Royal Sovereign ARP-2412 Portable Air Conditioner
As one of few truly compact portable conditioners, the Royal Sovereign ARP-2412 offers 12,000 BTU's of cooling power all in one
lightweight package. With an array of electronic features this portable air conditioner is a great cooling option for areas where
a window air conditioner is not an option or central air is not available. After a test run, this is what we found.
What I liked about the Royal Sovereign ARP-2412
Right off the bat you will notice the unit is smaller than many comparable 12,000 BTU air conditioners. Not only is this feature different but the flexible
exhaust hose is not a separate attachment. Instead this unit is shorter and lighter than most and features a hose that can fully retract inside the
body of the unit. Despite it's size, this model does provide 12,000 BTU's of cooling power. In our test area the ARP-2412 easily circulated
air throughout the room, and during the initial stages of the test we were able to cool the room from 77 F to 69 F in approximately 45 minutes.
Over the next hour we were able to reach our set temperature of a cool 65 F. Now, this is likely cooler than most people will need, but under
our test conditions, it did prove to be very capable.
The controls are some of the most user friendly we have tested. The remote is basic and for most people it won't be necessary to do any
in-depth analysis of the user manual to learn how to operate this model. This unit does have a sleep mode which can be convenient for some, but
more importantly you can separate the three functions of this model. So you can specifically set the ARP-2412 to cool, dry, fan or simply set it to
"Auto" where the function and fan speed will be set automatically by the machine. This gives you greater versatility than models that simply
say they cool and dry without doing these things separately. The last digital feature is an auto restart. So should the power go out, the
ARP-2412 will automatically reset and restart itself at the most recent settings.
The compact nature of this air conditioner and the retraction hose make this unit one of the easiest to move from room to room. The window
kit is also easy to install, and while you do need a screwdriver, once you have your unit set, moving it from say the living room to bedroom involves
simply opening and closing a couple windows and unplugging and plugging the unit back in. It really is that simple.
The Royal Sovereign ARP-2412 doesn't try to be something it's not. The focus is on cooling and cooling while drying, so while other models
may try to sell the idea that they clean the air, Royal Sovereign does not. They have two simple filters that trap only large particles
like dust bunnies or pet hair.
Not fully mandated yet, the change from the older R22 refrigerant to the newer, more environmentally sound R-410A has already been completed
for the Royal Sovereign ARP-2412.
There is a separate water tank on the back of the unit. While not applicable in our testing, Royal Sovereign states that in low humidity
environments, this water will circulate to help cool the condenser and increase efficiency. Though we did not test this, it is worth mentioning.
What I did not like about the Royal Sovereign ARP-2412
The biggest concern I had with this model was draining the small, internal condensate tank. The tank collects some moisture through use
in more humid environments, and in our testing we did have to empty it. Because the drain port sits so close to the floor, it's a little more
difficult to drain than other models we have tested.
The only other possible drawback I could find with this model is the louvers.
The louvers direct air flow in other units. They are fixed so
air flow direction cannot be controlled.
In all, aside from draining the condensate tank, there was little for me to actually complain about in regards to the Royal Sovereign ARP-2412.
The cooling was quick and efficient, controls easy to operate and understand. The setup was easier than many other models and the unit is smaller
and lighter than nearly all other 12,000 BTU air conditioners. Royal Sovereign's warranty is a full 1 year on the entire machine with a full 5
year warranty on the compressor. For the price, this model is a good buy.
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