I have a Trans Central AC condenser installed in 1985 that came with a factory installed hard start kit. I've never had an issues with it. I have replaced the "Caps" over the years just as a PM measure, (cheap insurance) and always use " made in the USA" capacitors. I've been told by many Trans AC Techs that I know a lot of the companies stopped installing them from the factory to cut cost. And of course, it's always about their bottom line. So, change out your Caps every couple or few years depending on your area and run time (start/stop) situation. They do get weak......it's cheap insurance and easy to do ;)
you have put to rest my confusion over whether or not to add this kit to my new heat pump. Thank you. it's about to get hot here in Tx, so I appreciate you taking the time to clearly explain this. Subscribed.
I'm in Dallas. I added a 5-2-1 start kit ($28 off Amazon) to my 20+ year old Carrier heat pump. It will make for smoother starting, but you might want to take measurements (e.g. sound levels) before and after installation, to quantify the difference. Working out any savings on running cost might be more difficult due to variances in Texas weather.
A start kit is designed to reduce wear on the compressor, regardless of age. At one time, these kits were installed as standard in a/c units, but as a cost-saving measure were gradually phased out. (If you look at the wiring diagram inside your a/c unit, you will probably see a phantom diagram for a start kit ... sometimes described as a "field option"!)
Great explination for anyone with limited overall knowledge but gets things when explained properly . Negative comments are probably just prideful mermurings. Voice was humble, not quite as stated. Explained at a perfect pace. Well done sir.
Your research is well on the right track: LRA is the ultimate killer of any electric motor or pump. Most of the motor damage happens during the start cycle when the shaft does not know what to do: spin or translate sideway with a huge amount of force produced by the LRA. Now you can TAKE IT A NOTCH UP By ELIMINATING the LRA with a smart soft-starter. They are available for single phase or tri-phase motors/pumps/compressors. Soft-starters will stop stressing contactors & motors plus reduce a fraction of your electric bill by lack of start surge. They've been around for 10+ years. The way soft starters work is by feeding an increasing fraction of the sinewave during start. After starting the internal power Triac is bypassed by an internal relay for ultimate runtime efficiency. (FYI: these days 100.Amp RMS Triacs are not uncommon. A cheap "BTA100-800" triac can handles spikes up to 1,000.Amp!!). Modern Soft-starters are microprocessor driven to automatically adjust for minimal currents. Potential Relay/PTC "starter-kits" are the cheapest vs. soft-starters but considering service calls, contactors and compressor replacement it's the best option for engineers 😁. There are multiple HVAC specific SS out there these days. Enjoy greater design options.
G Lasser thanks for your response on this. I am considering a soft start for one of my aircons that keeps tripping our power when it starts or sometimes during cycling duties. We have enough power for everything when it’s all running at nominal power but at startup it draws a lot more current and our mains power MCB trips on the utility end meaning we are exceeding our subscribed power limit. What soft start kit would you recommend for this app if you don’t mind me asking?
I have a 4 ton Goodman single stage ac condenser that's about a year old. Should I add a start kit to mine? I was also thinking about installing an Emerson Sure Switch contactor as well. Thanks in advance. Great informational video.
Would you happen to know if this would work in conjunction with the Intermatic CD1-024R Compressor Defender already installed? Thank you for making the video and thank you for sharing your knowledge. Another question are the Superboost/Supco Hardstart kits a gimmick vs the one you have in the video which looks like a Rectorseal Kickstart? Which are you comfortable recommending?
Based on your research, would you recommend a soft start kit money being no option? I always wonder if the 30-40 amp "inrush" they create is so low you're doing more harm then good.
panchohughes Many of them do recommend them for heat pumps, and can be ordered with them. Usually the schematic that you'll find on the back of the service panel will show the wiring for a ptc and potential relay hard start kit, even if they don't come with either.
For cheap "bang for the buck" a 5-2-1 kit is always a good solution. If you want to be more current, have a generator or solar.... a Sure Start/soft start kit is a much wiser choice. A lot more pricey, but a lot more benefit. See hypereng.com
I have a Trans Central AC condenser installed in 1985 that came with a factory installed hard start kit. I've never had an issues with it. I have replaced the "Caps" over the years just as a PM measure, (cheap insurance) and always use " made in the USA" capacitors. I've been told by many Trans AC Techs that I know a lot of the companies stopped installing them from the factory to cut cost. And of course, it's always about their bottom line. So, change out your Caps every couple or few years depending on your area and run time (start/stop) situation. They do get weak......it's cheap insurance and easy to do ;)
you have put to rest my confusion over whether or not to add this kit to my new heat pump. Thank you. it's about to get hot here in Tx, so I appreciate you taking the time to clearly explain this. Subscribed.
I'm in Dallas. I added a 5-2-1 start kit ($28 off Amazon) to my 20+ year old Carrier heat pump. It will make for smoother starting, but you might want to take measurements (e.g. sound levels) before and after installation, to quantify the difference. Working out any savings on running cost might be more difficult due to variances in Texas weather.
why would you add it to a new condenser unless the compressor is on its way out
A start kit is designed to reduce wear on the compressor, regardless of age. At one time, these kits were installed as standard in a/c units, but as a cost-saving measure were gradually phased out. (If you look at the wiring diagram inside your a/c unit, you will probably see a phantom diagram for a start kit ... sometimes described as a "field option"!)
Great explination for anyone with limited overall knowledge but gets things when explained properly . Negative comments are probably just prideful mermurings. Voice was humble, not quite as stated. Explained at a perfect pace. Well done sir.
Your research is well on the right track: LRA is the ultimate killer of any electric motor or pump.
Most of the motor damage happens during the start cycle when the shaft does not know what to do: spin or translate sideway with a huge amount of force produced by the LRA.
Now you can TAKE IT A NOTCH UP By ELIMINATING the LRA with a smart soft-starter. They are available for single phase or tri-phase motors/pumps/compressors.
Soft-starters will stop stressing contactors & motors plus reduce a fraction of your electric bill by lack of start surge. They've been around for 10+ years.
The way soft starters work is by feeding an increasing fraction of the sinewave during start. After starting the internal power Triac is bypassed by an internal relay for ultimate runtime efficiency. (FYI: these days 100.Amp RMS Triacs are not uncommon. A cheap "BTA100-800" triac can handles spikes up to 1,000.Amp!!). Modern Soft-starters are microprocessor driven to automatically adjust for minimal currents.
Potential Relay/PTC "starter-kits" are the cheapest vs. soft-starters but considering service calls, contactors and compressor replacement it's the best option for engineers 😁.
There are multiple HVAC specific SS out there these days. Enjoy greater design options.
G Lasser thanks for your response on this. I am considering a soft start for one of my aircons that keeps tripping our power when it starts or sometimes during cycling duties. We have enough power for everything when it’s all running at nominal power but at startup it draws a lot more current and our mains power MCB trips on the utility end meaning we are exceeding our subscribed power limit. What soft start kit would you recommend for this app if you don’t mind me asking?
Good video. Dry? Yes. Informative? Yes. Helpful? Yes. Thanks.
installed 5-2-1 today my lennox 5tons, 8 years old, seem like it kick start louder, but will measure the ampere as soon i had the meter
I use this video to help fall asleep at night lol
Yup his voice is so relaxing ,,,too nice to be a Svc Technician on da field😀
My AC was tripping the breaker when compressor was turning on. I put hard start kit on over two years ago and it's never happened since. They work.
I have a 4 ton Goodman single stage ac condenser that's about a year old. Should I add a start kit to mine? I was also thinking about installing an Emerson Sure Switch contactor as well. Thanks in advance. Great informational video.
Best explanation think ill ass this to my 26 year old air conditioner
The additional condenser adds a magnetic phase to the rotor thus uses less amps.
Excellent, thank you for presenting this information in a clear manner.
Outstanding explanation !!!!!!!! Thank You..
Thanks,makes perfect sense to me .will add one to my heat pump.
Would you happen to know if this would work in conjunction with the Intermatic CD1-024R Compressor Defender already installed? Thank you for making the video and thank you for sharing your knowledge. Another question are the Superboost/Supco Hardstart kits a gimmick vs the one you have in the video which looks like a Rectorseal Kickstart? Which are you comfortable recommending?
Based on your research, would you recommend a soft start kit money being no option? I always wonder if the 30-40 amp "inrush" they create is so low you're doing more harm then good.
Sir thanks once more. Pls also want to know if it can also be required on a simple ductless split AC unit.Thanks will very much appreciate your reply
Great Job! You did very good!
It might be great if you could hear it.
Is it not half the locked rotor amps at 230 volts?
Should the relay be installed like that??
The relay should have an arrow on it showing which direction to mount it.
Thanks a lot sir
Can i run my 3.5 ton unit plus everything in my home on my 7500 watt portable generator if i install this kit?
Probably not. While the start kit does reduce starting current, it has no effect on run current.
Read up on soft-start kits
Why do AirConditioner manufactures not have this kit installed by default??? To reduce longevity ?
panchohughes Many of them do recommend them for heat pumps, and can be ordered with them. Usually the schematic that you'll find on the back of the service panel will show the wiring for a ptc and potential relay hard start kit, even if they don't come with either.
Yes !
For cheap "bang for the buck" a 5-2-1 kit is always a good solution. If you want to be more current, have a generator or solar.... a Sure Start/soft start kit is a much wiser choice. A lot more pricey, but a lot more benefit. See hypereng.com
wanted to watch the whole video but couldn't hear what you was saying, no i don't have external speakers.
You need a redbull
RLA =run load amps LRA =Locked rotor amps their is no normal run amps its called RLA.
Sleeping under this one
Everybody be quiet so I can hear this Video..!!
I can see the sadness in your eyes
oh my god,,, wake up !!!!
😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴
I DID NOT UNDERSTAND MUMBLE MOUTH. WHAT A WASTE!
WOW, WHAT A WASTE.
speak up //////us folks with bad ears can hardly hear you
dude LRA is when the motor is locked up im an HVAC TECH 30 YEARS get it straight.