6 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
2 of these reports describe a fire, explosion or shock risk.
Costly or dangerous
CPSC recall: LG LP0711WNR/LP0813WNR/LP0814WNR portable ACs can overheat — fire hazard
Safety risk
This is the official US CPSC recall (17-055) covering all three subject models. It is the strongest evidence in this run: a regulator-confirmed fire hazard with four reported fires and $380,000 in property damage. The recall remedy was a free repair, not replacement.
What to check. If a buyer owns or is offered an LP0711WNR, LP0813WNR, or LP0814WNR (serial numbers 311/312/401/402/403/404/405 for the latter), they should verify whether the unit was repaired under this recall before use. The recall was US/Canada; a TR/EU-market unit may not have been covered.
LG Canada: electronic component in portable ACs can overheat and ignite
LG's own Canadian recall FAQ confirms the root cause — an electronic component that can overheat and ignite — and corroborates the four US fire reports. This is a primary manufacturer source.
What to check. This confirms the failure is internal to the electronics, not user-caused. Owners should not attempt DIY repair of the overheating component; the recall remedy was an authorized-service-center repair.
Dominican Republic consumer authority repeats LG portable AC fire alert
Safety risk
A national consumer-protection authority in the Dominican Republic issued a public alert repeating the CPSC recall details: three LG portable models can overheat and cause a possible fire, with four US fire incidents and $380,000 in damage. This shows the recall was disseminated beyond North America.
What to check. Confirms the fire hazard was treated as serious by a consumer-protection regulator outside the US/Canada, suggesting the risk was not considered US-specific.
LG LP0815WNR false 'FL' full-tank alerts and sensor malfunctions
An owner of an LP0815WNR (same LP portable series, adjacent model) reports the unit repeatedly shows the 'FL' full-tank error even after emptying the tank, twice within two hours. The thread's expert answer attributes this to a stuck or misaligned float, dirt buildup, or sensor wiring issues.
What to check. A buyer of an LP-series portable should expect that a false 'FL' full-tank alarm may not be cured by emptying the tank; it can indicate a float or sensor fault requiring service. This is an inconvenience/functionality issue, not a safety hazard.
LG LP1020WSR error codes: control boards going bad is the common failure
An owner of an LP1020WSR (same LP portable series) reports cryptic error codes that LG customer service could not decode, and an authorized servicer told them the most common issue with these units is control boards going bad. The owner notes a replacement unit costs $400+.
What to check. A buyer should know that LP-series error codes may be undiagnosable by LG support, and control-board failure is the commonly cited failure mode — with repair costs potentially approaching the price of a new unit. This is a reliability/cost concern, not a safety hazard.
LG LP1419IVSM CH38 error: refrigerant leak after 20 days of use
A Brazilian owner of an LG LP1419IVSM (LP portable series, inverter model) reports the unit stopped working after ~20 days with error code CH38, which LG's own site indicates means loss of refrigerant. The owner also reports difficulty getting any authorized service to work on the unit.
What to check. This shows LP-series portables can suffer refrigerant loss early in life, and that service support for these units may be hard to obtain. The CH38 code is a specific, checkable failure signature. Note this is a Brazilian-market report, not TR/EU.
These reports come from the pages linked under each item: owner forums, repair guides and workshops. They are not a diagnosis of any one unit, and a careful check of the one you are buying still applies.
Text from the Kriko Air conditioners catalog, version 0.1.1, under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
