On most Gree wall heads the code blinks where the temperature normally shows. Gree's Livo and Vireo owner's manuals put it this way: when the system is not working properly, the temperature indicator blinks the error code. Heads without a digit display blink their indicator lamps in a counted pattern instead, and the service manual for that model lists the counts. Write the code down before you cut the power, because a restart usually clears it from the screen.
H1 is the code that worries people in an Ontario winter, and it is normal. In heating mode frost builds on the outdoor coil, so the unit reverses briefly to melt it. Gree's Sapphire service manual sets the rules: no defrost until the unit has heated for 45 minutes straight (or 90 minutes in total), then the compressor runs in defrost for up to about 7.5 minutes, with the indoor fan stopped and a short valve changeover on either side. Expect roughly ten minutes without warm air, some steam and dripping water outside, then heat again.
A damp day near freezing beside Lake Ontario frosts a coil faster than a dry night at -15°C, so several defrosts in an afternoon can be ordinary. Our rule for when H1 points to a real problem: it stays on for more than half an hour, the unit defrosts back to back with almost no heat between cycles, or the outdoor coil turns into a block of ice that never clears. Those point to a failed outdoor coil sensor, a reversing valve that is not shifting, low refrigerant or meltwater that cannot drain from under the unit. The causes are laid out in why a heat pump ices up.
Gree code lists are not identical from one series to the next. The Livo owner's manual prints about a dozen codes and tells you to call a professional for anything else, the Sapphire service manual lists close to sixty, and on some Sapphire heads H1 shows on the remote while the heating lamp blinks on the indoor unit. Treat this page as a guide, then confirm against the manual and the wiring label inside the cover of your own unit: where they disagree with us, the label wins. Our Gree mini-split repair page covers how we service the brand, and you can send us the code and model number before booking.
Gree mini-split heat pump codes, decoded
| Code | What it means | Safe? | Try first | When to call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
H1 | Defrost. A status code, not a fault: the unit is melting frost off the outdoor coil in heating mode. | keep running | Leave it alone and keep snow and ice clear around and under the outdoor unit. | If H1 lasts past half an hour or the outdoor coil stays cased in ice. |
E2 | Anti-freezing protection for the indoor coil. Gree lists it as a status code: the coil got cold enough to frost in cooling or dry mode. | keep running | Wash the filters and raise the fan speed. | If E2 shows up daily on clean filters. Low airflow or low refrigerant is behind it. |
E9 | Cold air prevention. A status code: the indoor fan is waiting for the coil to warm up before it blows. | keep running | Nothing. The fan starts on its own once the coil is warm. | Not needed unless the fan never starts. |
E1 | High pressure protection of the system. Gree lists too much refrigerant, poor heat exchange at a dirty or blocked coil, and very high ambient temperature as causes. | turn it off | Clean the filters, clear leaves, cottonwood fluff or snow from the outdoor coil, then restart once. | If E1 returns. Pressure faults are not something to keep restarting through. |
E3 | Low pressure, per Gree's published code guide. The system is short of refrigerant or starved of airflow. | turn it off | Check for a clogged filter, which is the one cause a homeowner can fix. | If the filter is clean. Low pressure usually means refrigerant has leaked out. |
E4 | High discharge temperature protection of the compressor. The gas leaving the compressor is too hot. | turn it off | Clear anything blocking airflow through the outdoor unit. | Soon. Low charge, a restriction or a failing expansion valve are the usual causes. |
E5 | Overcurrent protection. Gree lists unstable supply voltage, voltage that is too low under heavy load, and a dirty evaporator. | turn it off | Wash the filters and restart once after a few minutes with the breaker off. | If it repeats, or if lights dim when the unit starts. |
E6 | Communication malfunction between the indoor and outdoor units. In heating the complete unit stops. | turn it off | Switch the breaker off for a few minutes and back on. | If E6 comes back. The interconnecting cable, its terminals or a control board need testing. |
E7 | Mode conflict on a multi-zone system: one head is calling for heat while another calls for cooling. | keep running | Set every indoor unit to the same mode, all on heat or all on cool. | Only if the code stays after all heads match. |
E8 | High temperature resistant protection, Gree's term for an overload: a coil is running too hot. | turn it off | Clean the filters and make sure nothing blocks the indoor or outdoor airflow. | If it trips again with clean filters and a clear outdoor unit. |
F0 | Refrigerant leakage protection. The display shows F0 and the complete unit stops; Gree also lists a faulty indoor coil sensor or a blockage in the circuit. | turn it off | Nothing at home. Do not keep restarting it. | Book a leak check. Gree's owner's manual sends F0 straight to a professional. |
F1 | Indoor ambient (room) temperature sensor is open or short circuited. | turn it off | One breaker restart. | If it returns. The sensor or its plug on the indoor board needs testing. |
F2 | Indoor evaporator (coil) temperature sensor is open or short circuited. | turn it off | One breaker restart. | If it returns. Without this sensor the unit cannot protect its coil. |
F3 | Outdoor ambient temperature sensor is open or short circuited. | turn it off | Nothing at home. | Soon. In heating the whole unit stops on this fault. |
F4 | Outdoor condenser (tube) temperature sensor is open or short circuited. | turn it off | Nothing at home. | Soon. This is the sensor the defrost logic reads. |
F5 | Outdoor discharge temperature sensor is open or short circuited, or its tip has come out of its pocket on the copper tube. | turn it off | Nothing at home. | Soon. The unit stops about three minutes into every start. |
H3 | Overload protection for the compressor. | turn it off | Let it rest with the breaker off, clear the outdoor coil, then restart once. | If H3 repeats. A loose overload terminal, low charge or a tired compressor needs checking. |
H5 | IPM protection. The inverter power module that drives the compressor has shut itself down. | turn it off | One restart after several minutes without power. | If it returns. The module, the compressor windings and the supply voltage all need testing. |
H6 | Indoor fan motor is not operating. The fans, compressor and louver all stop. | turn it off | With the power off, check that nothing is jamming the blower wheel. | If the wheel turns freely by hand and the code returns. |
C5 | Jumper cap malfunction protection. The small jumper on the indoor board is missing, damaged or seated wrong. | turn it off | Nothing at home. | Book a visit. It most often follows a control board replacement where the jumper was not moved across. |
The codes that usually mean a real repair
F0 or E3 — refrigerant has leaked out
Topping up is not the fix for these two: a mini-split is a sealed system, so low refrigerant means a leak at a flare nut, a service valve or a coil. Finding and repairing the leak, then recharging by weight, falls in our published band for refrigerant leak repair and recharge of $300–$800 and up, depending on where the leak is. Handling refrigerant in Ontario takes an ODP card, and our refrigerant leak repair service explains how the leak search works.
H6 or F1 to F5 — a fan motor or a sensor
H6 is the indoor fan motor or its feedback plug, and the F1 to F5 group is one of five temperature sensors reading open or shorted. A sensor is a small part and usually sits toward the bottom of the $150–$800 range that covers most cooling and heat pump repairs. A fan motor is $300–$700 with labour, depending on the motor. Finding the fault: $90–$150, credited against the repair you approve.
H5, E6 or C5 — the control boards
When the wiring between the units tests fine and the compressor windings check out, these codes land on a board: the outdoor inverter board for H5, either board for E6, the indoor board for C5. Our published band for a control board replacement on cooling equipment is $400–$800. An inverter board for a larger or multi-zone Gree can run past that band, and you get the figure in writing before any part is ordered. Gree boards are not interchangeable with those in a Senville or other Midea-built mini-split, so have the model number ready when you call.
Licensed technicians, a written price before the repair, no overtime charges.
Common questions
How do I reset an error code on a Gree mini-split?
Turn the unit off with the remote, switch its breaker off, wait a few minutes and switch it back on. Gree's owner's manual suggests trying a restart for E1, E5, E6, E8, H3 and H6, and calling a professional directly for C5, F0, F1 and F2. Reset once. A protection code that returns after a restart is the unit telling you the cause is still there.
My Gree shows H1 several times a day in winter. Is something wrong?
Usually not. Frost forms fastest when it is damp and just around freezing, and the unit defrosts as often as the outdoor coil needs it. What matters is the pattern: about ten minutes of defrost followed by a long stretch of steady heat is healthy. Short bursts of heat between repeated defrosts, or ice that keeps building on the outdoor unit, is worth a service call.
Can I add refrigerant myself to clear F0?
No. F0 means the system has lost refrigerant or cannot circulate it, and adding more without finding the leak just vents the new charge through the same hole. Ontario requires an ODP card to buy and handle refrigerant, and an inverter mini-split has to be charged by weight to the figure on its nameplate. A leak search, a proper repair and a weighed charge is the only fix that lasts.
Does an E or H code mean the compressor is finished?
Rarely on the first appearance. E1, E4, E8 and H3 are protections that trip when the unit runs hot, and a matted outdoor coil, a clogged filter or low refrigerant causes far more of them than a failed compressor does. The compressor comes into question when H3 or H5 keeps returning after the airflow, charge and voltage have all been checked and found correct.
When is an older Gree not worth repairing?
Our rule is to replace when the repair costs more than half of a new unit and the system is over twelve years old. A single-zone mini-split installs for $4,000–$7,000, so a leak repair or a sensor on a seven-year-old Gree is an easy yes, while a failed compressor on a fourteen-year-old one usually is not. Our heat pump repair service starts with a diagnosis and a written price, so you can decide with real numbers.