Clicking then shutdown: cracked blower catching on housing

An LG unit showed CH10, a fan motor lock, and clicked once before shutting down. A code like that draws attention straight to the control board. The motor itself tested fine, so the question was what kept binding the fan.

By Team Snowflake | Updated 28 Jul 2026

Case summary

LG Wall-mounted3-7 years oldHDBWoodlands, Singapore

Concern: The fear was that both the control board and the fan motor needed replacing.
Found: Cracked blower wheel catching on fan housing triggering motor lock protection
Key check: Manual rotation of blower wheel revealed a crack and physical contact with housing at one point in the rotation
Result: We fitted the new blower wheel and the unit started normally. CH10 cleared, airflow came back to full strength, and no further clicking or motor lock events have occurred since.

What we were told

The aircon made a clicking sound, then stopped and showed an error code. A new main board was the next thing on the cards. The owner wanted a second opinion before paying for one, since the clicking had never been explained.

What we checked

A clicking noise followed by a motor lock error pointed to something physically blocking the fan, not a dead board. A board fault would not produce a repeated click. So we checked the moving parts first, before touching any electronics.

CH10 was showing. The unit tried to start, clicked once, then shut down.
The fan motor was getting power normally and tried to spin, so power supply was not the problem.
Turning the blower wheel by hand showed drag at one spot in the rotation, not even resistance all the way round.
A closer look found a crack in the blower wheel. The cracked section bent outward and caught on the fan housing.
With the blower wheel off, the motor spun freely on its own, which ruled the motor out as the fault.

What we found

The blower wheel had cracked, likely from material fatigue over several years of use. As it turned, the cracked section bent outward just far enough to touch the inner wall of the fan housing. That contact stalled the motor, which set off the CH10 motor lock protection. The click was the cracked section hitting the housing on each attempt to spin. The board read a stalled fan and shut the unit down to protect the motor, exactly as it was designed to do.

What fixed it

We advised replacing the blower wheel only. The motor tested fine once the obstruction was gone, and the control board was working correctly. Replacing the board would have cost more and left the cracked wheel in place, so the fault would have returned. We sourced a replacement blower wheel that matched the unit model.

Outcome

We fitted the new blower wheel and the unit started normally. CH10 cleared, airflow came back to full strength, and no further clicking or motor lock events have occurred since.

What this case teaches us

A motor lock code can point to a jammed fan, not a dead motor

CH10 means the fan stopped turning. It does not say why. A cracked blower wheel rubbing the housing stops the fan just as a failed motor would.
A click before shutdown is a mechanical clue. It often means something solid is striking a part on each rotation.
Ask which part to replace, not just whether to replace. Here the wheel was the fault, and the board was working exactly as designed.

Questions this case answers

Aircon clicks once then shuts down with an error: what is that?

A click on each start attempt is a mechanical clue. Something solid is striking a part as the fan tries to turn. On this Woodlands unit the blower wheel had cracked, and the cracked section bent out far enough to catch the fan housing. That contact stalled the motor and set off lock protection.

Does LG CH10 mean the fan motor needs replacing?

Not on its own. CH10 says the fan stopped turning, and it does not say why. A jammed wheel stops a fan as surely as a burnt out motor does. With the wheel removed, this motor spun freely and had been drawing power normally throughout, so it was cleared and only the wheel changed.

Can a cracked blower wheel be replaced on its own?

Yes, and that was the entire repair here. We sourced a wheel matched to the unit model and fitted it. Turning the old wheel by hand had shown drag at one spot rather than even resistance all the way round, which is the pattern a crack produces. Airflow came back to full strength.

What should be checked before agreeing to a control board swap?

Whether the moving parts have been ruled out. A board fault does not produce a repeated click, so a clicking unit points at something physical. Ask which part is being replaced and why, not only whether to replace. Fitting a board here would have left the cracked wheel in place and the fault would return.

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