Royal Sovereign recalls portable air conditioners due to fire, burn hazards; one death reported

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Royal Sovereign International Inc., of Rockleigh, New Jersey are announcing the recall of about 33,570 portable air conditioners.

A faulty drain motor in the air conditioners can ignite the plastic enclosure of the unit, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers and risk of serious injury or death.

Royal Sovereign is aware of 11 reports of the portable air conditioners catching fire or smoking during use resulting in over $1 million in property damage, two injuries and one death due to smoke inhalation.

On August 24, 2016, a woman died from smoke-related injuries and her two children were injured after their Royal Sovereign air conditioner caught fire.

This recall involves the following models of portable air conditioners:

The model number is printed on the name plate sticker on the back of the portable air conditioners.

The recalled portable air conditioners were sold online at Amazon.com and in Sears, COSTCO, Home Depot, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Best Buy stores nationwide from March 2008 through August 2014 for about $290.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled portable air conditioners, unplug the unit, follow the instructions online at www.Recall-PAC3012.com for properly severing the electrical cord rendering the unit unusable, and contact Royal Sovereign for a pro-rated refund based on the age of the portable air conditioner. Failure to unplug the unit could result in shock, electrocution, or death. Royal Sovereign is the importer of the recalled portable air conditioners, which were manufactured in China.

Contact Royal Sovereign toll-free at 833-947-3699 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, or online at www.Recall-PAC3012.com  or  https://www.royalsovereign.com and click on “Recall Information” at the top of the page for more information.