Air Conditioner & Heater

12,000 BTU Evaporative Portable Air Conditioner with Dehumidifier and Fan has dual motors offering a 3 speed fan with oscillation, along with a 12,200 BTU's Heat pump heater, a 60 Pint evaporative dehumidifier, and adjustable thermostat with 24 hour programmable timer with memory, from 64° to 90°F. A washable and reusable air filter keeps circulation clean and loss of power protection with auto restart feature. Heavy duty casters and remote control offer you assistance in unit placement and controls. All in one appliance to fulfill all your comfort needs.

User Reviews about Soleus Portable Air Conditioner Heater Dehumidifier Fan - 12 - 000 BTUs - PH3-12R-03

Unlike other reviewers, I think this device works great. Being an engineer, I measured the temp coming out of the cooler at 57 degrees F, while it was 80 in the house and 90 outside. One thing to note about my review, I live in Denver where the air is typically very dry during the summer (20% humidity). Thus, I don't expect to have any of the condensation or water problems other in more humid climates might have. I live in a 1000 sq Ft house and it keeps it quite cool. I give it 4 stars, and not 5 because there is one issue. When I set the temperature, the unit does turn off the compressor when the desired temperature is reached, but it doesn't turn off the fans. This wastes energy. But even worse, the fan that blows the hot air outside is still on also (although it's not blowing hot air anymore since the compressor is off). What this means is that it's blowing my nice cold house air outside, and thus hot air from the outside has to replace the lost cold air from inside. This is a huge energy waster. I wish that it would just turn off (or at least turn off the outside venting fan) when the desired temperature has been reached, rather than just turning off the compressor. I haven't tried out the heat pump feature yet, because it's still summer. All in all, I like the unit. it keeps the house cool, which is what really matters. -- Works great, not noisy, no problems, not super energy efficient

Despite all the negative reviews of this unit on Amazon.com, I found several other positive reviews elsewhere on the internet, and so I decided to give it a try. I'll admit I was skeptical as to how this unit would perform, especially since it seemed to be much less expensive than other 12,000 BTU units AND it included heat pump functionality. That being said, I am quite pleased with its performance so far.

After the terrible process of having to return a damaged portable AC unit of another brand just a week earlier, I was relieved to see when this one arrived at my door in rather robust packaging. Lifting it out of its "easy open" outer box and inner cardboard crate, I was able to observe its features in person for the first time. The multi-color display is a nice touch; the bright VFD display provides simple animations of the unit's current function, as well as a basic clock (used for setting the on/off timer), and the current temperature setting. The remote control sits in a holster on the back of the unit. I found the remote to be a bit bland, with all the buttons but the power button the same size and no distinction of the most frequently used buttons (i.e. temperature, mode) from the less frequently used extras (i.e. sleep mode, Celsius/Fahrenheit setting). The use of the remote is limited anyways since the display on the unit sits facing upward, preventing you from seeing what you are doing unless you are hovering above it.

Installation is pretty straightforward. The user's manual includes several photographs of the installation process, which doesn't differ much from any single-hose portable AC on the market. You simply screw the hose into the adapters and attach the adapters onto the back of the unit and onto the adjustable panel which you close in your window.

So now the important part: how it works. I found the unit to perform quite well. The AC function is plenty cool, and with three fan settings, you can adjust the level of output (and noise) to the current conditions. The heat pump also works well, and I was impressed with the fact that the unit waits to start blowing air into the room until the heat pump has begun generating warm air. That way, on a cold winter's day you won't get a rush of cold air in your face while the unit starts up. After your set temperature is reached, the unit shuts down completely (including the fan). Perhaps handy for some people is an auto mode which automatically heats if the temperature is below 68°F, dehumidifies if the temperature is between 68°F and 80°F, and cools if over 80°F. There also is an oscillation feature which helps circulate the air into the room.

As others have said, this AC unit is not super quiet. While in fan-only mode, the noise is minimal, but while heating, cooling, or dehumidifying, the exhaust fan in the back of the unit adds a considerable amount more. While nobody will be fooled into thinking a jet is landing, some may find it difficult to sleep with the unit in the room if it is doing anything but circulating air.

Just another quick note about draining the water bucket... be prepared to empty it no less often than most air conditioning units, regardless of what the manufacturer claims it can evaporate through the hose. I also agree with others who have said that the drainage plug is really close to the ground, so you may want to place it on a hard surface or elevate it slightly to assist in the drainage process. You do get a short hose and drip pan in the box to help you empty the moisture into a larger pan, but you may want to keep a towel handy as well.

Overall, this air conditioner/heat pump unit is a economical choice if you need all-season comfort in an area of your home. Various room-size estimations abound, some even rating this unit up to 500 sq. ft. My suggestion is that you use this unit for no more than a single large room, as you will probably see much worse performance if you try to heat or cool an entire floor with it. But for supplemental heating or cooling, you really cannot go wrong with the Soleus Air PH3-12R-03. -- Good, versatile appliance for any season

We have an extra room over the garage that we spend alot of time in but it's hotter than the other rooms so we used just about every brand you see sold. None of them worked well until we tried the Soleus. It is the only one with really COLD air coming out, it can cool down the room fast. Only downside is it is a little loud but dosnen't bother me that much. Love Soleus. -- Great for 1 room