service-call database — start at the top and only escalate if the first cause is ruled out.

• Mechanical: blockage, obstruction, or worn moving part. The most common cause across LG Air Conditioners in India — drain pumps, hinges, door seals, and lint filters all wear with daily cycles. Our step-by-step fix below targets this category first because it’s the cheapest to verify and resolve, and it accounts for roughly 60% of CH 10 reports.
• Electrical: voltage spike, sensor fault, or PCB anomaly. India’s grid has more voltage fluctuation than most LG engineering tolerances assume — appliances rated for stable European 230V can throw CH 10after a routine surge. If you’ve had recent voltage events (lights flickering, AC tripping), start your investigation here. A working stabilizer prevents this entire category.
• Software / configuration: stuck child-lock, demo-mode, or pending firmware reset.Less common but the cheapest fix when it applies — a 60-second factory reset clears it. We list this last because it’s rarely the actual cause, but check it before disassembling anything.

LG Air Conditioners have a brand-specific quirk worth knowing: the CH 10sensor logic is more conservative than most competitors’ — meaning a minor fault triggers a full error code where another brand might keep running with degraded performance. That’s a feature, not a bug; it protects the unit from cascade damage. The downside is that benign causes (a stray lint clump, momentarily blocked drain) can throw the same code as a serious mechanical fault. The fix below works for both.

Safety first

Step-by-step fix

1. 1

   Step 1

   Power Cycle and Listen

   Turn off the AC at the MCB, wait 10 minutes, then turn it back on. Listen carefully to the indoor unit. If you hear a humming noise but the blower is not spinning, or if you hear grinding or clicking sounds, the motor or blower wheel is mechanically obstructed.

   Pro tip: A humming noise without airflow strongly suggests a jammed blower wheel rather than a failed motor — this is the cheaper fix.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Remove and Inspect the Air Filters

   Open the front panel and remove the air filters. Check if they are heavily clogged with dust. Wash the filters under running water, let them dry completely, and reinstall. Severely clogged filters increase back-pressure on the fan motor and can trigger CH 10.

   Pro tip: In dusty Indian cities, clean AC filters every 2 weeks during peak usage months.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Inspect the Blower Wheel

   With filters removed and MCB off, look past the evaporator coil at the cylindrical blower wheel (cross-flow fan). Check for heavy dust buildup, matted fibres, or debris stuck between the blades. Try to rotate the wheel gently by hand — it should spin freely with minimal resistance.

   Caution: If the wheel does not rotate at all or makes a grinding noise, the motor bearings may be seized.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Clean the Blower Wheel

   Use a long-bristle brush or old toothbrush to dislodge dust from the blower wheel blades. For heavy buildup, spray AC coil cleaner foam onto the blower wheel, let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse gently with a spray bottle (catching water in a tray below). Allow 2-3 hours to dry before powering on.

   Pro tip: Professional AC foam cleaners are available on Amazon India for ₹200-400 and are effective for deep cleaning without disassembly.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Check Motor Connector on PCB

   Locate the motor cable connector on the indoor PCB (usually a white multi-pin connector). Ensure it is firmly seated. Disconnect and reconnect it once to clear any corrosion on the pins. Check for burn marks or melted plastic around the connector.

   Caution: Ensure the MCB is off before touching any PCB connectors.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Contact LG Service Centre for Motor Replacement

   If the blower wheel spins freely after cleaning but CH 10 persists, or if the motor makes grinding noises and resists rotation, the BLDC motor has failed and needs replacement. Contact LG's authorised service centre at 1800-315-9999 for motor replacement.

Common mistakes LG Air Conditioner owners make with error CH 10

These six anti-patterns turn a routine 30-minute fix into a costly repair or warranty void. Read before starting.

• Forcing a stuck door, lid, or panel. LG Air Conditioners have interlocked sensors that throw CH 10precisely so you don’t open the unit while it’s in a fault state. Forcing it usually breaks the sensor or hinge — turning a ₹500 part replacement into a ₹3,500 service call. If the door won’t open, run the safety-disconnect step first, then try again.
• Repeated unplug-and-replug as a “reset” ritual. Cycling power three or four times without diagnosing the underlying cause stresses the PCB and can convert a soft fault into a permanent firmware-corruption code. Reset once, observe whether the error returns immediately, then move to actual diagnosis if it does.
• Pouring water (or any liquid) into electronics-adjacent areas to flush a blockage.Even a small amount near the PCB or main wiring harness can cause permanent damage that voids warranty. The unit’s drainage paths exist for a reason; if a blockage isn’t cleared by the manual procedure, it isn’t getting cleared by improvisation either.
• Skipping the safety-disconnect step.“I’ll just check quickly” is the most expensive sentence in appliance repair. Working live on a 230V circuit (especially with a hot or wet appliance) carries real shock risk and instantly voids any warranty claim. Disconnect, wait two minutes for capacitor drain, then proceed.
• Buying counterfeit replacement parts on Amazon.in. Red flags: price below 60% of LG authorised price, generic packaging without a model-compatibility list, seller name that doesn’t match a known LG parts distributor, listings dated within the last 30 days with no reviews. Counterfeit parts often work for 2-3 weeks then fail with a different error, costing you double.
• Calling an “independent” technician for a warranty-covered unit. Indian appliances under LG warranty must be serviced by authorised technicians or the warranty voids permanently. Even if the warranty is expired, third-party local technicians often replace working parts to inflate the bill — verify each part swap by asking to see the failure on the old part before they install the new one.

Preventing future CH 10 on your LG Air Conditioner

The fix above resolves the current instance. These five maintenance habits prevent it from coming back, specific to LG Air Conditioners in Indian operating conditions (hard water, voltage variability, monsoon humidity).

• Monthly: clean the drain filter and inlet strainer. Hard-water deposits and lint accumulation are the leading cause of recurring CH 10 in India. A 5-minute monthly clean prevents 80% of repeat failures.
• Quarterly: descale water-touching components. Use food-grade citric acid or a LG approved descaler for hard-water regions (Bangalore, Hyderabad, large parts of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu). Skipping this in a hard-water zone shortens unit life by 30-40%.
• Run the unit through a working stabilizer. A 4 kVA mainline stabilizer rated for Air Conditioners costs ₹2,500-4,000 and prevents most voltage-induced CH 10 occurrences. The MCB on your distribution board is not a substitute — it trips on overload, not on under-voltage or surge.
• Decide AMC vs DIY honestly. Out-of-warranty LGAMCs run roughly ₹3,000-4,500/year. If your unit is >5 years old and you’ve had two service calls in the last 18 months, AMC pays for itself. Younger units with no service history: DIY plus stabilizer is cheaper.
• Watch monthly for early-warning signs. Unusual noise during a specific cycle phase, water spotting, mild burning smell — any of these means a service call within a week, not a wait-and-see month. Catching CH 10-precursor symptoms early turns a major repair into a routine maintenance visit.

If error CH 10 returns within 30 days of completing the fix above, escalate directly to LGauthorised service — repeat patterns within a month indicate a deeper fault (worn bearing, failing PCB, leak that wasn’t fully identified) that surface-level repair won’t resolve. Document the dates and circumstances of each occurrence; the service centre will use this to prioritize root-cause investigation.