Soleus Air LX-140 Portable Air Conditioner, Heater, Dehumidifier and Fan

Soleus Air LX-140 Portable Air Conditioner, Heater, Dehumidifier and Fan

Possibly the largest portable air conditioning system on the market, the Soleus Air LX-140 portable air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier and fan system offers a lot of power and versatility along with some unfortunate design flaws. While these flaws may not be evident to every customer, they should be investigated before purchase.

Appearance and Design

The Soleus Air LX-140 portable air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier and fan has an elegant look that will not seem out of place within the average home. It is a sizable machine weighing in at approximately 82 pounds, but is sleek black and white in design. Rolling caster wheels are designed to help transport the unit from room to room, but beware of leaving tracks on hardwood floors! A heavy weight and small wheels combine for a somewhat inefficient design in this respect. The options available include cooling off with the dehumidification and air conditioning settings, or warming up with the heater and fan.

Functionality and Use

This unit is most useful in its capacity as an air conditioner, and is able to cool rooms of up to 450 square feet by approximately 20 degrees on hot summer days. Portable units are simply not as efficient as an HVAC or window-installed system, but in certain circumstances they may be the best and only option. Some customers found that the heater function of the Soleus Air LX-140 portable air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier and fan was less effective than they had hoped.

Model Limitations

Unfortunately this Soleus model has been found to have a variety of common malfunction issues. In some cases the fan motor broke within months of use, making it impossible to heat and cool the buyers’ space in an efficient way. The water collection tank does not come with an auto-shutoff sensor, making the unit prone to leakage and in some cases entirely flooding small rooms while owners have been absent. This appears to be a malfunction of the inherent evaporative technology associated with the air conditioning system, which is supposed to render the collection tank virtually unnecessary.

Customer Service and Warranty

The Soleus Air LX-140 portable air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier and fan is sold with the standard 1-year limited manufacturer’s warranty on parts and services, but unfortunately many customers encountered frustration when trying to make good on the warranty. Soleus requires the unit to be shipped back to the factory warehouse but does not cover shipping expenses. With such a heavy unit, this almost always means that shipping will cost the frustrated owner a third of the machine’s original cost.

What Do Owners Say?

As an air conditioner, the Soleus Air LX-140 portable air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier and fan has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. As a reliable, high-performance appliance with a decent lifespan, however, the LX-140 fails to shine. Between multiple types of malfunctions, mediocre heater and fan functions, and a leaky, inadequate condensate storage tank, most customers said that they would be very reluctant to purchase the unit a second time.

If cool air is your primary concern, the Soleus Air LX-140 portable air conditioner, heater, dehumidifier and fan may satisfy your needs; otherwise, stay away from this inconsistent model!